Children in Pubs - Good Pub Guide

Aha found a better copy of it

Well it was bad enough during the 1990s when I lived and went in pubs in Yorkshire. If it's got worse since then thank god I don't go in pubs regularly!

Like it says in the article, the fault is with the parents, not the kids. If they're not taught how to behave, they never will do, hence today's gangs of feral youth. I feel sorry for the parents of well-mannered kids. How are they expected to uphold standards when their children see others running amok without a word of reprimand from their so-called parents who choose to completely ignore them and their behaviour?

Hi

Wait till the little Bast##ds are running at full speed up and down the bar, then "accidentally" stretch your legs out in front of them. That normally stops them in their tracks (literally) - especially on a tiled floor.

The most amazing anti-social behaviour I personally ever saw, was a young woman blocking at least half the bar with a full size pram - despite a notice saying "no children at the bar". Although there were complaints from other customers, nothing was said by the bar staff.

Regards

KGB

Sounds like you're the perfect sort of person to organise a beer festival ; )

It's one of the main reasons [1] why I rarely visit pubs these days. Pubs used to be nice places to have a quiet drink and a quiet chat. Not anymore

- they try to be all things to all people. I refuse to pay for listening to noisy children and therefore don't use pubs anymore :-(

Come back the old days (please) !

It was in one of the London free rags as well. Smells rather like a press release has been sent out to get some free publicity for their products.

I don't do that any more either!

I doubt that.

When our kids were young we regularly took them to pubs. It's hard to control hyperactive - and possibly tired - children, and we have been rebuked by landlords for "not controlling our children". We were not irresponsible parents, and did our best to keep them under control.

This contrasts sharply with our experience in France, where children are accepted in bars and such as the norm, and their behaviour - albeit not always perfect - is tolerated. Perhaps part of the problem here is that children are not regarded as a normal part of the family, but rather as unwanted intrusions. In France they love to have children around.

The problem is that when some little brat is tripping you up, kicking you or screaming, being told "it's not his fault" doesn't really help. It never /is/ the fault of any kid or parent anywhere.

No doubt society forced them to take a tired or hyperactive kid to a pub, rather than bed or the park....

Well people drinking beer would probably be considered unwanted intrusions in many places for kids, so why not!

Though compared to .uk, people in France are perhaps more likely to be sat at individual tables with minimal contact with anyone other than the people they had gone into the bar with, and won't be carrying drinks around.

Your kids are like that because you don't hit them hard enough when they misbehaved. For the rest of the custom in the pub your out of control children were no different to the out of control children brought up by totally irresponsible parents.

Are you sure that it is tolerated in a 'nice' way? When you left with your out of control kids the locals probably said 'thank god those ignorant English have left.'

The ONLY problem is that parents don't control their children. It's no use you trying to blame the rest of us for your lack of parental control.

I think AF is right.

It was in our evening paper the night before last.

When your kids are that state you should absolutely *not* be taking them into pubs.

When OUR kids were young, we regularly took them into pubs - together with pencils, crayons, books, etc, to keep them occupied. When we felt they might be annoying others, we took them home.

I have been accused of being a hypocrite because I can't stand other people's kids being in pubs now, when I am aware of them. If I am not aware of them, I don't mind. But the thing is, when we took ours in, we made sure others did not really notice them. We made sure they stayed on their seats, kept them in a corner as far away from others as possible, and made sure they kept their voices down.

Hi

Out of curiosity, what would your attitude be if you were in a pub and your child was bitten by a customer's dog, the owner of which then merely shrugged his shoulders and said, "He is young, hyperactive and tired and doesn't like being poked by uncontrolled children. I am not an irresponsible dog owner, I am doing my best to keep it under control"

Regards P.S. A friend of mine once asked a bookshop owner, "Is it OK if I bring my dog into your shop?". He received the reply, "Dogs are fine, children are most definitely not allowed."

KGB

I'm probably going to get slated for this, but if your kids are hyperactive and/or tired then you should not be taking them into pubs.

if the kids are hyperactive and tired that's when you need a drink most:-)

Andy R

No you're right of course. We have two small children and one older one and we have learnt not to take the young ones into situations where it's unrealistic to expect them to be quiet. With the older one we went out a lot but regularly had to retrieve him from places such as restaurant kitchens (and once the pilot's cockpit in a plane).

In fact it's far more stressful for us. I couldn't enjoy a pint if I see our twins crawling under tables. But nice big pub gardens with a few swings etc are great.

E.

Exagerated if you ask me. Probably the usual anorak crowd doing their usual.

Kevin

We regularly took our children to pubs. They were very well behaved (we pointed out to them that if they were good they would end up going to a lot more interesting places) and usually made welcome by the staff. At one pub the lanlord always came to us and sat the boys down in his kitchen with a bag of crisps and a glass of orange.