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Posted: 04 January 2008 at 9:38pm | IP Logged

Jd wetherspoons is limiting its customers with children to a maximum of two alcoholic drinks.

It says children will only be permitted when they and their parents have a meal but it doesn't want to encourage them to stay too long.  They dont see any reason why a child should be in the pub once they and their parents have finished there meal.

What do you think?

In a way I agree somewhat with this, as none of the wetherspoons I know of have any facilities to accommodate children, like for instance Brewster bears do.  We very rarely go to the pub with the boys as it is, as I dont feel overly comfortable taking them to a pub, unless i know they are welcomed.

Posted: 04 January 2008 at 10:40pm | IP Logged

I think this is a little bit a micky take.... i agree i tend to only go in a pub for a meal with my boys but when i'm there eating i can easily get through 2-3drinks, 1 waiting for the food to cook and get served, 1 with meal and another whilst waiting for the kids to finish as they can take a little longer! lol

Otherwise it's after a sunday walk in the summer when we can go into the garden and chill......many pubs aren't that family friendly and it's strange to say the least but i think it might have been better to put a time limit like last orders for childrens food at 7 and children need to have left the premises by 8.30...... any later than that and i'd be worrying big time about bed times etc as i'm mean and love sticking to mine!

I think they are right to try to emphasise what there establishment is about but i think they are personnally taking it too far.... again it's a case of a few bad eggs that are making rmore rules for the rest of us to consider and abide by.

Posted: 04 January 2008 at 11:14pm | IP Logged

Yes but no I do agree not.... 

A while ago I met up with my brother in Swindon with my 2 daughters and Ollie and we decided we would go for lunch.  We went into 5 different places in Swindon before we could find somewhere we could even eat with children and it was a Weatherspoons.  I don't drink so 2 alcoholic bevarages bit wouldn't bother me, I presume you can still purchase coffee and coke (to drink not snort)....  If you go to any other country you can eat just about anywhere with your children and buy alcohol it isn't an issue and people don't get stupidly drunk either and the children are normally allowed to drink to a certain degree.  For some reason UK has a huge binge drinking problem and I am sure there are parents that go into pubs with their kids and get bladdered but I don't see why the rest of us should be told how we are to behave because of a minority.  My first instinct is actually I am an adult and can control myself I don't need a pub to tell me how to behave around my children.  Equally I know there are people that don't know how to behave and probably abuse the fact that Weatherspoons allows children in.

It's sad you can't go out for a nice meal with your children anymore and are forced into Mcdonalds, Burger King and Kentucky Fried Chicken and their unhealthy food....

Posted: 05 January 2008 at 10:48am | IP Logged

i totally agree with mumsam,

i have never taken my children into a pub as my dh would go mental,

the only time they have been near alcohol being consumed is at a wedding and my cousins 18th bith of which were private parties

Posted: 05 January 2008 at 12:54pm | IP Logged

We take eds to the pub regually. We are friends with the landlord and lady at our local so spend a lot of time there. We dont get drunk when eds is with us, but might have two or 3 drinks.

Every friday my mum and I go for lunch with Eds, normally to a pub. we dont tend to go the chains but to little local pubs. We are normally welcomed openly.

When we go away we often go to pubs whilst out walking.

I agree parents should binge whilst with their children. But it does seem a bit 'nannyish' to me.

Posted: 05 January 2008 at 1:31pm | IP Logged

Thought wetherspoons was a family friendly pub.  Our nearest one, we used to go to a lot, I normally take the girls their as a special treat when joe is away as its got a huuuuuge indoor play thing, which they love..then we have lunch..then we go home.  I dont drink when im out with the girls..as im usually driving lol.

I dont like to see other parents getting hammered while the kids are running around, but thats just me.  Its one thing that winds me up about the families club..the parents get hammered the kids get to just amuse themselves.  Even when weve gone down there all together..id have one beer then switch to coke so at least one of us was compus mentus

Posted: 05 January 2008 at 2:19pm | IP Logged

I can see it from both sides, but me personally am not into taking my children into pubs.  As I see it there are much nicer places to take little ones such as the great outdoors, but hey ho, that's my humble opinion.

Posted: 05 January 2008 at 6:27pm | IP Logged

My kids and I dont get to go out very often, but when one of us have a birthday, the first thing asked is which pub are we going to?!!

They are 10/7/7 now so they re not lil kids anymore, but we have never had a problem, even when they were younger. I ve never been refused access because of the kids, we have been asked to makesure we ve finished by 9.30 as they have a more adult theme then, but we are quite happy to comply.

We book an early table, and we have usually finished by 8.30 so it has never been an issue.

I wouldnt dream of sitting somewhere getting bladdered while the kids amused themselves, but I think to restrict peoples drinks is going a bit far. I m all for them taking keys off people who have consumed any alcohol then want to drive the kids home....

Posted: 05 January 2008 at 7:12pm | IP Logged

i may be wrong but i think i read about this earlier and it was just the fact of getting drunk infront of children its more you are only allowed 2 or 3 drinks alcoholic or not, they are basically saying they dont want los getting bored and misbehaving in there places, they want your dosh by allowing you to eat and drink there but you have to be quick about it.

to be honest it wont effect us as its not very often we go to the pub or food but if we do we normally go to one that caters for children if poss with a play area as kids do get bored and its nice to have a meal and they can play, saying that if me and dh go out on our own the last thing we want to here is screaming kids if your trying to have a nice meal.

the uk definatly lacks child friendly places, most countries welcome children and make a effort with them, i think we need to catch up xxx