Children in pubs

There was a pub near our last home which was, adults only inside, families were welcome in the garden if the weather was appropriate. It caused uproar initially even though there were a number of family friendly pubs close by. We often used the adults only pub if we wanted a quiet lunch or were meeting friends as chatting was easy, the food was good too. If we had children in tow or just fancied somewhere with a different atmosphere we went elsewhere. Don’t think we were being particularly miserable, it just depended on how we felt on the day. Haven’t come across one here although some town centre bars do have a ‘polite request’ that no children are taken into specified bar areas. Good to hear all the viewpoints.

The OP is talking about children in pubs. I agree here in France families eat together but its not a pub culture which is different. I think an 8pm cut off point for young children in pubs is sensible.
Gillybob my husband & I were nurses when the children were small so couldn't afford baby sitters either. We would socialise with friends at each others houses taking the children with us. Otherwise we only went out on very special occasions.

It sounds idylic to have that mediterranean family experience of eating out with children. But too often the children just treat it as a playground, are never seated and just want to run around. They have not been taught any respect for other diners and the parents rarely intervene even when they are being a nuisance. It's lovely to see really well behaved children eating out with their parents, but sadly all too rare.

Fifty plus years ago it used to be that men only went into the Bar, accompanied ladies could go in the Lounge and the children hung around outside and got into mischief so present day arrangements are much better. The drawback is the parents not being prepared to acknowledge their responsibilities and control their offspring.

My C were brought up in and around pubs ( my Father was a publican) as was I.

Our local pub does not allow children in the bar area, they are allowed in the restaurant though. I have no problem with children in restaurants or pubs as long as they are courteous and not treating it like an indoor play centre.

I think it is lovelyand heartwarming to see multi-generations out to eat or socialise.

In our local big town a development of flats (apartments!) has been built in former offices next to a town centre pub/music venue. The developer has applied for, and been successful, in a limitation of the live music licence. I really think that is wrong!

I often stop off for a coffee when out for a morning walk at a very successful family friendly pub with a huge garden. Recently a very expensive development of high spec apartment blocks has been built right next to it. Reading Hazbeen's post, I wonder how
the prospective buyers will fare!
PS There is also a big outdoor barbecue area right next to their balconies!!

If pubs relied on adult drinker groups a lot of them would be shut down by now.

Being "family friendly" is keeping pubs afloat these days as the days of the "local boozer" and colleagues going out straight from work every thurs/fri are dwindling.

So like it or not you might not have a pub to go to without bunches of families using them too. People like you are NOT keeping pub trade afloat these days.

Agree re running around.

Well ladies my 2 dollars are going in now! I live opposite a pub with a large beer garden, its so bad for noise in the summer we cant have our windows open and dont get me started on trying to sit in the garden! By the way I am not just talking about daytime here, even at 11 o clock at night there are children screaming, in fact the later it gets the worse it gets.
We used to go there for lunch with my partners parents but after the day one child helped himself to food off our plates while the parents watched and did nothing we stopped going.
The other day there was what sounded like a party going all afternoon then a fight broke out about 8pm, police, arrests, the road outside blocked off and in the midst of this a group of children watching.
I wouldn't want children banned from pubs but why cant parents be more responsible, look after their kids and teach them to respect other people? What sort of example does it give to the children to hear the swearing, fighting and drunkeness?

I don't think there should be a "blanket ban" on children in pubs, neither to expect them to sit quietly not speaking until spoken to. I just don't want them running around, getting under the waiters' feet and annoying others who just want an enjoyable night out.

Just because someone has children doesn't mean they have more rights to an enjoyable evening than someone without children.

Not a hornets nest at all Wilygran just a very good, interesting thread, the best kind, where we can all share our ( often different) opinions Thank you for starting it .

Well I didn't know I'd stir up a hornets' nest of opinions! Like gillybob says there are pubs & pubs - some are designed for families, some are not. Most pubs need to establish a thriving restaurant trade to survive. But I agree with PECS - any problem is seldom due to the children, rather their adults who have drunk enough not to care much how their children feel or what they get up to!

I don’t think children are really any different anywhere . It seems like it’s the attitude of the adults toward them, that is VERY different .

Of course some children (& adults!) do not know how to behave in shared spaces & can behave as if they are the centre of the universe. In my experience they are a minority and not a reason to have a blanket ban on children at pubs or restaurants!

We had a very busy pub and restaurant during the nineties which was on a major route to the coast. We were often packed with tourists stopping off for a meal/loo break so had to cater for all ages and nationalities.

IMO it's a myth that British children are badly behaved compared with Europeans. They're all the same when they're tired and fractious..

I am not going to say my DGC are angels who sit at the table staring into space and never speak until spoken to. They shuffle about, get bored, chat away and squabble with each other, they take trips to the toilet (often just to investigate and usually just after the meal was served) . In other words normal children.

I agree other countries welcome children in cafes and bars BUT in my experience the children are well behaved, don't run around annoying other people.

I recall being on holiday a few years ago, a Spanish family came into the restaurant and shortly after a British family came in. The British children were shouting and arguing whilst their parents ignored their behaviour. The Spanish children sat open mouthed as they obviously couldn't believe what they were seeing.

Now I know many GNs will comment how their children/grandchildren are well behaved and never act this way but it has to be said that a great many children do.

About ten years ago DH and I had our first holiday in the Lakes. I'd never been whereas he used to go there regularly as a child.

I felt awful when I realised we were in doggie paradise and our ridgeback was stuck in doggie Colditz for the duration. Every pub catered for families and dogs. The gardens had bowls of water and posts for tying up possible wanderers near the tables. It was such a lovely relaxed atmosphere Nahla would have loved it.

We'll be having lunch in our local family friendly riverside pub tomorrow. We don't really notice the children running about unless you get a screamer on the next table.

All pubs here are 'dog friendly' and that is good..it brings in business. Most pubs are really restaurants now so would be foolish to exclude children. Perhaps we are all too irritable nowadays!
If we are with good company and enjoying ourselves we would not notice, or care, about who else is having a good night out..unless a dog tries to hump your leg , a drunken adult or boisterous child lurches into your table!

The Med countries seem to have a much better/nicer attitude towards family nights out . As I said earlier some people seem to turn a blind eye to dogs in pubs and restaurants but “tut tut” when they see children.

Yes, as some of you have said, very different abroad. Our son lives in Spain and when we visit we always have at least one meal out with all the extended family and their myriad of small cousins. It is definitely the norm there.

It is annoying. I think it depends on the pub. Most of them around here don't seem to attract families. I agree re dogs. We were in the Lake District recently having a meal in a sort of quite posh gastro pub. There were several dogs in there. I think it's unhygienic. The staff were even bring it out food for the dogs. One was lying near our table, watching us as we ate. It was very off putting.

We, occasionally go out to our very local pub, when they have their monthly fish and chips night. Our single daughter and her 7 year old twins accompany us. I am pleased to say that they always behave impeccablyand I am I am glad that we have this opportunity to go out with our daughter. We don’t stay late.

Or those adults who think “children should be seen and not heard”

Seems if children sit glued to a screen , it riles , if they move about and talk it annoys .I agree Parents should engage with the children , but on a night out surely there is room for all