Child only area in restaurant- discriminatory?

[Buyalot]

I’ve returned from a carvery lunch with DH and DD (14 months).

On arrival, despite there being a lot of seats spare in every area, we were told we had to be seated in the dedicated children’s area - an
absolute racket with soft play etc.

AIBU to find this ridiculous?

I have no issue with having a separate family dining area but I also wouldn't want to sit in the soft play bit, it's a guaranteed way to make your child not want to sit nicely and eat! My ideal dinner scenario would be a table away from the soft play and the option to move into the soft play section for desserts and coffees

Oh the irony @Buyalot you complain about being stuck in the family area due to the noise but cant understand why others dont want their meal disrupted by your noisy child

I probably wouldn’t go there, because I don’t like to be surrounded by other people’s screeching kids while I’m eating and DC would be an extra pain in the arse. However we do think it’s a good idea for restaurants that will inevitably have a lot of young families - such as a carvery.

🙄 another one who doesn't understand that "I wasn't allowed to do exactly what I want" doesn't = discrimination.

Was the case when I was a kid. Spent many a Sunday lunch in the souless annex of a pub. Time for the next generation of kids to do the same.

Agreed. Not all 14 month olds are screaming banshees!

Why do you assume OP’s child is noisy? 🤔

It's a great idea OP.

Don't be that woman who has a child and thinks the rest of the world finds it as adorable as you do.

I ahve children and I am also an adult. I agree with child areas and separate adult only areas for my different ways to socialise with or without kids 😂

Sounds like fabulous idea to me! It is sensible as all the crying babies/ kids on ipads/ kids shrieking and running about are all in one area.

Great way to protect adult only spaces, you will appreciate it when you are out the other side and want to eat out without babies screaming and kids running around

I don't think its discrimination to have an area where children are not allowed to sit in a carvery place. I actually think its a really good idea to have an adults only area and it would encourage me to eat there since I don't have young kids anymore

I think this is a "vote with your feet" situation if you aren't happy with the set up

YABU. Sounds a great idea to me and I wish more restaurants would do it. Why should I be subjected to an absolute racket?

There’s a place like this near us.

We always say ‘nowhere near the kids bit’ because we want to eat in peace, not listen to screaming kids and have feral toddlers coming up to our table sticking their hands in our drinks (which has happened!).

I would also have loved this when DC were small, it would have been great to know they weren’t annoying adults who wanted a quiet meal.

Yeah children are an absolute racket, that was the point.

No.
I dont want to eat with small children. I want some quiet to eat.

What a great idea! I wish all restaurants did this.

I wouldn't like this. My 5 year old is autistic so wouldn't like the noise plus he's physically disabled so can't use the soft play. Why should he be made to sit in there when he can't access it?

Not at all discriminatory. Great idea.

I do get why you are peeved at 14 mo DS could have been easily distracted, till good turned up, in the high chair with some colouring and chat. I wouldn’t of taken him into soft play as it’s not great for little ones as they are germ pits and they often get bowled over by older children.

that said I do understand why the restaurant does this as they’ve calculated they lose less by segregating families than others due to noise.

Vote with your feet and go somewhere you feel more comfortable. I think 3-6 are probably peak want a table next to soft play so they can run in and out years. So you may find it changes over time.

I don’t think he’d be made to sit in there, because you wouldn't choose to eat there at all, as it’s not your kind of set up. Fair enough.

It’d make sense for you to not not eat there then, just like you wouldn’t take him to a regular soft play for lunch?

I wish more places had this when dc1 was little! It was a bloody nightmare, because dc got easily over stimulated. When we did sit in areas miles away deep into the cafe, as not to disturb anybody, eg IKEA, a single woman sat next to us (millions of tables empty, but no she sat right there). It would have been fine if she was looking for company, but nope she glared at us the whole time, I couldn't relax if dc so much as made a noise. In hindsight we should have just picked up our meals and moved! We never got a meal in peace as dc1 was not an easy going baby/toddler, and required a lot more effort if people were near(now we know dc is AuADHD). Another time a group of young adults sat next to us, and kept looking over, trying to have a posh silent meal in Ikea while they chuckled, next to kids. Why do people do this?!

Restaurants/cafes like the one you went to OP are great!

A carvery near me has been doing this for a few years.
It a great idea. It ensured grown up can eat without having to listen to screaming kids.

Discriminatory? 😂