Why is it there are always some parents who see GW stores as free places to drop their kids while they shop.

More to the point why should the more mature gamers have to put up with stores filled with kids, if I wanted to have an argument with an 8 year old over the fact that the table they are using is reserved for tournament use I'd stop at home and fight with my own kids.

Personally I now avoid weekend gaming as it's too much like hard work trying to get everything sorted with these kids running round touching that ain't theirs.

Please tell me I'm not the only one out there who wants an over 18's area reserved or just a ban on unaccompanied kids.

It'd be nice, for sure.

But to answer your question, do you have any kids? I've got a toddler brother and sister, and I can hardly take care of them for an evening. I couldn't even imagine dealing with munchkins full time.

Plus, 8 year olds are really good at begging their parents to buy them stuff, just so they'll shut up. GW has realized this.

I think it has to be accepted that GW stores are going to serve as child care centres most days of the week. I respect the parents in that they are at least leaving the kids to do something they will enjoy. Arguably if you chose to play at that time, it's your job to get them interested in the game (Have fun with that! )

When I worked for the cinema, parents always left kids there to watch films which weren't really suitable for them (The Importance of Being Earnest being one infamous example) and then wonder why I had thrown them out of the screen for messing around.

EDIT - Isn't this one of those rare threads that could qualify for Dakka Discussions, it's not specifically 40K related after all?

It is isn't it? Won't HBMC be thrilled.

My hobby shop doesn't have so many little kids as it does mentally or physically disabled people. You can imagine trying to play against someone who randomly shakes uncontrollably. It makes measuring difficult, but he's damned good at rolling. I guess I shouldn't be complaining actually, seeing as how I'm psychotic... huh.

Justicar Alaric wrote:
Please tell me I'm not the only one out there who wants an over 18's area reserved or just a ban on unaccompanied kids.

well, over 18 is a bit (well more than a bit) exaggerated. seeing as how GW says that their games are recommended 12+ i would say that should be the minimum.

Unfortunately the under 18 set have several clear advantages over us older gamers....
1) more "disposable income" as in they have monies from allowances, summer jobs, gifts, and what not and very little by way of expenses like gas, bills, rent,... etc.
2) Parents that will buy stuff to keep them quiet or as a reward for "good behavior".
3) free time to be in the store looking for things to spend money on, either their own or their parent's.

Tabacco companies allegedly had a program of "Hook-em Young" GW isnt much different on this theme.

I know these points to be true because I formerly ran a hobby store that had in-store gaming. on an average weekend day we had more under 18's than most class rooms. I used to joke that I needed a childcare permit to just stay open.

Through the eyes of a bad parent, miniatures=toys, toys=toyshop, and toyshop=childcare. Never mind the expensive stuff, leave your todler with the 16+ men.

Incidentally I won't go to a game store (my local is a GW) on a weekend unless it's just to buy something, simply because I can't put up with all the kids.

I agree with the OP but I think an age limit of 18 is a bit harsh. I am only 16 and still manage to have mature games with older players without any problems. At the club I go to I only play with over 18s and we both manage to have a good game.

I don't thinks its the under 18s, but the children that are under 13 causing the problem. Above that age they don't really cause a problem and if you don't like playing them you can easily pick an older opponent. If GW had a policy stopping under 13s hanging around unless they were buying/ playing or having a session with the staff then other players would have a better time.

Unfortunately putting a rule like this would be unfair to younger children as there are many circumstances when they need to be in their, e.g.if they go ahead of their parents to grab a box of models, then wait for their parents with them. And more importantly it would drop sales for GW.

My local GW is always filled with children, staff included.

Because it's free childcare, duh.
Oh, and I'm a 12 year old, and I agree that those under ten are little ****s, but anyone over that is usually ok.

Do you want an exclusive gaming area where you're the boss?

Fancy being an elitist snob, having decided anyone younger than you isn't worth engagin with?

Then go and form a club! Or is that too much to ask?

Seriously, go and form a club and stop bloody whinging. GW Stores are not for your exclusive use. 'Reserved' for a Tournament? Define. Reserved by the staff for a store run tournament, or by you and your mates? Two very different things.

