Why do some parents take their children into bars or taverns?

Question

This is something that has irked me for awhile now. Why do some irresponsible parents drag their children into bars? Especially ones with waitresses who are dressed inappropriately? Places like Hooters and The Library (in Tempe, Arizona). What sort of message does this send the next generation? That we should be praising consumption of alchol and oogling at good looking women?

For some reason this just irritates me. Any comments welcome.

Paul

Answer 1

OK, first of all, taking your kids to a bar does not necessarily make you an irresponsible parent, nor does it always send a horrible message. It depends more on the times the kids are taken there, the overall atmosphere of the bar, and the kinds of people who frequent it.

I can remember going to the bar with my parents when I was little. My parents were good friends with the manager and he would sit my sister and me at the counter with a soda and do magic tricks for us. When I was a little older, my whole family would go to the bar down the road and play pool on Sunday afternoons. There aren't many people getting drunk on a Sunday afternoon; it's more of a family friendly atmosphere.

My parents were very responsible and they raised four responsible, caring children (none of whom are drinkers, by the way). The only message going to the bar with them sent us was that they enjoyed spending time with us and we could have fun together no matter where we went. It also made us feel special, being in this place where only grownups were supposed to hang out.

My parents also let us have a little bit of their drinks when we were younger; just a couple sips. I think this, in addition to going to the bar with my parents, took the mystery and excitement out of alcohol. Since it was never forbidden, there was really no need to run out and drink all the time when we turned 21.

Answer 2

I thought Hooters was a restraunt. I dont know about the other place you mentioned. The women in Hooters are dressed in more clothing than my children are going to see the women walking down the street while there playing in there yards in the summer. Do you take your kids to the beach? Where women are wearing bikinis. As long as there is not any graphic nudity then im ok with it. As for taking my kids to bars, I never have allthough its legal where I live and I dont see anything wrong with it unless your getting hammered .Some of my best childhood memories with my grandparents was us walking to the local tavern and eating, listening to music and singing to each other. Honestly I didnt even realize they were drinking and we were at a bar until I got older and realized what a bar and beer was!

Answer 3

I imagine so that they can get a drink.

Haha, no I'm kidding... I know what you mean, and I totally agree. It's highly inappropriate and I'd never take my kids to a bar. Mostly because of the smoke, to be honest, but I really don't need my breastfed baby drooling over some waitress with her chest hanging out. Children imitate what they see, and I don't want my kids thinking that it's okay to dress that way or to behave the way some people do at those places.

Answer 4

I don't necessarily consider Hooters to be a bar or tavern. It's a restaurant that yes, serves drinks. The wait staff there--IN MY OPINION ONLY--dress a bit provacatively, but certainly not indecently.

If you mean parents who take their kids to real bars and taverns that only serve drinks and cigarettes are just plain irresponsible. This is an inarguable fact.

Answer 5

Lets see because
1. They probably don't have any morals on any kind
2. They're idiots
3. they probably are just doing what there parents did.

And yes Hooters is a restaurant, but its also a half naked restaurant, somewhere a kid shouldn't be. It's fine if you go there on your free time, who knows you might enjoy there food instead of scenery, but it is no where a kid should be. Just curious would you take your kid to a porno shop? How about a strip club? So why Hooters??

Answer 6

It depends - it is a Restaurant & Bar? I often take my infant daughter to a restaurant that is also a microbrewery. We just sit in the tables section instead of at the bar. The whole place is nonsmoking (the entire city is), so I don't really see the problem. I don't go there to drink. I go there for the food.

Answer 7

Because they're trashy and have no sense of what's appropriate, and are too cheap to get a babysitter. It is actually illegal for ANYONE under 21 to be in a bar in the state of California, but people persist in trying to bring their children anyway.

Some parents these days have NO clue as to appropriate places to take their children. No kidding, when I saw "300" on its opening weekend, some young couple actually brought 2 small children of about 5 and 3 to see this (R-rated, blood-and-guts, nudity and graphic decapitations) movie. Somebody even wondered aloud "Who brings little kids to a movie like this?"

And they get worse, too. My husband's co-worker told him that she saw little children accompany their parents to a 10:30 p.m. showing of "Hostel." I kid you not.

Answer 8

because they enjoy being judged by their "peers" probably don't get enough of it from the church folks on sunday morning so they have to supplement with all the self righteous folks at the tavern! It is silly really they could just come to this thread and be judged online!

Answer 9

Great question. But I doubt that the perpetrators are gonna fess up and explain their reasoning.
They probably just wanted to get buzzed at any cost and hoped that their little impressionable offspring wouldn't remember to tell the tale.
Shrug.

Answer 10

That happens all over the world, in the case I know about because the children were too young to leave at home, they wanted to drink, so they took along the kids, you are right, it annoys me too.