Is this the new normal?

[Bulldog01]

I am all for children eating out at restaurants with parents,friends & relatives.

Yesterday evening we decided to have a meal at a Indian restaurant.We were surprised that two families with young children were dinning at the restaurant on a school night at 9 pm.

On one occasion a mother arrived with a young baby in a pushchair around 8.30pm ish
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Is it just me? that feels very young children should be at home in bed by 7- 8pm.

I am getting on in years & old school.Is this now the new normal?

Now and again doesn’t hurt. Kids deserve a treat too.

A baby is fine, they’re often up late and nap during the day. My school aged children need to be asleep by 8 but not all children are the same.

We did this occasionally. As long as it's not every night or disruptive to other people I don't see the issue.

I'm nearer 60 than 50 and remember taking my babies out and about when they were little and portable in a car seat or sling - I certainly would have taken them to restaurants in the evening in their baby years. Once they were toddlers we would have had a bedtime established, but not when they were teeny weenies and still breastfed - otherwise I'd never had got out of the house.

I can't imagine caring about other people's children so YABU

See also supermarkets around 8/9pm with families doing the big shop. I expect it makes for less stress when the shop is quiet!

Tbh it doesn't bother me, just surprises me a bit when I see it.

However, some kids do absolutely fine when they're out late. I have kept mine up for social events and they've behaved perfectly well both on the night and the day after (we got home at 11pm!). I wouldn't do it regularly as they do end up visibly tired but one offs seems fine.

I think this has always been normal. That’s the great thing about babies, you can take them anywhere anytime that age.

Lots of school children do clubs and sometimes you want an easy dinner on the way home. I remember my parents doing this with me on occasion in the 90s.

I'd suggest you never go abroad. Most families don't eat until 8ish!

Is it just me? that feels very young children should be at home in bed by 7- 8pm.

I'm not sure that out of all the millions of parents out there, it's going to be just you who feels this.

But equally out of all the millions of parents out there, there'll also be those who don't 🤷‍♂️

They know their own kids and how best to care for them.

A lot of families don’t eat dinner until 8 and don’t put their children to bed early. It always surprises me on threads when people are putting their children to bed at 7. I appreciate some children need a lot of sleep but a lot don’t

I found this really easy with a baby as mine slept anywhere really peacefully. I'd put her in her nighttime clothes and make the buggy totally flat. It was great and I had so much freedom.

I remember being out for our evening walk onetime. There was a talk on in he local community centre I was interested in. Baby was asleep so I went in. Right at the end she woke up, I gave her her bottle and we were having a quick cuddle before I tucked her back in. She was really quiet so the people around me hadn't noticed. Then turning to leave one woman exclaimed and as the talk was over people started chatting and coming over to say hi. My baby always loved this so was all smiles etc. One woman said really pointedly "what are you doing here, you should be in bed" and threw a very disapproving look at me. I was probably a little sensitive as a new mum as it had stuck in my head. I felt judged and then defensive.

I'm surprised though at children, not babies being in a restaurant at that time. Maybe it doesn't do them any harm but I think it's unfair if they have to get up for school without a full night's sleep.

The baby is obviously fine, doesn't need to be up in the morning.

I'd probably not be out to dinner with primary age kids at 9pm, but maybe it was a special occasion/their school was closed the next day.

Bedtime also varies wildly with culture. There's many other cultures who aren't as fixated with bedtime as we are in Britain.

The vast majority of southern Europe find the idea of putting a child to bed at 7pm ridiculous. We were out with our two year old at 10pm in Italy eating cream and watching a school dance recital (primary school age kids) in the town square.

Eating early is a very British thing (the kids won't turn into a pumpkin)

Don't ever go to Italy.

I think there are cultural differences around this - I mean nationality wise as well as just the cultures in some families. Agree with pp that when I see young kids out late at the supermarket I think ‘why?’ I’d hate that. But when kids are small and don’t have school etc, a family can design their own timetable, stay up later and get up later, if it suits them. Maybe a parent works later and it suits them to see more of their kids to shift the timetable later? Also it can be neglectful, parents who are not putting kids needs first. But I wouldn’t assume that’s necessarily the case.

. . . clearly never been to Italy

Yes, as are bedtimes.

In my area there's a very high number of Eastern European families and they take the kids to the play parks in the dark, so they get lots of fresh air and exercise until they're tired.

You can see them all year round past 9pm playing on the swings and slides, and they seem bright as a button the next morning.

Lolz my daughter was dancing at 1am at a wedding last weekend

had her walking the streets of Tokyo at midnight last year at 3

Both kids will be at several Xmas parties up late the coming weeks

Why not!!

They’re not your kids so why do you care?