Bringing Kids to Beer Bars

The county I live in and the surrounding counties are now smoke free indoors but there are other issues that have been addressed in this post that bother me about kids in bars. The smoking thing was just an exmaple.

 

I hope I didn't imply that you did that. It wasn't my intention to do so.

 

Yeah - was just making a comment. Lot of replies in this thread seem to indicate the only reason to go get a beer is to get shitfaced drunk.

 

I don't believe I have ever taken my kids to a "bar", but we go to Bavarian Lodge all the time. I consider them a beer bar even though they are more of a restaurant.

 

I don't have kids, but I think if it's a community driven and mellow place I think having kids is fine! I was just down in Sacramento for thanksgiving and my sister took me to this brewery and there were parents with their kids and dogs and honestly I thought it was great! Just multiple couples and their kids hanging out and supporting their local brewery. I think most places that are strictly beer bars or brewerys are also more mellow. Now, a kid in an actual bar, with drink assholes, loud music, skanks, no good, obviously, even if their beer selection is fantastic.

 

Agreed. Agreed on the whole well thought out comment you posted.

I have a few friends who don't have the freedom to leave the house and go out and do fun things to the extent I can in my relationship, so rather than blame their own ability to put their foot down and yell out "FREEDOM!!!!" to their wife, they use the kids as a scapegoat. Or dress it up as "they're the most important thing to me" language. Cool, I agree, so lets take the kids out and have some fun!

I think some people are just homebodies that use kids as an excuse for their own fear of being around people or away from the wife.

 

as long as they dont disrput the experience of others (which happens sometimes)

 

I don't have kids.. but I wouldn't take them to a bar bar.. but I don't see a problem with a brewpub, it's basically no different then taking them to a restaurant. I've been to Great Lakes Brewpub as a kid and I just looked at it as a regular restaurant.

 

Idiot overindulgers disrupt my experience lots.

 

I don't subject my kids to heavy smoking environments. That being said, my state has passed a no smoking law so bars are now pretty clean.

I don't understand why so many people disagree with it. I'm not raising my kids to believe that alcohol is evil. There doesn't need to be any shame in taking them to a bar.

I do think you need to be a little bit extra alert to the area around you. Watch for anyone getting drunk and listen for inappropriate language.

 

Went to Oktoberfest at a czech beer garden this past year and there were families there with kids all day. they started to leave once it got dark (around 9) bc the kids were starting to get cranky but it was ok with me. they had a lve band playing music and the kids were allowed to go out on the dance floor and such so it seems they enjoyed it as well.

 

Yes, a parent shouldn't bring their child to a place where one would not expect to find children and where the presence of a child will have a negative effect on the experience of the other patrons. Having children can be great (so I'm told), but it also means compromising in pretty much every area of your life. If you aren't prepared for that don't pop out a kid. Its nor like im saying that a kid is negatively effecting my time at the beach so they shouldnt be there, a bar is not a place where you would normally expect to find a child and where many adults go to live an adult lifestyle. This means no kids, if you want a beer when you have your kids with you go to a restaurant that serves craft beer, not a dedicated bar.

 

I'm fine with bringing kids to a bar... as long as it's not at a completely ridiculous hour...

Every time I'm at Sixth Street in Austin (which is probably once a month), you wouldn't believe the amount of 10-year-olds being led around by their drunk-ass parents at midnight! That's not appropriate.

At least go to a place that has food, get the kids some mac n' cheese and some food for yourself, and go at a decent hour. Also, if you plan on getting completely hammered, it would probably be a good idea to leave little Jimmy and Suzy at home with a babysitter (and take a taxi, but that's another thread!)

 

shit.. on the other end of the spectrum you can almost never freakin find some old dudes just kickin it at the bar having some beers. that's every day every pub over on the other side.. here older people are made to fee like bars are for young folks only it seems. Thankfully craft beer places are basically teh only places i'm seeing older folks come and look comfortable. So that's a good trend. also peeps on this side are all getting older and i'm not freakin stopping going out to drink good beer

everyone seems to understand the distinction between going to a neighborhood pub for some pints or going to get mashed up on long islands at a bar bar. they have those across the pond too.. and no kids or geezers

 

Being from Wisconsin I never even thought this was much of an issue. My first birthday party (which obviously was not for my benefit) was at a bar, my grandma's 75th birthday party was at the same bar, and I have every intention of bringing my (hypothetical, future) children there when I take them back to where I grew up. In rural Wisconsin the local bar is in many ways a community center, a place where you see your friends and neighbors, and generations mingle. Granted, in Madison I frequent bars where kids would be out of place, but the best beer bar in the city (which does not serve food) is often overrun by families on summer afternoons and I like it that way.

 

I've been to a very respectable brewery in Warren, MI twice where parents held their child's b-day at......one was for an infant.....both were past past 10 pm. Having kids run around your table while trying to relax and enjoy a brew was pretty annoying to say the least.

 

I am starting to notice a trend in the age of the posters who think kids are a 'negative'....

 

People bring kids to the Brewery all the time but then again it isn't technically a bar. We have no problem with it. I dont take my kid to the bar unless it's a special tapping and it's bring her or nothing

 

My opinion on this matter is the same now that I have a child as it was before I had a child: Kids don't belong in bars. My opinion is enjoy beer at home if you can't find child care. You want a more social atmosphere? Have your friends over.

With that said, if you do bring your kids to a bar, that's cool. I won't give you shit or bust your balls. But I'm also not going to watch my language just because your kid is around.