No children in pub after 5pm

[SweetSouls]

My local banned children after 7pm a few years ago.

This seemed unnecessary to me, but I suppose that's after 'bed time' so I could sort of see the logic. Adult time etc.

On Saturday I went to stop there for a drink in the afternoon, and they have now banned children after 5pm.

This seems very odd to me given it's an area that people move to with their families. It's not some town centre boozer, it's surrounded by housing.

Is this just not terrible business? I do not get it at all.

It was almost empty, incidentally, at 5.15 on a Saturday afternoon.

I don't think kids should be in wet led pubs at all as a general rule.

Obviously pubs that do food with kids menus will welcome children up till a certain time at least because it's a restaurant as well essentially.

Parents failing to parent their children is causing issues here. They used to allow kids all evening, then 8pm and most recently it's outside only because of a small subset of parents letting their kids run around. Pubs are not playgrounds, sit and chat to your child. In fact my local does turn a blind eye to very well behaved children or teens enjoying the live music but the published no kids is displayed so they can quickly act against the nightmare ones

Sounds lovely, ours is the same, a focal point for the community.

I mean TBF, DH and I don’t frequent the very family friendly pubs much these days as are DC are teenagers who are doing their own thing or just sit quietly in an adult pub. We find that the very family friendly pubs are always full at the weekend as tables are full with inter generational dinners, or groups of parents with young DC eating which can take most of the pub up.

If you don't like alcohol this is the worst thing you can do. Making alcohol into a secret 'adult' activity rather than demystifying it and normalising responsible drinking.

Ah so you must be the lesser spotted 1% of pub owners (according to devonshiregirls statistics) who actively welcomes families !

DH has a friend like this. Him and his wife proudly tell people how they’ve continued doing the same things since having kids. They allow their kids to wander around the pub or restaurant freely. They allow them to sit at other diners’ tables and chat away. They also proudly boast at how their kids are not given screens at the table.

I no longer go out with them because I find their behaviour too embarrassing.

I was at a playground recently that had a bar - not in the UK.
Nobody was drunk obviously.

I’m quite amazed that the majority of responses are in support of this because ‘a pub isn’t the place for kids to be whilst the parents are getting wasted’.

Really do people only go to pubs only to get drunk?! Do parents of little kids really get so plastered they can’t look after their kids? I’ve taken kids to pubs plenty for their lunch/dinner and can’t think I’ve ever left them run riot because I’ve been too sloshed to realise or care… sweeping generalisations happening here!

I live on the continent and we take our kids to restaurants/bars/pub equivalents all of the time. I couldn’t imagine living a life where we only went out with our kids to very child specific activities. But then here the restaurants are filled with kids till much later than 7pm so it doesn’t feel unusual and no one bats an eye. My kids know that sometimes we do activities for them and sometimes we do things for the adults and that’s part of family life, not everything is directed at them!

that being said I have no problem with a place deciding on its own rules and would just find somewhere else!

I actually don’t disagree with children in pubs and have taken mine to them when there’s a nice beer garden for them to enjoy. Our local has a bouncy castle in the garden in the summer and an outdoor TV area.

But I really don’t see a reason for having children in a pub on the evening. Ultimately pubs are for drunk people. That’s the target market and I do think many children find drunk people intimidating. I certainly used to even if they were a happy drunk. I think the rule is fine

Its not so much the parents getting drunk that’s the problem but other perhaps less considerate people

Intergenerational dinners are lovely for families to get together and how much nicer than the dark snd dingy old man pubs from the olden days

Yes, as a childless person who hangs around with people with children, I don't really understand why everything has to revolve around the children all the time rather than an activity that everyone might enjoy.

Well, I understand to some extent this constant need to 'entertain' the children is because they're not allowed to play outside any more.

You don't get many of them in a suburban pub at tea time. It tends to happen late at night and if it does it's the pub's fault because they're not allowed to serve anyone already drunk.

"Ultimately pubs are for drunk people. "

Um, no. They are for drinking. Once you're drunk, it's time to go home.

Galleries etc yes but dragging your kids along to go afternoon drinking is not appropriate. Going for a pub lunch and having a glass of wine with a meal is a different senerio.

Sounds like a great idea. 🍾🍺

It's only in recent times that pubs have become more family friendly. Back in the 70s and 80s many pubs were adult only places. Many a time my mum and dad would stop for a quick pint on the way home from a day out and leave me and DB in the car. They would bring us out a bottle of lemonade and a packet of crisps.

Until the smoking ban many pubs were smokey and smelly and not somewhere I would have taken my dd.

"Kids are usually plied with Mi Wadi.."

Mi Wadi..?

What's that?

Having a glass of wine with your children at home during a meal at the weekend and allowing them a glass too when they are older at home during a meal stops alcohol being some secret adult vice that they are desperate to experiment with.
You dont need to take them to the pub to demystify it?

It’s the same with a lot of stuff, it you take your kids around the shops every weekend window shopping or buying stuff you don’t need they think that is normal and will do the same, just hang around the shops. If you take them hiking or cycling at the weekend then a healthy activity that won’t break the bank when they are older becomes the norm.

Every now and then doesn’t matter, but teaching kids expensive bad habits as normal pastime activities done regularly does affect the way they view adult life.

Not everyone in the community has children. How many people avoid the pub because it is nothing more than a playground ?

Oh god no. I do not want to talk to your child nor do I want them to talk to me

Our local has just put up a sign that says any child not sat at a table must be accompanied by an adult at all times

"You dont need to take them to the pub to demystify it?"

No, you don't need to, but it's an option.

And there's nothing wrong with window shopping or shopping on the weekends as long as you don't get into debt. You're quite judgemental.

Unless the wethspoons is breaking their nationality policy it won’t allow dogs. None of them do.