Places actively discouraging children

[Allhallowseve]

Just wondering what other people opinions of this are?
I follow a few local garden centres as we visit quite regularly under normal circumstances. Since they have reopened they are advertising as being open but asking people not to bring children.
I am just finding the way children have been treated throughout this pandemic absolutely awful .... I don't know if it's just me?
Yes I know things could be far worse for them and people are shielding not able to really get out. But garden centres actively discouraging children from visiting?!
Adults are able to meet up in outdoor areas yet it's incredibly hard for children to do the same. Adults can pop out to shops now , grab a coffee maybe do a couple of things they enjoy . However the play parks are padlocked and taped up . Most school year groups are not going back until September , all playgroups , clubs and classes are cancelled. Yet they are the least vulnerable group in society and seem to have been forgotten.

No it's not just you. Children have been very much disregarded during the pandemic.

I have thought this from the start, but now there are more and more threads like this popping up because people are starting to realise that children aren't being prioritised in any way, shape or form.

I get it's difficult but it's really winding me up seeing them post everyday asking people not to bring children

Well, I have to admit that shopping is much more pleasant for me now that I no longer have to take my kids with me. Long may that side of things continue.

Well, I have to admit that shopping is much more pleasant for me now that I no longer have to take my kids with me. Long may that side of things continue.

Why did you have to take your kids before but now you don't?

I think it's because some parents don't keep their kids beside them plus they would count towards their maximum capacity. Two adults blocking an aisle is also bad! Unfortunately the under 50's in general have been sidelined in favour of the over 70's needs. My local Facebook group wants to get the shops here shut down because it's "so dangerous" but I'm the only one on the group who has had c19 and it was barely the sniffles (not kidding and knew it was covid because of the taste thing and dp had worse symptoms)

I much prefer places that don't allow children. We all know children don't wash their hands as thoroughly as an adult would. They're touching door handles, shop items, tables etc. They don't have the same social boundaries. It makes perfect sense covid wise not to encourage them

Your children might be well behaved angels but other children might not be unfortunately

I prefer places like garden centres when there’s no children around (including my own). It’s less stressful with no kids running around, getting too close to others and touching everything.

Why would a child want to go to a garden centre anyway.

It seems fairly reasonable to minimise the number of people in shops and public places in my opinion.

My local garden centre has a play area at the back and I know lots of parents who, in normal times, think it's a nice morning out to take the children for a wander round, look at the fish and the animals, end in the cafe and the play area. Given so many places are closed at the moment I can see it causing real issues for garden centres if they end up being a family outing destination instead of a garden centre where people can queue, enter, buy supplies and leave. If someone is just going in to buy gardening supplies and they need to take a child with them, fine, but as with supermarkets it doesn't need to be a family outing.

I've missed baby groups and classes, but DC will be fine. It's probably better than having lots of people mixing socially when trying to control the death rate.

Adults can meet in outdoors if they follow social distancing. So can children.

Adults can get a take out coffee. Parents can also buy their children a take out snack or drink.

The play parks are closed, so's all the outdoor gym equipment at my local parks. The same reasons for both being closed is reducing the spread.

I strongly agree with you op. I worry about the long lasting effects on toddler DS. Most of us are teaching our children about germs and extra hand washing and I worry about a generation of germaphobes.
It's been heartbreaking seeing DS want to socialise with and speak to other children who just get ushered away without even an acknowledgement. Our children are taking the brunt of this when actually the virus doesn't effect them as much (albeit they are carriers).

I would imagine it’s easier to have a blanket rule of no children rather than a list of rules eg children must walk with parent, no touching, no running off etc. Generally the age of a child who needs to accompany a parent when out and about is the age that some will run off or not follow instructions.

I also hate people who say "a trip to the shop shouldn't be a family outing, don't bring children". What harm is there in putting your toddler in a trolley seat to look at some different scenery for a bit. I did it with my children because they were bored and needed the change. The issue is with parents who have no control, not the kids

Speak for your own children maddy (if you even have any).

My children wash their hands properly. They also know how to socially distance and behave.

Unlike a lot of adults I've seen.

@Trainersmum my husband's working hours have changed and I am now working from home on weekdays. I no longer have to try and shoehorn the food shop in around everything else on a Saturday morning with two children in tow.

I am also unashamedly using it as an excuse to escape from my offspring for an hour.

It's a shame but if other parents aren't controlling their DCs I don't see what else they can do to keep everyone safe.