Alaric, for brats like you describe, you need to get your anti kid-stare tuned up... Emit an aura of menace and most kids will understand they are not wanted, and go hover somewhere else. My goal is to get them a couple feet away, and it is all good. For the socially inept grabby kids, a curt instruction usually works. Say, assertively, "Do NOT touch that." Sometimes I think they pee a little! Not mean, just assert that you are in charge because you are the adult (or older at least) and those are your models. Its just a matter of asserting your ability to play your game and protect your possessions.

I've found that sometimes, just sometimes, there will be a kid who is intelligent, quiet, and actually listens. Those are all right. The anti-kid stare works on them, but just puts you in the role of "teacher", I guess.

When playing in a public place, kids (and adults) will want to watch. You could always just lay out some ground rules... invite the kids to watch but not touch, and tell them to be quiet. If they break the rules they can't watch. All the while emitting that aura of in-charge-ness. Then talk to them occasionally. If they aren't allowing you to play, ask them to go talk to the guy behind the counter. There is nothing you can do about the fact they are there, so make it more pleasant on everyone. Maybe you'll help convert another buyer! Imagine, you might be the cool gamer that starts a kid on the road to plasticrack addiction... And as a bonus, wouldn't it be hilarious when Mom/Dad returns? You've just convinced little Johnny this is the best game EVAR. Either Mom/Dad has to buy stuff or say no, neither of which they may enjoy... Teach them to leave little johnny at the GW store! HAH!

What do you define as a child? I'm 13, but I like to think of myself as quite mature-I don't touch Gak that isn't mine, and in general I try not to bother people. "Its not so much the age as the kid themselves" is a phrase I oft-see repeated on Dakka, but it's no less true because of it.
I do agree with you that their should be restrictions on under 10's though, as well as people who act like under tens.


Automatically Appended Next Post:
Damn double post!

First of all I love the pattern that is evolving here... The 16 yr old says it's the under 13's ruining everything and the 12 yr old says it's everyone under 10. It's just great how everyone younger then you is to blame including the OP. Is it possible to judge others on an individule basis? or are we all lumped into 'us' vs 'them'?

I got hooked into GW when I was about 13-14 and the number one thing I remember is looking up to the older players, and not wanting to disturb anyone dispite my curiosity. The store has since closed down but I was never a distraction. Fast forward to today, I study Muay Thai at a local gym, recently there have been two new additions who can't be much older then 13. These kids are a little hyper-active but for the most part are respectful and even capable students for their age. This is because our Trainer and our Sensai have caught their attention and engaged them instead of "just dealing with them" as the rest of you put it, and the rest of the class has followed suit. These kids and myself at their age are the rule not the exception.

The moral of this story is that the younger crowd is easily peer preasured by the older ones into behaving once they see you as a human being and not just another jaded and souless adult who has to put up with them. If you lack the ability to engage them on this level then A.) Don't ever reproduce and B.) Don't blame the kids for your inadequecy.

EDIT: Grammer, rewording for more impact.

well seeing as i'm 15 i think 18+ is a bit over the top...

Quite simply because they can. That is the mantra for all things. People do things because they can and no one calls them on it.

Call them out. and don't ever reproduce because then you'll become TFP (That F****** Parent).

i have come to know younger kids who do find the game fun and can play it without wreaking our lives, what annoys me are these people(notalways kids mind) who can go out and get thier parents to buy them a 2000 point army on a whim.
maybe its just me but my parents were really strict on what i bought, i mean 25£ was a major amount to spend on one item so my armies have grown at a rate of about 20 points a month.
but back to point of op, yes there are annoying kids but they will grow up to be 'mature', 'competant' gamers...
at some point

I have to disagree with assultmarine slightly. Annoying kids are annoying because it benefits them in some way to be so. The trick, if any one trick truely does exist, is to make them recognize that it is more beneficial to not be annoying, by rewarding or penalizing behavior with nothing more then your attention.

Kids don't just grow up to be respectful adults automagically, they need guidence. This is NOT your job, but you can contribute to their happiness by showing them that they aren't just some inconvieniance to be put up with. If they see that being less annoying means that people include them in discussions, or maybe even let play on a table that is normally only used for tournaments then they would be more inclined to act appropriatley. This is not a solve everything solution, since kids are just little people you have to keep in mind that they their motivation is either inline with your goals or contrary to them. Once you find what that motivation is, they are more easy to control or predict. This is the foundation for managing people on any level by the way.

As a side note I do not blame the parents, I don't mean to call into question their ability to raise their kids. It's obvious that as a father myself I'm just winging it at times. But if their was a place that my kid enjoyed being, I would want them to feel welcome.

