[Drinking] Parenting in pubs

[Guinness Boy]

How are kids supposed to learn how to behave in a restaurant unless they are allowed in one? You should go to a restaurant that is unlikely to have families in it or at a time when the kids won't be there.

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Yep, and it can be handled perfectly sensibly both ways.

We take our kids to family friendly places for lunches, early dinners or roasts and they will also spend an hour or so in a beer garden with us after a trip out or long dog walk. This is so they become knowledgeable about food, how to behave in places like that and how to interact with adults, as well as letting me and Mrs GB have a quick drink or something nice to eat.

However, there is a set of adult restaurants that me and her go to either as a couple or with adult friends that we'd never dream of taking the kids to. Little Fish Market and Salt Room for example.

This attitude also seems split across traditional high end places. Raymond Blanc welcomes families with children to Le Manoir while the Roux brothers banned them from Waterside Inn,

 

[Harry Wilson's tackle]

might just be me but I'm gonna need some wordle-like help with all those "*" - I got "hit" & "kids" but that made no sense - I couldn't think of a 3-letter swear verb either.

Best I leave it, I think. I will delete original shortly.

And apologies to those who found my comments about the Brit attitude to parenting unpalatable or incompatible with their experience. It may be a generational thing. Our youngest has grown up in a world without smacking, as have most of her pals (all, as far as we know). Not smacking your kids would have been regarded as deviant when I was a kid. Another poke in the eye for the Meldrews who insist that every day in every way things are getting shitter and shitter.

 

[The Clamp]

How are kids supposed to learn how to behave in a restaurant unless they are allowed in one? You should go to a restaurant that is unlikely to have families in it or at a time when the kids won't be there.

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They can be taught table manners at home.

However, I am sort of on a bit of a wind up. In truth, I welcome well behaved children in most environments and I think its vital for children to get used to interacting with adults both family and people they don’t know.

I have friends I simply would never meet out of they didn’t bring their children. And their children are good company anyway.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

How are kids supposed to learn how to behave in a restaurant unless they are allowed in one?

Through theoretical and practical training at home. Maybe a few dry-runs at the Wimpy before they’re allowed in to proper restaurants?

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

Worst pubs I ever experienced for all that were:

Swiss Cottage, Shoreham - what a dump. One big uncontrollable kids playground IN the pub. Not my choice, the in-laws sometimes chose it for b’day ‘meals’.

Abergavenny Arms, Rodmell - weekend daytimes, full of scum and their offspring running amok.

Ineffectual management.

Abergavenny Arms used to be a really nice pub.

 

[The Clamp]

Through theoretical and practical training at home. Maybe a few dry-runs at the Wimpy before they’re allowed in to proper restaurants?

I think the sensible thing to do would be for the parents to ring ahead and make sure you or I are not in attendance that evening. If so, they must simply stay away.
Not a lot to ask.

 

[DarrenFreemansPerm]

Whilst we’re on the subject of football at the pub, look at the absolute state of these clowns…
[tweet]1497970971491319811[/tweet]

 

[Nobby Cybergoat]

I think the sensible thing to do would be for the parents to ring ahead and make sure you or I are not in attendance that evening. If so, they must simply stay away.
Not a lot to ask.

That could catch on even for those who don't have kids

 

[The Clamp]

That could catch on even for those who don't have kids

Touché!

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

I think the sensible thing to do would be for the parents to ring ahead and make sure you or I are not in attendance that evening. If so, they must simply stay away.
Not a lot to ask.

Quite easy really

 

[The Clamp]

Quite easy really

In fact they could simply check the drinks menu online. No craft beer or karaoke and it’s a safe bet you or I will be nowhere near.

 

[keaton]

In fact they could simply check the drinks menu online. No craft beer or karaoke and it’s a safe bet you or I will be nowhere near.

Doesn't HT love Brewdog? That can't still count as craft beer

 

[Weststander]

Abergavenny Arms used to be a really nice pub.

I remember that, I went there a few times in the 80's.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

Doesn't HT love Brewdog? That can't still count as craft beer

I think they are.

I don’t like to get too hung-up on labels but I now use the term to loosely differentiate the type of beers Brewdog make to say, real ale and the more commercially minded mass produced products like Fosters.

 

[The Clamp]

I think they are.

I don’t like to get too hung-up on labels but I now use the term to loosely differentiate the type of beers Brewdog make to say, real ale and the more commercially minded mass produced products like Fosters.

Agree. Strictly speaking I suppose they are not “craft” anymore but it’s a useful term that lets you know this isn’t Carling.

 

[getreal1]

Just about the worst example I've ever seen this afternoon.

I got there about 10 to 4 for the Carbao Cup Final, me and a mate meeting up for the game. A very bored little girl, looked about 6, was laid out on one of the sofas. A younger brother, looked about 4, equally bored, romping around trying to be controlled by dad. The mum is there, with a baby over her shoulder, around a year old.

The game starts, and lets say its very 'lively' in there. The volume is pumped right up, there's (natch) a barful of total plastics hollering at every incident. The little girl by now is laid down, on her back covering her ears, mouthing something to herself. She did this for probably about half an hour. Dad has by now got the small baby at the bar. He is shouting - SHOUTING at the top of his voice at anything thats going on on the telly. Now mum is whirling arms around, "LIVERPOOL LIVERPOOL LIVERPOOL". Kids left to their own devices, aside from the baby. It was genuinely deafening in there, I actually wished I hadn't bothered.

They stayed till the bitter end. ET and pens, getting louder and louder. Those poor kids - they were there before I arrived at 4pm, and they were still stuck there when I left at 8 after the pens with a pair of half-cut parents. Now I'm not saying I never took my two down the pub of a Sunday afternoon when they were little, but it was usually when the dinner was in the oven to get back for, certainly not for a 3-4 hour bender in front of the football.

I'm not one to be "judgy", but the conversation in the gents with a couple of blokes was "WTF are those two doing ?", so it was very much being noticed. I was tempted to mutter "great parenting" on my way out, but what would be the point ? I'd only have got a gobfull, maybe a headbutt.

I don't think I've ever seen a more selfish example of woeful parenting. I'm left feeling annoyed I didn't say or do anything...but I just can't see what it would have achieved.

Nothing wrong with feeling the way you do about that. RIght thinking people anywhere would feel that too. They are scum, pure and simple. Their kids... will bring up their own children in their image, probably. The pubs need to manage these things as well, definitely.

 

[keaton]

I think they are.

I don’t like to get too hung-up on labels but I now use the term to loosely differentiate the type of beers Brewdog make to say, real ale and the more commercially minded mass produced products like Fosters.

To me the gap between craft ale and real ale is pretty much non existent now and the gap between Brewdog and Fosters very similar, but each to their own

 

[BN9 BHA]

Abergavenny Arms used to be a really nice pub.

It still is, I’m not sure how long ago Weststander went in there.
I have never seen any bad behaviour in this pub, it’s very well run and the food/drink very good. It’s mostly used by locals, walkers, cyclists and nice people from Newhaven

 

[BN9 BHA]

Whilst we’re on the subject of football at the pub, look at the absolute state of these clowns…
[tweet]1497970971491319811[/tweet]

I wasn’t disappointed when I read the replies

 

[MattBackHome]

Before I had kids I used to deliberately swerve the Stoneham, because I knew it was full of kids and stone baked pizzas etc.

Yesterday we deliberately went to the Railway because we have kids.

Different pubs for different... needs...