We bring our kids to the pub

We Aren’t Made of Money
Yes, we can afford a few pints or a flight, even the gas to get to the brew pub. But babysitters? Those of you who don’t have kids may not realize how absolutely, insanely expensive it is to hire someone, and to pay that on top of whatever you spend while out. Even if you have the money for a sitter, you then have to find someone you trust to watch and care for your sweet babies. Not all of us are blessed to live near family—and really, if we’re honest, how many of us actually want to live that close to our families (no offense, mom and mom-in-law). We may have friends willing to swap sitting services, but sometimes it’s just easier to take the kids with us for those few hours.

We Aren’t Crap Parents
Now, some might think we are crappy parents, because our kids are at a brewpub, but whatever. It’s not like we’re dragging our kids with us to brew pubs after 10 p.m. and subjecting them to the questionable and quite possibly vulgar antics of pub-goers. No. We’re doing what most parents do: meticulously planning our outings to fit nicely into that time between meals, naps, and bedtime. That usually leaves that sweet spot of 2 p.m. to 5 p.m., which is the dead time for most establishments.

We also use this as a chance to teach our children how to behave in situations and locations that aren’t all about them. Sure, we could limit their outings to restaurants with play places and toys in their kids’ meals. We could also never take them to museums where they have to be quiet and not touch things, or movie theaters where they need to sit still and not bother other people, or weddings, funerals, graduations, or any number of other life events where kids aren’t the center of attention. But that’s a disservice to them, and not much of a life for any of us.