Boss 'eadbreaka wrote:Because it's free childcare, duh.

Brilliant. It is definitely why parents leave their children unattended.

To the OP, the problem isn't unattended children, it is people, of all ages, who haven't learned respect. People tend to focus on children for numerous unfair and prejudicial reasons. There are just as many adults as children at my local GW who do not know to ask before they manhandle my miniatures, squabble with me over the use of gaming tables, and running around the store generally being asses. Banning kids, wether you define that mark as being under 18, under 16, under 12 or under 10, will only eliminate half the problem. Additionally such a ban will remove some people worth playing against, and I include in that category kids who are worth banning who grow up into people worth playing against. I don't think there is a way to flat out remove such unpleasant aspects of gaming in public places, to do that you have to play in your home or run your own club, but constantly meeting and gaming with new people is worth dealing with the occasional idiot as far as I am concerned.

I don't know the laws and legal position but I reckon that GW staff would be acting responsibly and within the law in calling the police if a minor was found wandering round the premises without a parent or guardian in close attendance.

You have other issues in store such as. use of knives, Aerosols, small plastic components, resin etc.

It would be interesting to find out how GW's insurance reads regarding their retail operations.

As a father of five I would say that it isn't always the kids the problem is the parents who don't seem to care about where their children are.

My original post was not meant to be offensive towards all people under 18 as I am sure many of you are smart enough to show some respect to those there with more experience.

It's the parents who turn up with their 8 year old buy them something that they don't really understand how to use and then disappear for up to 6 hours expecting the rest of us to entertain their kids while they do some shopping.

If I have upset anybody I am sorry and yes the over 18 section would be unfair but I feel that something needs to be done to stop GW stores from being used as a day care centers.

We all know that the first time anything were to happen to these unattended minors it would be the store that got blamed not the lazy parents who can't be bothered to deal with their own kids on a weekend.

Mr. Burning wrote:I don't know the laws and legal position but I reckon that GW staff would be acting responsibly and within the law in calling the police if a minor was found wandering round the premises without a parent or guardian in close attendance.

The legals there would obviously depend on the country...

I used to work in a toy store. Bored kids wandering around the store being a nuisance was pretty much a fact of life. We technically could have called the police, but it generally wasn't worth the resultant fuss. Except in one case, where the kid (probably about 8 or 9 years old at the most) had been left there for something like 4 hours, and had been starting to get a little frantic. Parents were not impressed when they showed up another hour later and were told they had to go to the Police Beat to pick up their child...


It's one thing when there is an organised event, something for the kid to take part in where they will be supervised. Or at the very least, for the kid to be independant enough to look after themselves (in the case of being left at a gaming store, actually being a gamer would be a big bonus). But a lot of parents simply think 'Toy store, great, they can amuse themselves' and don't realise just how quickly young kids get bored just wandering around a store... or think about what can happen to them when there's nobody actually looking after them.


Teenagers are a different story. If they're interested enough to hang around the store, that should only be encouraged, in my book. Get them gaming... for once they start down that path, forever will it dominate their destiny. Well, until they lose interest and find a different hobby.

I dont think you should ban kids.. Im 21 and I used to be one of those kids at the gaming shop. I agree, teach them not to touch your stuff and behave. If they're dicking around on tables, tell them to get off unless theyre playing a game. You're and adult, they're children, odds are if they havent grown hair down there, they'll probably listen to you.

It comes with the territory of gaming shops.

However, all magic players should be shot, or have hookers bought for them, because they are the real enemy

Leigen_Zero wrote:Incidentally I won't go to a game store (my local is a GW) on a weekend unless it's just to buy something, simply because I can't put up with all the kids.

Yes! Yes! Yes! and Yes! The GWs in Canada on the weekends were packed with kids and it made gaming too nerve wracking to be fun. Club nights were OK as most of them have school the next day. I have work, but that won't stop me from staying out late to dish out WFB punishment. The GWs here in Japan are different as the mind set of the people in general is different. There aren"t any "big" shopping centres comparatively speaking and with the few that do exist, the rent would be so prohibitively high that the GW wouldn't last a month. I went to GW this past Saturday in Chiba to take my Orks for a spin and to get some painting in. I was the only customer for the 4 hours that I was there and all I bought was some mithril silver as a tip-of-the-hat to say thank you for letting me use the tables, paint and the toilet. (I played the manager and he whipped me BAD!)

