Would you take a 22 month old out for a pub lunch?

[MrsDoolittle]

I think so.
Dd is 22 months and not badly behaved. I have suggested we have a pub lunch in town to dh. He says he doesn't think pubs are very child friendly places and not the best place to take dd.

depends if there will be smoke or not
if smoke, deffo no.
since you ask

Depends on the pub I think. If it was a nice family friendly one I'd take ds, also 22 months.

would depend on the pub. plenty of them are child-friendly and full of families. plenty are full of seedy blokes propping up the bar smoking cheap fags at midday on a saturday coz they haven't got anything better to do.

Yes, I remmeber taking my oldest two to a pub for lunch when they were 22 and 4 months respectively, and have repeated the experience several times since with them and their younger siblings. We do pick nice fmaily type pubs though. Only occasionally been to more adult type pubs, and even those had to be foodie type pubs, not boozers.

Depend on the pub, but pretty much a yes.

depends on the pub but generally yes.

we go to a family type pub once every two weeks, so yes.

also agree it depends on pub we have taken ds to various ones since he was born but they tend to be family orientated and non smoking sections etc.

When ds was small and we still had the semblence of a life we took him out in the summer to pub gardens for lunch. Would never eat inside with him though - too smoky.

Absolutely. We've always taken ours to the pub for lunch. Though we're talking foody, child-friendly, not-smoky rural pubs. Ds2 first went to the pub for lunch when he was 2 days old! I think it's a good thing for them to larn how to do: sit nicely at a table, eat etc. Admittedly, we've had some hideous lunches in our time when they were younger, with speed-eating from us, or taking it in turns with them outside, but now they're 7, 5 and nearly 3, they're pretty reliable. The key for us is to make sure they have stuff to do. I take a bag of drawing and colouring things, Top Trumps, a few cars, that kind of thing. Do it, it makes you feel like you haven't sacrificed everything to be a parent!

Agree depends on the character of the pub and the environment (smoky, loud, etc). Some may not even let kids in,as it depends on their licence, ds was excluded at about 3 weeks old from one ! At this time of year you don't even have the option of the beer garden. Generally speaking we've taken ours into ones which have a separate non- smoking eating area and a kids menu, occasionally with no issues.

I am a complete coward! No I personally wouldn't but that is only because I would rather someone look after the kids and me and DH go out for lunch! I resent having to spend money on food that the kids won't eat and me and DH have to gulp down at high speed! and then race around entertaining a toddler or have it crying in the seat next to us! But then I am a killjoy!

I am a complete coward! No I personally wouldn't but that is only because I would rather someone look after the kids and me and DH go out for lunch! I resent having to spend money on food that the kids won't eat and me and DH have to gulp down at high speed! and then race around entertaining a toddler or have it crying in the seat next to us! But then I am a killjoy!

yes, if it nice vilage pub with good food and we can get a non smoking area.
We took dd out from 8 mths - she is 3 now and can order the round in

Less than two months till the smoking ban takes effect in Scotland .

We quite often take our DS out to a pub for some dinner, always family friendly, non-smoking places and normally with a soft land type play area, our DS loves it, especially as it is the only time we allow ice-cream as it sends him a bit loopy for a few hours!!

We have found the Brewers Fayre chain to be very good for children, but there are plenty of other pubs around that we have tried and as long as they say families welcome outside then you are normally treated as though you are indeed welcomed!!

I think even now pubs, in Dundee anyway, cant have children in if they allow smoking so you alwys get a smoke free enviroment. Despite all the moaning abou the smoking ban most pubs in the city centre let children in as they must make more money from families than the do from people who smoke.

I think Dd was about six days they first time she went for a pub lunch and we've never had any problems. Its nicer to eat pub food than McDonalds and not always much more expensive.

Yes I would as long as the pub wasn't too smoky and was welcoming to children.

Yes, if not too smoky, why not? I think a pub is a nice relaxed place for a toddler, top standards of behaviour are not usually required and there is normally plenty of music and chatter to help keep them entertained.

Well we're back now. I thought I'd check and I went into the tourist office and asked about child friendly pubs (Newbury). I'm pleased I did because they suggested that we didn't go into any of the pubs in town, we would be much better going to a rural pub.
So as we were in town, we went to Pizza Express. Dh was very jumpy because he said he remembered how he used to hate sitting near children before he had them. So I pointed it out to him that it goes to show us how selfish we were because it was a lot easier for us to eat out and anywhere before we had children. Now we should understand that parents need a life! So despite him frowning everytime dd raised an objection about something (I think she got brain freeze with her ice-cream) we had quite a nice time.
We'll go to a rural pub soon though!

We have regularly, ish depending on finances taken our two out to pubs for meals from being babies. They are now nearly 5 and 20 months and I wouldn't think twice about doing it.

We've always taken DS (5) out with us providing its fairly child friendly (ie kid sized portions) & smoke free. He's always been good providing we go well prepared with things for hime to do. When he was smaller we used to take small sized cutlery too to make it easier. Now he's great as long as he has an activity book & pencils