Bars: kid friendly or adults only?

In some European countries it wouldn't be strange to see kids out to dinner with family members that late. I'm not saying it's good or bad behavior, but it's important to remember that people have different value systems and definitions of what is "acceptable" behavior.

 

When I was younger "dive bars" were great places to watch people and get ideas about writing projects, drink some cheap beer, and meet folks of every persuasion. The civilized nature of my modern hang is leavened with a clientele from everywhere behaving very well, drinking excellent beer. These are great beer days indeed!

 

Where is it illegal to have a saloon? That's hilarious. I can only imagine the reasoning behind that....

 

My simple rule... If the place is just as much a restaurant/food destination as it is a beer destination, I am okay with it being for families.

 

I grew up in bars. Starting around age 7 my dad would bring me every Saturday morning to the bars he would visit. We'd start out in downtown Plainfield where I could go to the newsstand and get a magazine and to the dime store to buy some baseball cards. I'd sit at a table away from the bar, watching the adults and enjoying a coke. We'd stay a couple hours, then move on to the next place. After a couple stops it would be early afternoon and he would be ready to go home for a nap. Honestly, I cherish these memories. So if someone brings there kids to a bar, I try to cut them some slack. It just might be a kid who's just looking for more time with his dad.

 

Agreed with most who have contributed to this thread. I was raised by an alcoholic mother who took me into bars and I saw some things that - to this day - have traumatized me. I am 100% vehemently opposed to kids in a bar. A pub/restaurant? That's fine. But you seriously have to ask yourself why you would bring your kids - who were sprung from your loins - into a bar. I have a HUGE problem problem with that.

 

I don't go to bars. But, practically every restaurant I visit has a bar, and restaurants are bound to have children present. I just get over it.

 

If they serve food, they're not a bar. Kids are okay, then, whether I like it or not.
No food prep? No kids.
Personally, I'd be happy if all kids were banned from places that served alcohol, but I"m sure I"m in the minority on this one.

 

Lots of pubs in England are very family friendly, I believe there used to be ( maybe still is) a law that governed the number of feet that a child had to stay away from the bar. Basically, I like this idea. Let the kids be at tables away from the actual bar. Had a kid sit next to me on bar stool - found that annoying and awkward.

 

Everyone hates kids at the bar until they're the ones bringing the kids to the bar. It's all situational and let's face it, none of us are going to stop going out for a drink or five just because we slid one past the goalie. Besides, chances are the bar is partially responsible for the kid being made anyway so why shouldn't it share in the joy/agony of raising the child it helped to create?

 

Some pubs serve the best food. I don't mind seeing a family enjoying a good burger, bucket of wings, or a pizza. After 7:30 its your own risk what they see or hear. After the kitchen closes, nope

 

There is so much I love about this post.

"It takes a beer community to raise a child"?

 

Children are great if you have children, but if you don't they're walking liability bombs. If I'm getting drunk at a bar the last thing I want is kids running around underfeet whose parents might smack me down if I yell out a swear word. It's just harder to relax and release your frustration when kids are around.

Really depends on the place and the time of day. Not like you can't get beer at family restaurants.

I don't have kids, but if I did I'd never get drunk when they were around.

 

Nope. If I wanted to hear screaming kids, there are million other places I could go.

 

I don't feel that every single establishment has to be kid-friendly.

 

There is a biker bar by my apartment that has a short order grill. I've never seen anyone younger than me there.

Not the same thing?

 

Some time even bad parents can read the writing on the wall

 

Who gives a fuck, if you really enjoy beer it'll be enjoyable no matter who's present. Ever have a beer while being shot at? It's still relaxing, especially after not being hit. So, drinking a beer with kids around is no problem, they don't dilute the taste and they don't dilute the experience. Trying to get your mac on with kids around, now that's a different story...

 

No.

It's not good for the kids. I love beer, but let's keep things in perspective and focus on parenting occasionally.

 

I think you're all screwed if Chuck E. Cheese decides to start offering up booze and then take up a KIDS survey with the same likeness!! (J/K!!!)

Starting out single, and now with kids, I can totally relate to both sides. There's a lot (if not most) of bar environments that aren't kid friendly, but we've (my wife and I) chose places who have a separate dining areas for families away from the bar area so we don't infringe on each others enjoyable domain because we get it. (Our kids are now teens so it's not such a big deal because we'd be kidding ourselves if we thought they've never heard these words before! ) I'm good with everything so far except for those late night runs to Walmart with screaming kids and both parents yelling at them. The kids fault? (Nope.)