Also, if by chance the two other Chiba area foreigner GW nerds are reading this, PM me. The manager guy told me about other "white Gorillas in the gaming mists of the Boso hanto" we should hook up, game and drink.

Mad Doc Grotsnik wrote:Do you want an exclusive gaming area where you're the boss?

Fancy being an elitist snob, having decided anyone younger than you isn't worth engagin with?

Then go and form a club! Or is that too much to ask?

Seriously, go and form a club and stop bloody whinging. GW Stores are not for your exclusive use. 'Reserved' for a Tournament? Define. Reserved by the staff for a store run tournament, or by you and your mates? Two very different things.

For some reason, I hear more about these "clubs" from you Brits than I see/hear about
locally. In Chicago, the people I see gaming are at the shops or at someone's place
who's able to give up the space for the night.

I don't generally hear about clubs and such. Specifically, I don't hear about people
gaming in a public/reserved space that lets them store their terrain.

Mad Doc Grotsnik wrote:Do you want an exclusive gaming area where you're the boss?

Fancy being an elitist snob, having decided anyone younger than you isn't worth engagin with?

Then go and form a club! Or is that too much to ask?

Seriously, go and form a club and stop bloody whinging. GW Stores are not for your exclusive use. 'Reserved' for a Tournament? Define. Reserved by the staff for a store run tournament, or by you and your mates? Two very different things.

I don't want to be the boss!

I wasn't complaining about the younger gamers more the parents who seem to view GW as free child care.

I have other responsibilities which prevent me from joining/forming a club.

The table was reserved for a store run tournament.

Next time you fancy having a pop, pm me and do it that way because at least then nobody else has to put up with somebody trying to start an argument, instead of just commenting in a non aggressive manner.

loofacop wrote:
However, all magic players should be shot, or have hookers bought for them, because they are the real enemy

Rage against the mechanicus? Dude, no need to flame M:TG.

Justicar Alaric wrote:
I wasn't complaining about the younger gamers more the parents who seem to view GW as free child care.

Welcome to EVERY retail location with a decent size to employee ratio. You'd be surprised how many unattended children there are at Barnes and Noble every single day(especially Friday and Saturday nights).

My sister(used to be a department head in the children's book area) was yelled at before by a crazy parent because this lady told her child(but not my sister) that my sister would take care of her, left for several hours and then couldn't find her kid when she got back. Our managers calmly informed the woman that employees aren't legally allowed to watch over children and that they and the police officer in the parking lot would be happy to help her find the kid in the store(she was reading in one of the big comfy chairs elsewhere in the store) despite the fact that she pretty much abandoned her child in legal terms.

Why do some parents use GW as free child care?

Why do some parents use bowling alleys as free child care?

Why do some parents use malls as free child care?

Why do some parents use (Insert local book chain here) as free child care?


Why do some parents...become parents?

Yeah i don't really mind younger players, hell i'm only 18 myself, they bring a youthfull spark to this game (well at least some do) that the game is ALL about having fun and enjoying the hobby.
I do agree with the annoyance of having some unattended kid grab your stufff and accidently break the land raider you spent hours working on. There should be something in place, but i can't imagine their being something without GW creating a less friendly enviroment

I don't game in GW stores very often, but I must say that last time I did, most of the kids were much more pleasant and less annoying than some of the smelly, socially slowed ADULTS who frequent the stores.
It's a company which specialises in the selling of plastic representations of Elves, Goblins, and 9 foot tall superhuman soldiers from the future - have you ever considered that, as adults, it is US that is intruding upon THEIR world?

I'm 6, most people my age aren't that bad. It's those under fours that should be restricted from being in GW stores.

AgeOfEgos wrote:
Why do some parents...become parents?

Man, do we have to link a video for you or something?

Albatross wrote:I don't game in GW stores very often, but I must say that last time I did, most of the kids were much more pleasant and less annoying than some of the smelly, socially slowed ADULTS who frequent the stores.
It's a company which specialises in the selling of plastic representations of Elves, Goblins, and 9 foot tall superhuman soldiers from the future - have you ever considered that, as adults, it is US that is intruding upon THEIR world?

HERETIC!