It's a phased opening, and so perhaps if here are DC who want to be customers, you could contact the management, explain what your DC wish to buy (even better, get them to write) and ask for a time when they can come in and do their shopping.

I think it is fair enough to limit the number of non-customers on the premises when there is limited space. When you have made it clear that your DC really want to go, they may well be more receptive.

I think we might have to get used to the idea of small groups of shoppers (browsing discouraged), and limits especially on small DC who cannot on the whole be trustee not to touch stuff.

Which is unfortunate, but there are man, many more things open now for those who can go out.

And despite your comment, there are still over 2million who are shielded and very isolated. And they do matter. So even if you can't make exactly the shopping trips you want to, you can reframe this positively in that you now have far more choice than you did , and more is on its way

Imagine the uproar if people were told 'no over 60's' or 'no adults allowed'

Seriously it is ageist and unfair especially as children are not at school.

My dd and I went out this morning to look In Waterstones she needed a break as she is losing faith with online teaching.

Sainsbury's banned children and I will not forget this when it is over I will
spend my money elsewhere.

I think it is a shame

The staff in Waterstones recognised us as we are regulars, shops forget children grow up and are future customers maybe then they will take notice

My child is thrilled that she doesn't have to come to any boring shops with us. Unless you have no alternative, I wouldn't take them anyway.

Also, I know everyone is bleating on about children being disregarded in this - take schools out of it (too complicated, a gazillion threads on that issue already), and the rest is really the adult's responsibility. I'm responsible for my child taking exercise, getting sleep, being in contact with her friends, now seeing her friends, I am keeping her playing, occupied otherwise etc. It's boring a lot of the time, fun some of the time. It's also hard work.

If you can't do that at all without a zoo being open, or taking your children to a garden centre, then... I dunno, it just seems a bit rubbish No one chooses to have a child because they can take them to soft play.

Most of us are teaching our children about germs and extra hand washing and I worry about a generation of germaphobes.

Don't then.

Also - make your child some social bubbles now. They are allowed. Find people from nursery or baby activities that you used to go to, and get together with them in the park. Make your own bubble of fun. They can do social distancing with things like football and bats and balls. And considering the government has said no SD is required in schools amongst children, it's surely 'fine'.

If you have chosen to keep your child off school, then I don't know what you expect someone to offer you as an alternative. Apart from a garden centre apparently.

I also hate people who say "a trip to the shop shouldn't be a family outing, don't bring children". What harm is there in putting your toddler in a trolley seat to look at some different scenery for a bit. I did it with my children because they were bored and needed the change

Well, we’re still in the middle of this pandemic so we can’t immediately go back to normal. There is “harm” in your actions now unfortunately. Shop owners/staff just want their customers to use them as shops, not entertainment destinations right now. Literally everyone is “bored and needs a change”; there’s many things we all want to do but we all have a personal responsibility to reduce COVID transmission.

Elephantonascooter
If there's a toddler in the trolley seat then that's hardly a family outing.

I took DS out to town this morning as DH was working. DS was in a sling and nobody batted an eye lid. The place I needed to go was limited to 3 customers at a time. Then imagine how the queues would be if instead of 3 adult customers (because nobody cared about a baby in a sling), the queue had to increase because all 3 customer slots were taken up by a parent and their children. What about if 50% of the queue were people who decided their kids needed a change of scenery? Should a small business lose sales so that people can take their kids for an outing? Should everyone else doing errands have to wait substantially longer because someone else wanted to bring their kids out?

I'm still not convinced that parents need to take their children to wander round a garden centre for a change of scenery. If a business is saying please don't bring children then don't bring them unless you have to.

Garden centres are open because their stock is mostly outside and can be sold safely to sensible adults adhering to social distancing. To buy what you need you only need to send one person.

It is not a social outing. Go and get what you need & go home again. You are still advised to stay at home as much as you can. Take the kids for a walk or cycle in the park. It's hard on everyone.

My child is thrilled that she doesn't have to come to any boring shops with us.

Thisss. It will be lovely to be able to visit clothing shops without someone’s child profusely crying in the background because they’re bored of being stuck in changing rooms for hours

Some parents seem to think any shop, cafe, GC etc is a freerange playground for their kids.

Our newly-re-opened GC now has a one-way system to space customers, with arrows and tapebarriers, , strategically placed hand sanitisers, (before going in, before going to plant area; before coming back indoors from plant area) and numerous written notices . Not many kids would follow/obey the arrows, tape boundaries, written notices etc .

Out of control kids are a nuisance to other customers, as well as staff and goods displays.