Children in pubs

Yes, I was that grumpy old person yesterday evening. We walked to our local for a drink and I was pleased to see that our usual table was free and put our coats on the back of the seats while my husband went to the bar. I realised that a child on the next table had a very noisy game on his tablet and so moved to another table and we could still hear it. Very irritating.

I rarely go out to a pub but I think it’s great that young families can get together for a drink and a bite to eat on a Friday night . Speaking as someone who never had babysitters when my children were young I hardly ever got out at all as there were no family friendly pubs back then. Sorry to disagree wilygran

I agree with you, wilygran, when mine were small we couldn’t often afford to go the pub but when we did we were always gone well before then. We liked a pub that had a family room best It gave the best of both worlds.

We also felt that when we could afford a sitter, we didn’t want other people’s children running about, I still don’t. We went for Sunday lunch a while ago at a well known family eating place, so expected children there, but everyone wanted the roast selection so went. A couple came in and sat at the table to the side of us, they sat their 4 children across the room from them and left them to it. They of course ran riot, though judging by the parents table manners .... need I say more !.

I do think these places should bring back the family room, or as that’s not now politically correct, a quiet room ?

I dont mind children being in the pub/restaurant but not when they are running about, throwing food around and generally making a nuisance of themselves- best to avoid Wetherspoons on Saturdays.

I don't think we are being grumpy at all wilygran I think after 8pm pubs, restaurants etc should be free of all but well behaved older children. Babies and young children should be in bed or heading that way by that time. Adults should be able to enjoy some relaxing time away from the responsibilities of children.
As for leaving your children in a different part of the room and ignoring their behaviour, words fail me.

Gosh a lot of emotive words being used here! Why would anyone think it was politically correct not to have a family room?
Then " middle class hipster types" what does that mean?
I get you were pissed off that kids were in a pub when you wanted an adults only environment. I even understand that you might want that.
I am always more in favour of the Mediterranean European approach to family life myself.

I am always more in favour of the Mediterranean European approach to family life myself.

Me too PECS some people find dogs in pubs/restaurants more acceptable than children.

Adults should be able to enjoy some relaxing time away from the responsibilities of children

And what about those adults (like it was for me as a young parent) who do not have the luxury of a babysitter sodapop ?

DH and I went for a pub lunch yesterday..the most disruptive element in the place was a yappy dog! It was very pretty and sat under a chair but anytime a person walked by it yapped! I still enjoyed my meal.

PECs I've lived in the Med with children (& dogs) a fixture in cafes,bars & restaurants but they sat with their parents (or owners) as part of a family group. Nobody inflicted their bored children on other people.
My gripe is a pub in a busy night is not a place for young children, for all sorts of reasons. It's an adult environment. On a Friday evening when groups of colleagues have been drinking since they left work? Is that a good environment for children? Of course it's nice for families to enjoy things together, but some places aren't suitable or a good example for 8 year olds.

There’s “pubs” and “pubs” though wilygran iyswim

The pub close to where I live does a good (reasonably priced) children’s menu. Why shouldn’t a group of young parents and their children meet up in a Friday or Saturday after a hard week at work ? This pub also attracts the Friday night boozing crowd but no one seems to be bothered. Happy days

In Bilbao earlier this year the square was full, every evening, of a mix of families , work groups all enjoying the evening.
Perhaps the "problem" is not the children but the behaviour and attitude of some adults who drink too much?

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

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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!

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.

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.

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.

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..