Albatross wrote:I don't game in GW stores very often, but I must say that last time I did, most of the kids were much more pleasant and less annoying than some of the smelly, socially slowed ADULTS who frequent the stores.
It's a company which specialises in the selling of plastic representations of Elves, Goblins, and 9 foot tall superhuman soldiers from the future - have you ever considered that, as adults, it is US that is intruding upon THEIR world?

Why do you even game then if you think it's that bad.

I'm 40, now, but probably the single biggest factor in my getting into gaming, of all kinds, was that when I first went into Games of Liverpool, at the age of 11, and found they had a "War And Fantasy" department, the staff and customers were friendly, welcoming, and respectful, despite my young age. They gave me & my parents great advice, steered me towards the right games, & welcomed me back as I got older.

I don't think that parents who use shops as free childcare for hours on end are very responsible. But I really don't like the idea that when my 9-year-old son does finally head into a GW (so far we've only played at home, or at the local games club) a load of the older gamers are going to assume that he's going to trash their minis, or that he won't know the rules, or that he'll be loud & obnoxious. The hobby is supposed to be about being welcoming, not exclusive. If you want an exclusive hobby, go join a posh golf club, or something.

I'm only four, but I tend to keep to myself and not disturb others who are playing warhams. I think it's mainly an issue of the 2's and unders really.

no it is not!
it's those bloody one year olds!
Ruining our two year old rep.

And so forth, I think enough posts have been made by people illustrating how an arbitrary age limit won't do anything to eliminate dissonance within a gaming shop.

I think a limit on weight, perhaps personal or based on your collection would eliminate far more than an age based restriction.

I'm only one, but I had to play a foetus yesterday in a tourney and he was really annoying.

And so this thread gets hijacked by people taking the .

Albatross wrote:I don't game in GW stores very often, but I must say that last time I did, most of the kids were much more pleasant and less annoying than some of the smelly, socially slowed ADULTS who frequent the stores.
It's a company which specialises in the selling of plastic representations of Elves, Goblins, and 9 foot tall superhuman soldiers from the future - have you ever considered that, as adults, it is US that is intruding upon THEIR world?

This could indeed make a good point but I would have to disagree (mind you I am under 18). More often than not you find kids playing because "oo I got a gun and we are fighting... this is so cool.. etc" where you tend to see adults in the hobby for modeling/painting. Of coarse many adults are in the hobby for gaming purposes, but they take it on a more serious level. Yes they are playing with toy soldiers... but its a hobby and as such is meant to be something you do in the mean time. Youll also notice fluff wise, its more often than not, something that little kiddies should be reading to far into, since at times it can become quite unsuitable (slaanesh anyone?) for them. But with the point you gave, you could also say the entire star wars series should be for children and every one else is intruding there too. Its meant to be something that is enjoyed by a large variety of age groups.

OT: I definitely notice that is has become a day care center for children as my local GW. Luckily many months back the GW made a "club" for children called the "White Shields" and they have all of their own organized events and such which tends to keep most of them occupied and away from most of the events that mature players take part in. The only downside is that they have many many events and for what ever reason (I have no idea what the staff is thinking on this one) they decide to give immensly pristiges prizes at all this event, and by that I mean they give quite a bit of forgeworld and bigger GW kits to these kids whom will more than likely make an even bigger mockery out of the awsome models/hobby than they already are... Needless to say there are always some chilren who actually are mature and are usually more accepted.

Well this is a barrel of fish isn't it I don't have any problem showing younger players how to play but there is a limit on my generosity.
Dropping your kids off anywhere with no supervision is wrong.
About 2 months ago a grandmother brought her grandson in to the store, because it was a hobby store, and he got interested in the games on the shelf.
The employees told her that it was game night and he could see a game played at around 6pm that is when gaming starts the boy was about 8ish.
They came back and he got to play a game his grandmother stayed in the store giving him suggestions about where to move things and had a great time.
Then there is this other boy parents leave him there for three hours a very disagreeable little that kept picking up peoples figs and talking loudly his parents where told it will not happen again.

80 year old here. I'm thoroughly sick of all these so called 'adults' playing games at the age of 18. In my day, a game would be sitting on a brick wall trying not to move! When I was 18, I was out earning the bread for the family by catching rabbits and skinning them. Nowadays all these youngsters don't know what's good for them, sitting about playing with their pew-pew toys. They should learn to grow up and support a family.

Isn't baseless discrimination fun?

A quick question to all those who have commented.

If you were a parent would you leave your child unattended in a store full of people you didn't know, staffed by people who are not legally allowed to look after your child for you?

