why do we even have to explain this?

[threeplusfire]

From Austin Craigslist: Girl who yelled at me for commenting on her bringing her baby to a bar (Not written by me, in case you are wondering. Last night at the Highball, in the *bar* I saw a woman carrying what appeared to be a 7-9 month old baby. Um, please go bowl or something. Not hang out at the bar.

This is wrong, and stupid. A) you shouldn't be out at a bar drinking and performing child care for reasons that are obvious, B) sure we may not smoke in the bars here anymore but that doesn't make it any more of a kid friendly environment all of the sudden and C) why, why, why are you inflicting a crying baby on a bar full of people? Bars are for grown ups, not babies.

If you can't afford a babysitter, stay home. It's not that hard of a concept. If you are determined to be drunk, buy a damn six pack. It will be cheaper at the grocery store than the bar anyway!

I will not even begin to go into my feelings about women who are drunk and breastfeeding at the bar, except to say that CPS *will* take a report on that.

Comments

[daysprings.livejournal.com]

We took Abby to a sports bar for a friend's birthday party when she was about 6 months old. We got a table far from smokers for the sake of her little lungs, and I don't think either of us drank anything, but I don't really remember -- Dan might have had a beer.

[tsarina.livejournal.com]

I do think there is a difference between your situation versus this lady in the downtown drinking strip by herself carrying around a baby like a accessory poodle. Though I still think bars and babies are not compatible things most of the time.

[daysprings.livejournal.com]

Yes, I like to think there's a difference too. We didn't even really think about it before we went; we kind of forgot the place was a sports bar, and anyway, our friend invited Abby, too.

[tsarina.livejournal.com]

I'm having a hard time picturing you staggering from bar to bar, Abbie tucked under your arm like a ham. :P Aren't sports bar places more like restaurants anyhow? I suppose my concept of a bar revolves around lighting. Too much light and it's no longer a bar.

It seems at least a couple times a year the local paper has a headline story about someone passing out in a bar with their baby, or leaving two or three kids in the car while they go drinking on Sixth street only to have some wandering police officer or tow truck driver find them.

[tinywarrior.livejournal.com]

Fucking A. I am sooooooo completely out of patience with the whole hipster "ain't it cute?" notion that you can bring your kids along with you to the bar. We have a couple of friends who do that (and their not young...they are both in their 40s!) and it made me want to punch them both in their respective reproductive organs.

[tsarina.livejournal.com]

We need some shirts that says "Babies are not the new chihuahuas" or something.

In the interest of disclosure, my father took me to a bar often when I was about four or five. (The one I think you worked at in Lubbock!) It was generally in the afternoon when it did not seem to busy. We were also with a friend of his, and spent time playing Gauntlet.

[lacyunderall.livejournal.com]

are those the drunkersons from the wedding?

[tinywarrior.livejournal.com]

Yeah, J.'s friends from Denver. The ones that have the kid in the middle while they are drinking wine in their Christmas postcard that J. and I are always hiding in each other's stuff to jump out at us like Chucky! We are sooooo waiting to see what they send this year.

[tinywarrior.livejournal.com]

And can I say "they're not young?" I actually do know the difference between "their" and "they're" and use semi-decent grammar quite regularly. This is what I get for trying to comment at work on the sly! Ha!

[siria.livejournal.com]

I have mixed feelings about this. On the one hand I completely agree with you: drinking+breastfeeding is definitely wrong on SO many levels. Smoking around babies (or children) or taking them to places where there is a lot of smoke is obviously also wrong.

On the other hand, though, I would probably consider taking my baby along to a pub if there was a music session that I wanted to participate in - if I couldn't get a sitter. (Not that I have a baby, but. You know. If I did.) Just like I would try and take the baby with me to band practise and the like. Then again, I don't have a baby yet, so I'm not sure what I would do...

[tsarina.livejournal.com]

I think it depends a lot on what sort of place we're talking about, what kind of crowd is there, if the places allows children in, etc. But I think most bars are probably not environments that are friendly for kids because they are meant to be for adults. The other thing is that some places are just not suitable for babies because it disrupts the experience of other people.

[miep.livejournal.com]

drinking and breastfeeding are not entirely incompatible. I'm not saying one should be trying to breastfeed an infant while sloshed, but a glass of wine or a finger of scotch won't make the concentration of alcohol in the milk high enough to affect your child.

just saying.

[tsarina.livejournal.com]

Ages ago I read some article about that that went into approximately how long should pass between the drinking and the feeding, but for the life of me I can't remember the formula. I assume it probably has a lot to do with one's metabolism.

[schmidtybooger.livejournal.com]

W.T.F.

Ok, babies in bars are cool if the bar also serves food or it is before 8pm. After that, no dice.

I'm sorry, just no. Not cool outside of those parameters. Because you're either keeping your kid awake or disturbing other patrons.

It's like people who bring their kids to midnight movies! I have no patience for this shit.

[tsarina.livejournal.com]

Seriously. I am totally unable to go to theaters other than the Drafthouse now, because of their no kids under 6 policy except for special baby day showings. That and the super strict no talking policy.

[miep.livejournal.com]

If the kid was crying, or the mom was drinking, as opposed to having a drink, then yeah, the kid shouldn't be there.

however, I will say that I hung out in a bar with A when he was that age. but it was a hotel bar, in a restaurant.

[tsarina.livejournal.com]

Place makes a big difference.