When I was a kid, my parents would go out to the best restaurant in our small town, and sit on the bar side. I’d belly up to the bar and down a couple of Shirley Temple’s. The bartender was a great guy a cousin of our next door neighbor, and wonderful with kids. Those are some of the happiest memories of my childhood.
I often took my own children to a couple of bars in Houston. My daughter actually had her first birthday party at an Irish pub (first birthday parties, of course, being mainly for grownups). Didn’t seem to stunt their growth.
I wouldn’t take them to a dive, or to a club that’s obviously adults only, but a neighborhood bar is a good thing.
Depends on the type of bar. Hopefully not a seedy dive, or a pick up place, but a nice tavern or pub, I would imagine would be okay.
When my dad was little, his family lived with his grandparents, and his grandfather used to take him and my aunt to the local watering hole sometimes. His grandfather would have a beer, Dad and Aunt would get pretzels and soda pop.
As long as the guardians doesn’t expect the other bar patrons to “behave” while their kid’s around, I don’t really have a problem, unless it’s a really smoky bar; but I suppose that’s not really my problem either.
My parents brought me to the Blarney Store on St. Paddy’s Day once when I was a kid, and I survived just fine. And a lot of the Irish bars here will have a kid or two in them. Makes sense since some of them really are family meeting places, with barbecue and live music on Sunday afternoons.
I think it’s great. In England, the pubs I went to were crawling with kids on a Sunday afternoon and I really enjoyed it. (The kids were mostly in the “beer garden” - outdoor patio area.)
These days people are really segregated by ages. There are so few opportunities to spend time with people of different ages that aren’t close relatives (and that you aren’t getting paid to spend time with), and too often they’re seen as an inconvenience.
The more places where we can all hang out together, the better!
Along the lines of what cowgirl said, when I’ve been in Italy, one of the nicest cultural differences was that a lot of the late-night watering-holes had people of all ages there. It was all much more age-inclusive. It seemed much more, I don’t want to say family-oriented, but community-oriented.
Anyway, in general I’m all for it. But, a lot of places check ID at the door, and I don’t see anything wrong with those places choosing to not let teens in, mainly so the bartenders don’t have to check IDs, as the places are packed with 20-somethings and really busy.
Certainly, the parents would need to ensure the kids are being responsible, respectful, etc etc, as they would in any other public place.
Still, there’s nothing inherently wrong or immoral, IMO, with bringing a kid to a bar.
I should add that I tend to frequent quieter bars and pubs. I also can see a kid seeming very out-of-place in a packed, noisy, Friday night college-town bar.
I spent most of my early years in bars. If I wanted to spend any time with my dad, we had to go to the bar.
Then there were the times when my mom needed money for groceries and sent me in (at age 7, 8, 9) to get money from him. He can’t say no to a child in front of his drinking buddies, can he?
It really depends on the bar. If it is just a bar (i.e. no food is served) then I vote no. Allowing kids in a bar can also be a pain for the bartender - if Joe Asshat has his three year old in there, how can I tell a 19 year old he can’t come in because he isn’t old enough to drink? I also look at health concerns - why would you WANT to bring your 6 month old baby into an enclosed area full of cigarette smoke? (Yes, I have seen women do it - and sit there for hours while the baby sleeps peacefully in the thin blue haze and moma gets schnockered. Some people shouldn’t be allowed to breed.)*
And before anyone goes off on me, let me clarify. I did not think I would be a good mother. I didn’t think having a baby was the best way to find out. Therefore, I have no children. If you can’t think far enough ahead to realize having a baby means you can’t run the bars every night as you are accustomed to doing, then you really don’t need to have one.
If it serves food and is reasonably classy, then fine, kids no problem.
If it is a hard drinking type of place, with few amenities and a rough clientele, then no, probably not a good idea to have rug rats about the place.
The general rule being that if you couldn’t take your granny there, you probably shouldn’t take your kids.
Moose and Elk lodges and their ilk are family type places, we went with our parents fairly often growing up and it was fine. I’ve taken my son to pub type bars, but I don’t take him along when my friends and I go out for an adult evening.
My Mom and Dad or my Grandparents would take us to the Legion all the time. We’d go on a Saturday and hang out with all the old folks getting buzzed. grins
Dad would also take my brother and I out to pool halls. They have a few around where they let kids in before 9 or 10 with an adult, but after that they aren’t allowed. As long as we ordered only soda we were fine. I can think of a bowling alley and one arcade/bowling alley/restaurant/bar that have the same rule.
Agreed. Here, bars don’t serve foods. Pubs serve food. Bars have loud music and booze and that’s it. And (rightly) no one under the age of 19 is permitted entrance.
I’ve frequented several neighborhood bars. It usually isn’t a problem as long as it is during a slow time (usually the day). However, they can’t take up a seat at the bar if it is even close to getting full. They can play pool if there are empty tables. They also have to behave. I don’t care if they’re just trying to make shots over at the pool table, but I don’t want cue balls flying at me every 2 minutes either. Also, unless there are enough televisions, they can’t have a kid’s channel on.
Like the others said, we kids would go when my parents would go to the Legion or VFW or Elks or Moose or whatever wild animal sat on their heads. And they would take us to some of the local bars that had all-you-can-eat Spaghetti Friday night events type things.
We always had a great time. Get our Cokes, play cards or pinball or darts or watch television. Usually some other kids there as well. We never wanted to leave and always looked forward to going. Granted, it was usually only from about 8:30 to 10:00pm tops, but it was great fun for us. And my parents always made sure we were well behaved. No running or screaming or acting up, or it was out the door and home we would go. I don’t ever recall that happening, but I do recall my mother saying that to us every time before we went in.
I don’t have a problem with kids in bars attached to restaurants or even most food serving bars. However, I’m kind of glad they don’t go to bars that focus mostly on drinks or even most sports bars.
I don’t think it’s bad for the kids at all. Rather, I prefer that there are some places that are adults only. I know many kids are well behaved and don’t get in the way. And it’s not like I’m some wild woman that would shock kids with my own behavior. It’s just that I like an adults only environment on occassion.
We take our son to the local pub for dinner, but I figure they don’t mind since they have a playground in the beer garden! They also have a rule that kids have to be out by 9 pm, which I think is a good rule.
Before kids and when we lived in South Carolina, we used to go to a little local bar. No food was served and it was the smokiest, loudest place ever. Every Friday night, there was a couple who brought their kids (two boys, probably about 5 & 7). They’d stay late drinking and the kids would play on a pinball machine or sit in a booth and amuse themselves. The kids were well-behaved, but it always made me uncomfortable that they were there. It just seemed inappropriate.
I don’t believe that drinking should be treated as something shameful to be hidden away. That said, kids in bars isn’t just about whether the kid will be all right, though. The other customers deserve some consideration as well.
As Dangerosa posted, it can be very inhibiting to have children around and be a real damper for some people. As long as the other patrons know ahead of time and accept and/or expect kids to be there, it can be okay.
Indeed. But why should you? Let him come in and play pool, drink soda, or whatever. He may have to be 21 to buy alcohol, but there’s no age limit on having a good time.