Well on the topic, my FLGS gets the kids to ring their parents and get them picked up. One mother took away their phones, so the FLGS owner rang security on the basis that he had abandoned children in his store. They weren't seen again.

In all honesty that would depend. How old is the child and how responsible he/she is. If I had like an 8 yr old I would definitely not leave him/her in there. however if they 16/17 or so, and I know hes mature/responisble enough to be around other people whom I dont know. Then yes I would let them stay.

Justicar Alaric wrote:

Albatross wrote:I don't game in GW stores very often, but I must say that last time I did, most of the kids were much more pleasant and less annoying than some of the smelly, socially slowed ADULTS who frequent the stores.
It's a company which specialises in the selling of plastic representations of Elves, Goblins, and 9 foot tall superhuman soldiers from the future - have you ever considered that, as adults, it is US that is intruding upon THEIR world?

Why do you even game then if you think it's that bad.

I didn't say it was bad. I'm just self-aware enough to realise that most adults don't do what we do. It's a hobby for young teenagers.

Which isn't a problem necessarily, but let's not pretend that GW is an exclusive Gentleman's Club, and that the brandy and cigars are coming out at the end of turn 6.

Albatross wrote:

Justicar Alaric wrote:

Albatross wrote:I don't game in GW stores very often, but I must say that last time I did, most of the kids were much more pleasant and less annoying than some of the smelly, socially slowed ADULTS who frequent the stores.
It's a company which specialises in the selling of plastic representations of Elves, Goblins, and 9 foot tall superhuman soldiers from the future - have you ever considered that, as adults, it is US that is intruding upon THEIR world?

Why do you even game then if you think it's that bad.

I didn't say it was bad. I'm just self-aware enough to realise that most adults don't do what we do. It's a hobby for young teenagers.

Which isn't a problem necessarily, but let's not pretend that GW is an exclusive Gentleman's Club, and that the brandy and cigars are coming out at the end of turn 6.

You've given me a fantastic idea for Formal Fridays at my LGS.

Well, you're all talking really young kids, below the recommended age. Parents put their kids in the store because the child will make their time shopping hell. How would you like to walk around with a crying child while trying to have a good time? I get frickin' pissed when a baby cries for more than ten seconds on a train or bus.

I've got five kids, and I wouldn't leave them in a shop unattended.

If you choose to have kids, it's your responsibility to look after them not just dump them when you want to have fun.

I think some people are confusing the issue of younger people being able to play and enjoy the game(s), and parents essentially abandoning their children for long periods of time.

Of course, people of any age should be able to play the game, assuming that they are aware enough to be able to play it without loosing interest and going on a rampage through the store or something.

However, a parent should not just drop a (younger) child off in any store and expect the store to just look after the child. Especially if the store is not set up to deal with that, or if the parent does not inform the store that is what they are doing.

If the store has a child friendly event (such as the white shield club that someone mentioned), then a parent can reasonably expect to be able to leave their child under the care of the store staff, assuming that their child is interested enough in the game to be able to spend several hours there.

If however the store is just doing regular store things, a parent should not expect to just be able to leave their kid hanging around for hours at a time, especially if the store is not aware that they "should be" looking out for said child.

At the end of the day, if a store does not run a child orientated club or session, where they are actively looking after children for an extended period, they should not be expected to look after children and more so than they would look after any other person in the store. If your child leaves the store because they are bored, or because they went to look for you, or because some person enticed them away with the promise of sweets or free models, it is not the stores fault, any more than if you left said child alone in a park, or in a clothes shop, or a resturant.

If I were a store owner and noticed a young child had been left unattended for an extended period of time in my store, I would certainly ask the child if he was with someone, when he was expecting to be picked up, etc. Given enough concern, I would call security, or get the child to call their parents/grandparents/etc to come and either look after them, or pick them up.

Greed is killing the franchise, what a surprise.

SilverMK2 wrote:I think some people are confusing the issue of younger people being able to play and enjoy the game(s), and parents essentially abandoning their children for long periods of time.

Of course, people of any age should be able to play the game, assuming that they are aware enough to be able to play it without loosing interest and going on a rampage through the store or something.

However, a parent should not just drop a (younger) child off in any store and expect the store to just look after the child. Especially if the store is not set up to deal with that, or if the parent does not inform the store that is what they are doing.

