The great debates: No kidding, locals lose it over children at the pub

Anyone who has ever been to a family-friendly pub at feeding time will have seen things that make the Mad Max films look like an installment in the Paddington franchise.

Food on the floor, children in tears and staff dodging toddlers or food projectiles — or both — can be part of the dining experience when parents allow their children to run wild.

That has not stopped a growing number of Perth pubs from going after the mum-and-dad market, offering playgrounds, kid menus and free entertainment. And, while children allowed to run amok can sour the vibe, publicans say most families with children at least try to do the right thing.

The debate about when and where kids belong in pubs has been given fresh oxygen thanks to a Reddit post online recounting a recent incident at an unnamed Perth pub.

The tongue-in cheek post professed admiration for the seven kids and two “very special mums” encountered in a local beer garden.

“I must commend you both on mothering children that can so adeptly climb structures such as the outside TV, the bar stools, then onto the fixed bench-top tables,” they wrote.

“The way they were able to take plastic water jugs and chase each other throwing water onto each other, as well as other diners and patrons was a thing to behold.

“Their recklessness when crashing into wait staff carrying stacked bowls of hot chilli mussles [sic] showed resolve, brashness and ladies, for the more intellectual of observers, it is clear you have instilled your values of not giving a s..t into your youngers. Gold star to you!”

Other highlights from the meal-from-hell included children throwing food and using a glass bottle as a club.

“To all you other awful awful patrons that were put out by these children screaming, shouting, running, throwing food, water, crashing into tables, climbing on tables, stages, TVs, how dare you?” the post concluded. “These 2 mums earned this and this clearly was the best place to bring these children for an apparent end-of-year celebration. What 4 to 6 year old age group doesn’t belong in a beer garden with no playground after 6.30pm”?

The hundreds of comments on this post fell into several camps: those who regarded it as an indictment of “the state of society” and parenting, those who resented “crotch goblins” being allowed into a pub at all, and those who blamed pub staff for not stepping in.

“It takes a little bit of actual parenting to teach kids how to behave in public,” said one. “It’s not impossible, it’s not even hard. Start by telling the kids what you expect.”

Another wrote: “Seriously, the only place to escape kids yours and mine are brothels. The bushpig parents always seem to know a lawyer if their piglets get hurt but if those same piglets cause injury the bushpig sows are ignorant of how that could have happened.”

Other commenters felt staff could have done more.

But Australian Hotels Association WA chief executive Bradley Woods said the legal responsibility for how children acted was down to parents — not staff. “Disruptive behaviour can impact other patrons, so it’s important for parents or guardians to supervise and guide their children’s behaviour to ensure a positive experience for everyone,” he told The West Australian.

In the past few years a swathe of pubs including the Victoria Park Hotel, The Bassendean and The Bayswater Hotel have undergone family-friendly refurbishments.

Stories in Yagan Square opened in April with an outdoor playground, which has proved popular.

Co-owner Ross Drennan said having the playground distanced from the bar meant children had somewhere to play and customers could avoid kids if they wanted to.

“It’s almost constantly got kids climbing all over it,” he said.

Kirsty Nye and her two-year-old daughter, Lainey, were at Stories on Tuesday for a catch-up with friends. Ms Nye, who is from Bremer Bay, said her daughter was a regular at the pub because it was the town’s social centre.

“If I say ‘we’re going to the pub’ she says ‘yay’,” she said. “We watch her but there are parents who don’t watch their kids and they do go pretty feral.”

Seasonal Brewing owner Nick Southwell said he and his partner Emily wanted to make it the kind of place they and other families would go.

“I think for a place to be family friend it makes for a better atmosphere,” he said. “I won’t lie and say that everybody is responsible but more often than not people do the right thing.”

Elizabeth Soos, founder and coach of Melbourne’s Auersmont School of Etiquette and Protocol, said parents wanting to take their child out should opt for a child-friendly venue and let their child know how to behave ahead of time.

“Equip children with quiet activities like books or coloring books to keep them occupied, while encouraging social interaction and responsiveness to parental requests,” she said.