Another day, another viral internet debate. This time, the topic in question is kids and pubs - or more specifically, whether they should be allowed in them at all - after a pub in Hertfordshire caused a stir for displaying a sign saying it doesn't allow children.
David Worcester, the landlord of the Lower Red Lion in St Albans, wrote on a chalkboard outside the pub ‘Dog Friendly, Child free.’ After a photo of the sign was shared by a user on X with the caption ‘found my new local’, it quickly gained traction. The post has now been seen by around 75 million people and received more than 3,400 replies.
Worcester has since defended his policy in an interview with BBC Three Counties Radio. Commenting that he was ‘surprised it went quite as far as it did’, he added he had ‘no objection to children in any other pub, ever, I just don’t want them in mine.’
While Worcester’s sign has attracted plenty of criticism online, he has also received lots of supportive messages. 'The reaction from the local community has been very positive, the reaction from everywhere further afield has been nothing but positive. I’m getting emails from Australia, an email from Bristol. Everything is positive – the only negativity was on the initial Twitter [post],’ he said. 'There were some pretty wild accusations. But the only people that were accusing me of that were people that have never been to the pub.’
He added that the policy had been the same ‘for about 11 years’ and was also in place at the last venue he managed. ‘I just want to create an environment where my customers can sit and relax, it only takes one child to kick off and that spoils it for absolutely everybody,’ he said. ‘We’ve got upwards of 40 pubs in St Albans, all of which are child-friendly, most are dog-friendly, I believe I’m the only one in the area that isn’t.’
Of course, there’s always been child-free pubs, but the brazen sign has got everyone on both sides of the argument talking. One user wrote ‘Why has it become socially acceptable to literally hate children?’ before commenting ‘we were all children once. Be kind.’ Another user called the post ‘depressing’ and a third wrote ‘why are you frightened of children.’
But some other people, including parents themselves, showed their support for the pub’s policy. One X user wrote ‘As a parent I am allll for this! If im out enjoying some childfree time I definitely don't want to be around other people's kids. Can't see the issue.’ Another wrote ‘screaming kids are the bane of my life. I went to A WINE TASTING recently and someone brought their toddler who was allowed to run around shouting, banging things, causing general disruption. Kid-free areas should exist.’
All this has resurrected the ugly, age-old debate: are child free spaces exclusionary or fair enough? As the child-free movement grows (figures from 2022 show that record numbers of women are reaching the age of 30 child-free), so too does the demand for adult-only spaces. But it isn't just non-parents who appreciate a bit of peace and quiet in pubs and bars, with many mums and dads also praising the benefits of child-free spaces. As one X user acknowledged, 'even as a parent it is nice to know that a child free space exist where you can breathe and be yourself from time to time. Cause why not.'
Take flights, for instance. Anyone who has sat next to a crying baby on a flight knows it's an unpleasant experience, but it's also completely unreasonable to complain about the noise when the air pressure changes hurt their ears. And, as any parent will tell you, it's also not fun being the one holding them and getting dirty looks from passengers when you don't really have another option.
Earlier this year, a Corendon Dutch Airlines sought to find a solution to this problem by testing adult-only zones on its flights, with reserving a seat in the child-free section costing an extra €45 per flight, rising to €100 for extra-large seats. While this may sound extreme, one third of British people have said they would pay more for a child free flight, according to TripAdvisor.
Meanwhile, last year a TikToker went viral after asking when is somebody 'planning on opening an adult's only suburb?' in Melbourne, Australia. She captioned the video 'I know I'm evil but they're SO loud please I want peace and quiet are there adults-only pools in Melbourne??'
Those on the other side of the debate believe that child-free spaces are exclusionary. As many parents point out, raising a child can be an isolating experience as it is, without feeling like you are unwelcome in public spaces. As one user wrote on X, 'this stuff always infuriates me because your yapping dog is so much more annoying than a child and “child-free” spaces are just shutting women out from public life…'
Whatever side of the fence you're on, it seems the debate around child-free spaces shows no sign of going away. And as for dogs? Now is a good time to be one, it seems.