AIBU to be upset at this notice put up at a pub in Colliers Wood?

[HaydonWomble]

Is it acceptable or not? Opinion seems to be divided. Is it a request too far with young children? That it happens to be the nicest go-to bar in the area, backing onto Wandle Park, makes it a magnet for anyone and everyone, including those of us with children. And this 'barrel' request is outside in the 'beer garden', traditionally the place where you will find people with kids, particularly on hot summer days (although there have been few of those so far this year!).

With older children wouldn't think this to be a problem (they could do plenty of Pokemon Go hunting without moving from their seats!) but it is quite difficult to get toddlers to sit still whilst parents indulge in a leisurely drink.

Maybe they'd be better to introduce 'family-friendly' hours as some other pubs have a policy of doing.

Are we all condemned to give our locals a wide berth with young families, or even worse to visit family-friendly hostelries which are anything but?

Sighs...

If they can't stay seated then they shouldn't be taken to the pub

Unless it's one with a play park attached. A pub that has staff bringing food and drinks needs staff to not be run into by errant children.

I think that maybe families with small children who won't sit still shouldn't be encouraged into pubs, particularly upmarket ones.... It's difficult enough keeping them amused to eat a meal out (and that's usually for less than an hour) let alone over a leisurely drink (or two).

However, think the pub is BU - you either have a family-friendly policy and put up with little peeps getting restless OR you make a stand to make it a grown-ups only pub. I think this pub is trying to have the best of both worlds, particularly as it's in a very community/family-oriented part of the borough.

I wonder if they have the same policy for adults BTW?

They're entitled to ask children be seated...and they're just as entitled to go out of business by discouraging customers.

If they are confident they can keep the pub packed without needing to rely on families, good luck to them. But Colliers Wood isn't Clapham or Balham...full of a constant flow of affluent and child free customers so its a risky strategy.

Come to Streatham, some v child friendly places there :)

I think it's fair enough. I can't bear kids racing around in pubs or restaurants. My children don't do it so I would hope others would ask their children to behave too.

Kids have to sit in a Restaurant so why not a pub? Seems perfectly reasonable to me.

Agree that children should not be running around like mad things in a pub or its beer garden, unless there is specifically a designated play area for them.

BUT I would suggest that it is generally a 'given' so to actually flag it up is not very family-friendly really, is it? I suspect that the rules are possibly a little more fluid/relaxed in other parts of SW London where the (more) affluent family market has greater sway and could make/break a pub's reputation.

Personally I would be voting with my feet and going elsewhere. Not because of wandering children (they don't) but because the pub's message is mixed IMHO and not very family-friendly in its tone.