Why is it that just when you think you have a grip on things, something new comes around to grind your stone or uncork your bottle?
I went with a friend to a favorite margarita watering hole yesterday evening. A woman entered carrying a baby in a child-toter seat. She had 2 additional young-uns with her. She cozied up to the bar, ordered a drink and eventually 4 more adults came to join her.
The baby seat was placed behind the bar stool, on the floor, right in the walk way with baby inside. The two other under-7 children, took a bar table across the room and helped themselves to the free taco bar. This went on for approximately 2 hours and through several rounds of drinks on their part.
At one point, the baby stood up in the seat and tipped the unit backwards, conking its head on the stone floor. Not until the screams of the baby took over the din of the joint, did the parent notice there was a problem. The other children then carried this baby around to comfort it.
I heard murmurs of disgust from at least 3 nearby tables in the bar. Of course, no one made issue of this publicly.
Are there no rules concerning children in bars? I am upset that the management of this establishment doesn't step up and put an end to this. This is not the first time I have had to endure noisy or unruly children in various establishments. In fact, once, I just had enough of it and said something to the parent of a screaming, running child that this is not an appropriate setting and we should not have to babysit her kids while we are out for adult entertainment. You can only imagine how thrilled she was to know my opinion.......
It is equally bad when parents don't understand that their pre-teen or teenage children shouldn't be taken to adult functions or chipping into adult conversations. But this, this infant and child situation, to me, is totally out of whack.
Am I just getting old and crabby, or has the world gone to hell in a hand basket?
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In my day I sat home while my husband socialized because we could not afford a baby sitter. I did not like that but that was the way it was. When my children had children I noticed that couples came to the bar together with baby in tow and they sat at a table with baby on the table. I thought How lucky they can go out together. But your situation was totally uncalled for. I probably would have slyly said something...to heck with the way she feels. Come to think of it..my parents always took us to their club and we ran around mooching chips and soda from everyone but it was a private club and family orientated. We were known as rug rats. We had a good time too while my parents played cribbage. How times change.
Down here they do not allow children near a bar area which is great.
You know what, if you can afford to go out drinking for a few hours, then you can afford a babysitter.
Or she can go out drinking with her kids in tow and get picked up for DUI and have her kids put in DHS custody. Which would be cheaper?
My heart breaks for those babies that their mother cares so little about their well-being. :( I can't handle hearing about/seeing babies not being properly and lovingly cared for. I just can't. :(:(:(
Did they buy the baby a drink?
I think I read somewhere that in Wisconsin a parent CAN buy their child a drink. That law sucks.
"Am I just getting old and crabby, or has the world gone to hell in a hand basket?"
Yes.
I grew up in bars. It sucks.
The bar owner/tender DOES have the right to ask them to leave. If they don’t leave, the police are more then happy to assist them out the door!
Sassa...Wisconsin law states the parent CAN give their minor child a drink. They (the parents) have to serve them, not the bartender and it is up to the policy of the bar or the bartender if they can do it or not. The bartender does not have to serve them extra drinks for their kids.
I think I know the place you are talking about. As far as I know, children are allowed in the bar area, but not *at* the bar. Means they can be at a table but not seated at the bar. I've seen many under aged people in there with parents/guardians bringing them for the free food. A shame IMO.
Used to be a nice place to go.. but the free loaders ruin it. What's up with putting a baby on the floor in a bar? That's just not right.
My thoughts were mostly for the kids. These kids looked like they had practice taking care of themselves. The small children were spectacular to the baby, but they certainly weren't big enough to be carrying it around nor parenting it.
So, after a few rounds of drinks, load the kids up into the car and drive off? Yes, it is more than a shame. There are other venues parents can use to socialize.
I also blame management of these places. They need to step up if the parents don't have the sense. Most of their other patrons don't want to see it. It wasn't like I was the only one who cringed at this activity.
Orbs, I spent time as a child with my parents at their "club." It was usually after a fish fry. It ran very late, past my bedtime. Yes, it was a bar. Bars, adult language, adult conversations and alcohol are not an appropriate setting for children. I hated it.
My aunt owned a bar/resort in the norther part of Wisconsin. There were a few summers I stayed there. For whatever reason my parents thought it was a great idea to send me up to live with family for the summer that owned a bar.. I have a few stories from that time. One drunk was always trying to spend alone time with me.. Never trusted him and would run anytime I saw him.. My aunt herself was quite the drunk so she was never really good at keeping an eye on me. Remembering back to some of the stuff I did as a kid was terribly unsafe and probably lucky to still be here today. I was terribly trusting of people (still am) and I am just very lucky that nothing worse happened to me.
actually according to the state an underage person can purchase an adult beverage if the parent or guardian is present and consents (don't we live in a wonderful state)however the establishment or bartender can refuse service for any reason.
Why Not, so smart of you to stay away from "Mr. Alone."
When you grow up like that, you have to be an adult very early (as kk pointed out). And the roles switch back and forth as the parents drink and sober up. It robs you of your childhood if you have to be babysitting your parents half of the time.
luckily it wasn't a normal thing. I stayed there only a few summers.. Otherwise I grew up in a pretty "normal" home with it's own issues but thats what makes it normal I guess.
Funny thing now is that my mom so dislikes that her grandson (my brothers boy) spends a lot of time in a bar that his other grandpa (my husbands wife's father's bar) owns.. Strange how she never thought twice about sending us away for a whole summer to live in one.
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