You paid $15 dollars to have the sitter watch your kids, enjoy your night out, you don't have to respond to another person's baby "crying and whining," your parenting obligations to your own children are relieved by your sitter. Try and relax and not get so caught up in what other people are doing. Consider not whether you can control the "crying and whining," but whether you can focus on not letting it bother you. That will give you a heck of a lot more happiness long term than pointless annoyance when others don't act how you would or how you want them to.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OK I have a feeling this was a classy wine bar instead of the honky tonk bar that pps are making it out to be. Who knows, maybe it was someone's birthday or the babysitter cancelled. As long as the baby didn't mind, I don't see the big deal. I have more of an issue with 5-7 year olds in bars. And last time I saw kids in a bar they were wearing pajamas!

Seriously?


Wow. I think a baby in a bar after 8 pm inappropriate (even if a nice restaurant/bar). An older child/toddler definitely.

If you have enough money to go to these places you can afford a sitter. I know a lot of people are indifferent but that is the general trend to not be considerate of others. It boils down to - is this a place and time of day meant for that audience. Taking a child to cultural events is very different than honky tonks or wine bars.

Not everyone has family and friends around to babysit and not everyone wants a stranger watching their baby.

Anonymous wrote:

I think the sad fact is that many of the PPs complaining about this just haven't been to a nice bar since before their kids were born, and they've ignored and swallowed their resentment about this and instead are projecting anger against those parents who still have a happy healthy social life post-baby. A wine bar in downtown DC does not involve loud music or drunken behavior, even at 9pm at night. In fact, in DC most of these bars have quieted down by 9pm at night, and are much busier at happy hour. When I go to a wine, restaurant, cocktail or other similar bar in this neighborhood (Chinatown) at 9pm, I would generally expect it to be mostly quiet, with a handful of professionals and out of town business travelers. I'm sorry the complaining PPs haven't been to an urban bar in the last 20 years to know what going out looks like these days.

Oh, but I have been, and I've paid a sitter $15 an hour to watch my kids on the occasions I've done it. Which is why I don't want to spend my time their listening to someone else's baby cry and whine. At all. If the parents are willing to leave immediately upon the slightest fussiness, sure, bring the baby. Otherwise, no. If I wanted to listen to crying and whining, I'd stay home with my own kids for free.

Anonymous wrote:This thread is bonkers. I can't believe we are all freaking out about this. Parenting is hard enough without us pointing fingers at each other, being totally judgmental - prob just to feel superior. Tell you what - if you don't think babies should be in bars, don't take your baby to a bar. If you don't like looking at other peoples babies in bars, well get over yourself because you're not alone on this planet.

OH and I guarantee there's some shit that OP does with her kids that another DCUM could write a whole thread about.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:People, OP stated this didn't happen at a happy hour, but late at night 9/10pm.

If this was at a restaurant type bar, then it's probably not the best place for babies, but not as bad as if it was at a "bar" bar, you know?

A pub in Europe is more like a restaurant bar. But even in Europe, they have "bar" bars that people wouldn't bring babies to, and yes, they would probably frown on it.

When adults go to a bar at 10pm, it's expected that it's going to be crowded, maybe loud music, even possibly drunken behavior. These kinds of places are not appropriate for a baby. Where was the baby? In a carseat on the floor? Someone could trip over it.

But even if everything you say is true, and a bar at 10 pm is an unsuitable place for a baby -- what's it to you? Assuming that you don't trip over the baby in a carseat on the floor.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OK I have a feeling this was a classy wine bar instead of the honky tonk bar that pps are making it out to be. Who knows, maybe it was someone's birthday or the babysitter cancelled. As long as the baby didn't mind, I don't see the big deal. I have more of an issue with 5-7 year olds in bars. And last time I saw kids in a bar they were wearing pajamas!

Seriously?


Wow. I think a baby in a bar after 8 pm inappropriate (even if a nice restaurant/bar). An older child/toddler definitely.

If you have enough money to go to these places you can afford a sitter. I know a lot of people are indifferent but that is the general trend to not be considerate of others. It boils down to - is this a place and time of day meant for that audience. Taking a child to cultural events is very different than honky tonks or wine bars.

Not everyone has family and friends around to babysit and not everyone wants a stranger watching their baby.

This is stupid. You can interview and get references for a babysitter if you don't know a good one. You probably SHOULD have at least one trusted babysitter that you know, in case of an emergency that involves both parents. Nobody expects you to hand your baby to a random stranger, but it's over the top to think there is nobody on Earth qualified to care for your child other than you and your husband.

My kid didn't have a sitter for the first 2 years of her life because A) I had no family near me B) the cost of daycare left me totally broke and C) I couldn't stand being away from her anymore than I ready was. But if you have lots of money, support, and time with your kids, by all means get a sitter! The rest of us will annoy you with our kids in public so we can still have a life too.