More and more restaurants, theaters, and other places are not allowing customers who bring along their kids. Those customers have complained that this amounts to discrimination, but many others argue that it is simply the parents’ fault for not teaching proper etiquette.

Article from Hankook Ilbo:

“No strollers” Moms with kids are turned away at restaurants.

Mrs. Kim (32) was banned from a cafe for having a 30-month old daughter in a stroller. The cafe owner pointed a sign that stated, “Strollers are not allowed.” Exhausted from the hot weather, she asked if she could use the cafe if she put the stroller outside. However, the owner refused saying, “There are customers who are not happy with kids around.”

“Whenever I experience these things, it makes me feel sad as a mom raising a child,” said Mrs. Kim.

As No Kids Zones have become more numerous, mothers are getting worried. Not only fancy restaurants, VIP lounges of department stores, but also small cafes in alleys, and even saunas are banning kids.

Mrs. Lee (32), who is raising a six-year-old daughter and 4-year-old son, wasn’t allowed to stay at a sauna in Busan because they said that preschool children are too noisy. She struggled to find a place to stay with her two kids.

Movie theaters are also no exception to the No Kids Zone. “Normal movie theaters are too dark and loud for kids, and it is hard to find one suitable for children,” Mrs. Lee complained. For people’s with strollers, there are movie theaters equipped with low or no stairs. However, there are only 4 of these kinds of movie theaters in Seoul and only 1 in Suwon.

Mums find it tough to find a place for themselves when they bring along their kids. Mrs. Kim (33) said, “it isn’t easy to find a kids cafe where children can have fun as much as they want. There’s no places for moms to be comfortable with strollers either.” Although there are about 200 kids cafes in Seoul, most of them are located near big apartment complexes. Moreover, as customers have to order per person, the price is usually over 20,000 won. If customers stay longer than 2 hours, they have to pay extra.

However, it is hard to criticize the owners for banning kids. In a cafe owners’ club online, there are many posts like, “I was startled when children were having cup noodles inside the cafe.”, or, “The cafe isn’t a daycare center.” Mr. Im(33), who adopted the No Kids Zone rule a month ago in his cafe, said, “The other day customers complained so much due to a noisy child. If kids are breaking the calm atmosphere, the number of customers will go down. This is why other cafes are also considering adopting a No Kids Zone.”

Min-jin Park, an activist from the human rights education center Deul, emphasized that, “Though those spaces are commercial, it is clearly discrimination to regulate someone’s opportunity to use the place. Owners should not ban customers unilaterally.” Experts advise that parents should teach their children proper etiquette for being in public places. Won-young Lee, a professor emeritus at Jungang University, said, “Parents should not say ‘yes’ all the time to their children. Once children are able to understand what they’re told, parents should teach them manners so that they can live together with other people. That’s true love for their children. Something like storybooks for them to read would also be of help.”

Comments from Naver:

mize****:

Whatever their children are doing, parents don’t care and just talk with their friends. Do you know how noisy it is? Don’t you know other people are suffering because you are leaving your children to do what they please..

haxi****:

I was shocked to see parents using a plastic bottle as a child’s toilet. They had enough time to go to the toilet…

rari****:



I know not all parents are idiots but some of them should be blamed for letting their children do something f*** crazy.

hain****:

Even myself, a mother who is raising a child, can’t focus on my class when people are bringing their kids along. Even in a movie theater, parents don’t take action right away if their children are crying. As parents, it’s your duty to take care of your children. A kids cafe is for children to play not for mothers to relax while neglecting their children. Also, I can’t understand parents sleeping over at a sauna with their kids.

over****:

Why do they do that? Those Kimchi bitches who are throwing smelly nappies just anywhere is number one in the world for bad manners, ke ke.

iris****:

When I took the KTX train, parents didn’t care even though their children were noisy. I really wanted to punch them.

moon****:

Have you ever thought about the reason you’re being turned away?

jhu3****:

While I was arranging shopping carts as a part-time job, I found a smelly nappy in the cart. So insane… what exactly are they learning at home?

shju****:

ke ke, that’s why parents need to control their children. If someone is saying something to their children they always say it’s not his business. I really like this change. Young mothers, you should know that you reap what you sow.

seec****:

This is a reality triggered from an obsessive love by parents like my children are important so don’t be harsh to them.

suji****:

Mothers piled the trouble up for themselves; In a cafe they push tables with their strollers, don’t care whether their children run or speak loudly, and change nappies. They use milk which is meant for customers who order lattes, and ask for whip cream or toppings for free asking employees to “Be generous with the food.” A few days ago an woman said her child pushed a table lightly, the table fell down and a coffee on the table spilled onto the child. But it turns out she was lying. If people would maintain proper etiquette by themselves, nobody would say anything to the moms with their kids.

kdw9****:

It is all because of women who think only their children are noble. As a mom of two children, I have seen countless stupid parents. Remember, spare the rod and spoil the child.

ssamabamania:

Just before I saw a mother and her child singing, clapping, and doing shit in the metro. His mother kept praising him, so he sang much louder. What a bi***, it was pissing me off.

babi****:

Honestly I hate children. If children are noisy I scold them immediately. Sometimes I’ve gotten into an argument with their parents. Not warning their children right away, they excuse it saying children can be a bit loud in a restaurant. They are just spouting shit.

rlar****:

Children break the silence in a movie theater, run in a restaurant, and their moms sit in a cafe not ordering anything. Of course there are well-behaved children but the number of ill-mannered children is too high, which makes cafe owners ban them from cafes. When I was young, I ran in a restaurant. Then my parents hit me with a spoon, told me off, and made me go home. Don’t say that people these days have gotten weaker. Children don’t know what is wrong till they’re taught. From now on, parents should change what other people think toward them and their children.

wldm****:

Because of moms who neglect their children whether they are noisy or not, No Kids Zones have appeared. Our mothers in the old days didn’t act stupidly like them..

dmsa****:

I understand how many moms feel but you should think and respect the rights of other people as well as yours. Feelings you had when you were young are feelings other people nowadays have toward your children.

ices****:

There are insane parents who bring their kids to a classical concert. You know even dogs have a vocal chord removal surgery when they are barking too much, right?

ctmb****: