Bars: kid friendly or adults only?

I couldn't speak for every State, but most of the ones I've lived in have no prohibition on minors as long as they are with their parents or spouses. I certainly was in bars occasionally as a child and have definitely had my kids with me in bars, too, usually for the purpose of eating lunch or waiting for a table for dinner in an adjoining restaurant.

 

agree with this. helicopter parenting is cultivating a generation of *******

 

Long story short... no.

Goes for a decent restaurant as well, unless they are well behaved.

 

I'd prefer they not be there, but if they're quiet and well behaved, they shouldn't be too hard to ignore.

 

There are plenty of places where it is fine to bring a child, others not so much. Use some common sense.

 

BOOO. This is definitely one of those things that comes up frequently in discussions on sites like this. I generally come down on the side (and I am a parent) of saying "use common sense"...if there's live music, nothing but alcohol, loud, you should probably think twice but there are plenty of places that don't mind kids at all and I bring my kids to bars if I feel it is appropriate, and restaurants. I make sure they aren't loud (given the context) or disruptive. Although I've been in many bars where it would be impossible for my children to disrupt the Redskins and/or Ravens fans having seizures while they watch their footsballs teams do poorly at their matches.

 

There's a lot of grey areas but it simply has more to deal with the parents who don't know how to control their kids, or the naive ones who think they shouldn't be hearing something they aren't suppose to. You're in a bar... what do you expect? I don't blame the kids that's for sure... they're kids.

If you have this under control or it doesn't bother you then there's no issue with it as far as I am concerned.

I have plenty of experience with other peoples kids, and nieces and nephews, sometimes they are fine other times they are a flat out terror. so it goes both ways.

Hell I was at a zoo this weekend and had to stop some kid from tormenting a bobcat cause the idiot parent couldn't bother to deal with it. never mind the few odd occasions I've been out at a nice dinner and had parents and their brats run around yell, pick up throw things (salt shakers), sit there on their ipads making noise and games all night. No this is not what I paid 200 dollars on a nice night for sorry... It's a big beef in DC let me tell you in restaurants with people about kids (and I am not talking Outback or Silver Diner where I expect to see families go out to eat). I've seen it really deteriorate in entitled DC as well, since when I was a kid it didn't matter where we ate, but if we did I was told "restaurant MANNERS" by my parents religiously. Now the parents just go in and demand stuff from the waitstaff for their kids, let them run amok, it's absurd sometimes.

Kids work out fine in brewpub atmospheres during the day at a table for lunch or early dinner, so long as they aren't running around out of control which can happen anywhere let alone a brewpub/restaurant. There are also kid friendly places that work as well, and I am not talking chain family places either. Actually I wish more kids would go eat out at different places more often, and learn to eat a variety of different cuisines, and experiences. What the bigger problem is with "some" not all parents who don't control their kids in these environments.

Also there's this thing called adult time, and bars are those kind of places, for all the immature and un-pc like talk and banter, and most parents I know want to have that once in awhile, that's what baby sitters are for. Or even just a nice night out alone for a break.

so it goes both ways.

 

I'd prefer that there weren't children at the bar. However, if it's after 8pm, I'll drop F bombs instead of saying Jeez Louise or shit like that.

 

What makes a taproom/bar great is the fact that it's the last kid-free haven left, why ruin it? Get a sitter, and make some memories!!!

 

I know I am late to the thread but for a bar leave the kids home - for a restaurant pub bring them but not past 9 pm.

 

You seem like you have a really big heart, lol. Some bars allow kids and attempt to be family friendly and some are over 21 only...maybe modify your behavior to be appropriate for the places you decide to attend?

As to the general question...it is, like so many things, not "yes" or "no," but something that requries a bit of common sense. It depends on the atmosphere and setup of the place, the time of day, and other factors. Some places have big patios, serve meals, have pinball or other games, have lots of space and are loud anyway so the noise wouldnt really bother anywone. A place like that is perfectly fine for kids in the afternoon or early evening. Other places are clearly very adult oriented: lots of standing room, crowded, no food, lots of people smoking outside....obviously one should not bring their kids to a place like that. The bar has a responsiblity too. if it is going to allow kids, then it should provide an atomosphere conducive to kids being there.

 

Applebee's or even victory brewing company, sure

But at a dive bar that serves little to no food, definitely looked down upon

 

I think all bars in PA probably need to serve some sort of food, but don't need to derive a certain percentage of their revenue from food like they do in VA.

I could be wrong, though.

 

Not big on it, but I don't have too strong of an opinion either way. However, many times I'm at a bar,especially if there's a big game on, my language is not kid friendly at all. So if you don't want your kids potentially hearing vulgar or bad language, don't bring them to a bar.

 

I feel the same way about professional sporting events in general. I was at an NFL game and me and my buddies are enjoying the game and some lady starts yelling at us that her kids can hear us. Now I have 6 and 9 year old girls but I also have enough common sense to figure out if I don't want me kids hearing swear words I leave them at home.

 

I used to be on the adults only argument.....until I had a kid.

 

Another person who feels that his antics are more important than other peoples enjoyment of an event.

 

wow --- this is on page 6? amazing topic.

it is rare i see "People with Kids" at a bar or pub. and when i do it usually seems ok. like it is a saturday afternoon and the parents are hanging out with other "people with kids".

so i think generally people know when it is ok and when it is a bad atmosphere for a kid. and generally we dont need this thread. is this an issue somewhere?

 

Will disagree with you about NFL games. My money spends as well as everyone else's. I try to just not sit upper deck, as it seems the higher you go, the more moronic, drunk & profane the fans get. I did enjoy hearing my oldest telling a Broncos fan "Sorry you team is losing so bad, you sure seem to be upset". Its a courtesy, I'll swear at my TV, I don't assume the adults or kids near-by paid to hear that...

 

So I'm guessing you've never been to Wisconsin?

Pretty much all US laws on alcohol are state laws. Every state has little quirks and differences than the next.