thesecondcoming - YES! That is exactly what I am saying - The child does have as much right to be there as anybody else. Why doesn't she? In a pub that has chosen a family licence?
The behaviour issue is completely separate. Clearly if the child's behaviour is annoying and out of control people should complain and the parents should bring colouring or toys or something but they are entitled to be there.
I think more fool you if you only ever take your children to 'childrens' places. The logic of your attitude defeats me, how can a child learn to respect an adult's needs and behave appropriately in different social situations if they are not allowed to be involved?
It's exactly the same with food. We almost never order from the 'childrens' menu, my children would much rather eat proper food than homogenous chicken dippers or pizza. How can a child learn to enjoy a variety of new foods if they are only ever allowed to eat rubbish?
I think this attitude of adults 'needing' a child free release at the weekend so they can drink beer and swear is what has built our binge drinking culture. If children were allowed more places then adults would not behave so irresponsibly with alcohol, that is why there is less binge drinking on the continent. They don't have this culture of 'lock the kids away so we can have a good time'
I HATE this whole attitude. I recently visited my favourite (high-end) restaurant with my children (2 and 4) for my birthday, we booked the table for 6.30pm. The owners and staff welcomed us because we visit often with the children but as we arrived two women were smoking outside giving us dirty looks and saying rather loudly 'imagine bringing children to a place like this'.
These women, it turns out, were there for a hen do they got very drunk and were shouting, swearing, singing and standing on the table by 7.30pm. I complained, as did several others and they were politely asked to calm down or leave which they did - calmed down and left soon after. We enjoyed our meal, the children were well behaved and we went home to bed.
I feel the general attitude to this situation would've been 'well they were badly behaved but you should expect that if you bring children to an adult space'. Children are allowed in restaurants until 11pm, this means it is NOT an adults only space. The hen do was badly behaved, people complained and the behaviour was sorted out.
No-one complained about my children because they were well behaved. My attitude to the situation is that children are allowed in restaurants, they are a family space and my children are as entitled to be there as anyone else. In a high-end restaurant everybody will be expected to behave well, that includes children and adults. My children know this and behave accordingly and tbh since they sit in church every sunday morning for an hour they're pretty used to controlling themselves.