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.

My favourite pub is one that doesn't allow children, it's gorgeous, quiet and relaxed. Outside of places like Wetherspoons or places with playgrounds geared specifically towards families, I don't really think kids have any business being in a pub at all.

Each to their own 🤷‍♀️

Personally, I'd prefer if kids weren't allowed in pubs at all. But that would apply to other adult places too. I've been to art galleries and book reviews where kids have been running around and bawling their eyes out.

I've even been to a lecture/presentation on Public Health Utilities where they had to stop while was a woman was politely asked to take her upset and agitated child outside so we could hear what was being said.

It’s pretty sad if the parents can’t go without alcohol while supervising their children in the playground.

If it was terrible business they wouldn’t have made the decision. I much prefer a pub without kids.

Plenty of pubs are very happy to have families, you do not speak for everyone

How is the fact it’s surrounded by housing relevant? Single people and couples live in houses too 😂

kids really change the feel of a pub, and can stop adults lingering over drinks

My local pub has a similar ban on children (from 6pm). I believe there is more friction these days as there has, in my experience, been an erosion of what were traditional adult only places, especially pubs, over the last few decades by some parents who think every space should in some way cater for them and that any noise or disruption caused by their kids is something everyone else should just tolerate. Not wanting kids in my local pub (thankfully the landlord agrees) I imagine is just catering for people who just want to enjoy a pint/wine in peace without the soundtrack of Frozen playing or listening to some tantrum. Anyway, my pub is a fantastically yea olde wonky old place with low ceilings, stone floors, open fire places, no fruit machines and bags of atmosphere. It is simply not a good environment for children as there are loads of trip hazards, dogs, no garden etc. If you want a child friendly environment there is another pub around the corner with a garden and playground that deliberately caters for families so just go there and leave my boozer alone!

Oh yes grim and public drinking is illegal where I live so there is that.

I've worked in lots of pubs/bars, most of which only served food during the day, and we didn't allow children in evenings in any of them, for a number of reasons:

Firstly, a pub is first and foremost for drinking in. A gastropub that functions primarily as a restaurant or a chain pub off a main road that hands out colouring books and has a kids' menu isn't really a pub, to be honest. A local high street type place, however, primarily exists for the consumption of alcohol and adults chatting with other adults. Most people go to the pub for a drink to talk to other adults. They don't want children under their feet, whining, taking up table space, hindering their conversation, playing with toys etc. They've come to the pub for a break from their own kids, more than likely. They do not want other people's kids around them.

Secondly, places full of adults who are only there to drink alcohol are not particularly good places for children to be. They will see and hear things that aren't appropriate. People will be drunk. People will be tripping over them, glasses get dropped, drinks get spilled, people will swear, arguments will break out. It's not a good environment for a child. When I was working in pubs, I hated seeing kids in pubs all day, not just because their presence was often off-putting for other customers and they were a nuisance for the bar staff, but because it's just not suitable for them. It's not a cafe. They're always bored, they're always fidgety. They usually go in and out of the main doors about 80 times an hour, which is irritating for everyone but also a sign that they're bored to tears. I used to see people sitting drinking three or four pints while their nine-year-old sat there shredding beer mats and listening to massively inappropriate conversations for hours.

I'd be quite happy with this to be honest, I was in my very busy local on Saturday and there were kids running riot whilst their parents did fuck all to rein them in

Saturday evening is prime going out for meals time for many people. My parents like to go out for "tea" on Saturday, usually between 6 and 7. They also prefer to go somewhere without lots of children.

Incidentally one of the pubs in town have done this too. Gone no children after 4pm on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. They are known locally for their food and have a lovely Sunday carvery. They got some flack on FB for it and the landlord responded that children are welcome weekday nights Tues-Thurs and daytime on Friday,Saturdays and Sundays. He claimed that following customer feedback that an adult environment on Weekend nights would be appreciated. Children can still go to the lunchtime Sunday carvery but after 4pm the carvery is adults only. The adults only times have been heavily supported by older people locally. Perhaps something similar has happened to your local.

I suppose its a matter of waiting to see if it works out with them.

Perhaps it's a family holiday in the UK - are parents allowed to dine out with their kids in the evening then, as they do on the continent?

Their pub, their rules, and 5pm is plenty late enough. The only reason to go to a pub with kids is food isn’t it? Who wants to go drinking with their kids in tow?

My local encourages kids. Built a huge enclosed play area for them recently. They said happy kids means parents will spend more money and I get it. If my kids are happy, I'll have another pint. If they're whining and bored, I'll be drinking up and leaving. They're always busy too (and they don't even serve food).

But I can see the appeal of a kid free pub. If that's the route they want to take then good for them.

I'm old enough to remember the days when pubs sold alcohol and restaurants sold food.
If you were a child you either had to stay in the beer garden or sit in your parents car.

I wish my local would do that, pubs should be an adult only space ideally

I guess it depends on whether or not this pub does food like a lot of others do nowadays. 5pm seems mad to me, 7pm is fairer because why would any children really need to be in a pub after 7pm?

It's a weird one.

I was indeed there when you could smoke indoors . Infact I'm in Ireland and I remember when the smoking ban came in , how pissed off all the adults where against it. Thankfully though things have really changed in Ireland and bringing your children to the pub for hours on end isn't socially acceptable any more. I'm surprised it hasn't changed in the UK. There are plenty family friendly establishments where you can go with your children , I don't understand why anyone would want to take their children to a pub filled with loud drunk adults

I don’t think this is the case generally. I pop in to a pub for lunch with the dc every once in a while and I’ve yet to see anyone looking drunk during the day. Normally just people having a pint or something with food. I don’t drink anymore but I don’t think the dc are scarred by me having a glass of wine with dinner in years gone by. Quite the opposite as you learn it’s normal to have a glass rather than a bottle.

Possibly some pubs are more of a boozer than others but most people wouldn’t take children there. Its really expensive to drink out nowadays so pubs have had to diversify to encourage footfall.

@Allfur surely that's what restaurants and cafes are for? Dining as a priority.

I go to my local pub most weeks with my kids and they don't serve food. We go to watch the football, play pool, watch a live band etc. They have a massive outdoor area with a park/football goals. They even have colouring for rainy days. The kids tend to group together and make their own entertainment too.

And rightly so. I just can't believe people here actually suggesting such a thing, and pubs putting in playgrounds is a huge red flag. Something so very very wrong there.

I don't mind pubs doing food and being family friendly to a point but nobody needs to be sitting drinking with kids in tow of a sunny afternoon.

Some of the most rough and ready pubs near where I used to live used to be rammed with folk pissed out their minds all day and night with riotous kids in tow, most below school age.
We laughed about it but it was actually really grim. There was no play areas and barely any outdoor space in any of them. You look round and see a child in nothing but a sagging nappy poking at a pile of puke with a stick. Surrounded by fag ends and broken glass.
I think in a nice area 7pm is reasonable in lighter months. But there does need to be a cut off point. Tired grumpy kids eating and drinking nothing for hours while parents get hammered. Not nice.