Babies in the Bar
So this baby walks into a bar, and …
Well, the baby didn’t actually walk into the bar—it was in a stroller, pushed by its mother, who was going to have a drink or two with some other moms who brought their kids, and…that’s why this is no joke.
There’s a bar fight brewing across the country. In Seattle, Austin, Philadelphia, Boston and beyond, bar patrons are getting lathered up on both sides of a polarizing parenting issue: is it responsible (or even acceptable) to belly up to the bar with young children in tow?
Those opposed to the mix of cocktails and sippy cups have posted their unequivocal sentiments on numerous online message boards and blogs, like this one in Philadelphia: “I do not want to be in a bar around children. Ever. Bars are for adults.”
Stroller grid-lock has been increasing in bars—often under signs that say “No One Under 21 Admitted”—along with the irritation of patrons who object to shoving crayons out of the way of their cosmos.
Those pushing for more kids in more bars are usually the same people pushing the strollers: mothers of the pre-school set, who say: “We want to do everything we always did, but with our babies.”
So when the owner of a bar in Brooklyn recently posted a “Please No Strollers” sign, he opened yet the latest front in the battle of the bottle. Moms seethed, while critics— like this one in Tucson —applauded: “Grow up, people,” she wrote. “Your lives are different now.”
Tell us what you think: Are we lowering the responsibility bar by allowing kids in the neighborhood bar?
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social life?
“Parenting shouldn’t hinder your social life. “Get real, of course it does. If you want to drink invite your friends over in the evening and have a gal party. Serve drinks. Play cards, have a pampered chef party, whatever. If you want things to stay the same, don’t have kids.
Litlestarr | 1 year, 11 months ago
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Responsibility has no age range
That’s not a fair speculation…I’m a young mom (22) and I would never even consider taking my child into a bar! And I have seen plenty of older mom’s who could use a few lessons on responsible parenting.
Maria Forzani | 1 year, 11 months ago
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Way to go Bar Owner!!!
I completely agree with the bar owner’s decision in this matter. When you decide to become a parent, it isn’t about your needs anymore. It is about the child’s needs. Unless a place specifically states that they are a family establishment and children are welcome then your children shouldn’t be there. Not only is it not responsible taking your child into a bar, now these parents are driving their vehicles home under the influence with their children. Obviously these people aren’t responsible to begin with, and apparently if they are so worried about doing what they did before they had kids, should they be parents?
Nicole T | 1 year, 11 months ago
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No Bar Babies
I believe that babies are to be left at home with a babysitter. The only way a baby should be there is if they were picking up someone to take them home. And since they can’t drive, they don’t need to be there!!
Shana Lynn Moore | 1 year, 11 months ago
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INSANE
Children have no place in a bar!!!! For obvious reasons of course.. Also as a mother of three, I like to go out and catch drinks now and then with my girls… My children stay home with dad, so I can have “girls” night!! I go out to enjoy being an adult, and I feel I should not have to watch my mouth! Not that I have a terrible potty mouth, however, I go there to have conversations that I would never have in front of my kids!!! Nor do I want to have them in front of someone else children either!!!
Julie | 1 year, 11 months ago
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Right & Wrong
The lines between right and wrong have become so blurred of late, this is actually coming up as an issue. It shouldn’t, and we should all stick up for the children and for what is right. Just because the Blondes in Hollywood chug-a-lug does not mean it has or ever should become socially acceptable for either sex to EVER bring a child into a bar. That’s why there are signs saying, “No one under 21 Admitted” and every bar owner and patron must stand up and INSIST this law be carried out. If those mothers want to meet friends for a social exchange, they can do so in any number of restaurants which will be happy to serve them a glass of wine with their meal, though I prefer church groups for my own ‘mommy & me’ meet-ups. When I was a kid, my father used to drag me to bars, and my mom would drag us both out. I still remember hanging on to the door frame, begging him not to take me in, where all the smelly drunks would breathe on me and touch me and tell me how pretty I was… shudder …it’s not something I ever want another child to have to experience. Mine never did, you may rest assured.
KJ Young | 1 year, 11 months ago
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bar kid
i didnt know this was still a problem. u see i was a bar kid and i hated it!! i hated the smells i hated the people. drunk people want to walk up and try and play with u, I HATED IT. i now have 2 boys whom i dont even drink around at all. so parents STOP thinking of only yourself and what your missing because i can tell you your childs mental health is being damaged.
tamara claflin | 1 year, 11 months ago
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All bars (and parents) are not created equal
Does a responsible parent bring a child of any age into a dive bar or pickup joint? Uh, no and no. But anyone who’s ever been to Europe knows that pubs there—and plenty of their jovial (but not seedy) resto/bar brethren — can be perfectly appropriate environments for kids, and no one suffers for it there. These days, the same applies to many environments in America — at an appropriate hour (i.e., not too late into the night), with an appropriate crowd, and with vigilant supervision at the table. Good parents aren’t going to go and get plowed at the bar while their kids turn the place into romper room (seriously, does this even really every happen? At least outside of an episode of Cops?) they’ll go and have a beer or two at a table, see a friend, have some good conversation, maybe a meal, and take off. If their kid isn’t behaving or is unhappy there, they leave, just like at any other kind of establishment. It’s up to parents to use their own personal decision-making skills, which is why making any hard-and-fast rules (including bans from owners or harsh pre-judgements from some of the readers of this site) are totally unhelpful.
Btw, mere mention of the “21 and over” rule in reference to young kids is completely absurd — the law is clearly there to stop kids old enough to try and pass off a fake id, not a toddler who can barely hold their sippy cup straight.
Alice Shael | 1 year, 11 months ago
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Are you kidding me?
Listen, I’m not going to be one of those crazy parents that puts the kid in a bubble, but there is no place for a child in a bar. It’s not healthy for starters. Not to mention, is the kid the designated driver? If it’s an establishment that serves dinner and has a dining area, so be it. But let’s keep the tykes out of the corner pub for a few years.
Angry Mongo | 1 year, 11 months ago
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I WAS A CHILD WHO'S PARENTS BROUGHT ME TO THE BAR.
BOTH OF MY PARENTS BROUGHT ME TO THE BARS WHEN I WAS YOUNGER ,AND AS AN ADULT I HAVE FOUR CHILDREN OF MY OWN WHO WILL NEVER STEP FOOT IN A BAR !! ATLEAST AS A UNDERAGE CHILD WITH ME.. I HERD HORIBLE WORDS SEEN DRUGS USED A BAR IS A GATHERING PLACE FOR ADULTS NOT A PLACE TO BRING YOUR CHILDREN YOUR PARENTS RAISE YOUR CHILDREN NOT TO WANT DRINK AND SMOKE INSTED OF TAKEING THEM TO BARS GO TO A MOMMIE AND ME OR A WALK ….DONT BRING THEM TO A BAR…
KRYSTAL SURESSI MOTHER OF FOUR | 1 year, 11 months ago
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