If the store has a child friendly event (such as the white shield club that someone mentioned), then a parent can reasonably expect to be able to leave their child under the care of the store staff, assuming that their child is interested enough in the game to be able to spend several hours there.

If however the store is just doing regular store things, a parent should not expect to just be able to leave their kid hanging around for hours at a time, especially if the store is not aware that they "should be" looking out for said child.

At the end of the day, if a store does not run a child orientated club or session, where they are actively looking after children for an extended period, they should not be expected to look after children and more so than they would look after any other person in the store. If your child leaves the store because they are bored, or because they went to look for you, or because some person enticed them away with the promise of sweets or free models, it is not the stores fault, any more than if you left said child alone in a park, or in a clothes shop, or a resturant.

If I were a store owner and noticed a young child had been left unattended for an extended period of time in my store, I would certainly ask the child if he was with someone, when he was expecting to be picked up, etc. Given enough concern, I would call security, or get the child to call their parents/grandparents/etc to come and either look after them, or pick them up.

That was a very well thought out post, which I think perfectly outlined what's going on in this thread. Consider a friend request to be winging its way to as you read this.

Ketara wrote:That was a very well thought out post, which I think perfectly outlined what's going on in this thread. Consider a friend request to be winging its way to as you read this.

Haha, thank you

I tend to ramble when I post off the top of my head and forget the point I was trying to make, but I managed to stay on topic for once with the above post, so thanks

I have always hated having young kids in the stores because a majority of them are loud, annoying and are just horrible to play against. I do not care if they have a basic grasp of the rule and do not throw a tantrum everytime each rhino blows up. Most of those parents that use a FLGS as a child care center I think they are horrible parents.

This issue can be taken care of really easily. The owner of the FLGS can make it a strict store policy of no childern under 12 years old with out parental supervison. The horrible thing is that I do not want to play against someone's 10 year old as a 33 year old and table the kid in three or less rounds.

Hi all.
To answer the original question, because the parents are irresponcible, and GW plc have decided to market thier products as toys. (as its easy to sell toys to kiddies. )

When Games Workshop was focusing on making great games the majority of thier customers were gamers.(As the games covered a wide range of subjects and age groups, GW gamers covered a very wide demographic.)

So irrespective of age the GW customers had age appropriate games to play.
And as such the gamers needs were met without conflicting with other age brackets/ playing styles.

But as shortsighted greed made GW corperate try to market thier core games to appeal to everyone, then the wide demographic that was dispersed among a dozen different games, are now all crammed to gether trying to play the same game in vastly differing ways!

What compounds this is that GW try to infer that GW games are all thier is!(The GW Hobby tm),
So gamers that SHOULD have left GW core games and moved onto somthing more suitable for thier needs, get stuck participating in a branded hobby that is not thier ideal, perhaps?

GW is '...in the buisness of selling toy soldier to kiddies...' according to Tom Kirby .(Chairman and ex CEO, of GW plc.)

I prefer to buy games systems from companies that are in the buisness of makling the best games they can.But this is just my personal preference.

As I can pick game that I like to play, from a range of games that are focused on a particular type of gameplay , they attract like minded gamers.

I have no problem with gamers of any age.As long as they posess respect for other people, and maturity level that means they dont 'blubber/whine ' if they loose.

I DO have a problem with children under the age of (legal ages may vary from contry to country,)being left unsupervised by a responcible adult in a public place.

If they are not allowed to watch a PG film on thier own,then they are not old enough to be abadoned in a shop!

A responcible retailer would NOT allow minors to be left unsupervised on thier premises...

TTFN
Lanrak,

Because most people are idiots? That includes people who go to gaming stores during the day and expect children to be absent...

Unless you're genuinely worried about the kids safety, get over it, a little inconvenience isn't going to kill you.

Apologies if that sounded harsh. Certainly bad parenting is a factor here, but to me there seems to be an easier solution. If you want a decent game, go into the gaming store late in the afternoon when the kids have been taken home. Or ask the store about dedicated gaming nights. Or go to a gaming club. Or invite friends around and play at home.

ComputerGeek01 wrote:First of all I love the pattern that is evolving here... The 16 yr old says it's the under 13's ruining everything and the 12 yr old says it's everyone under 10. It's just great how everyone younger then you is to blame including the OP. Is it possible to judge others on an individule basis? or are we all lumped into 'us' vs 'them'?.

Eactly. Everyone knows if you're under 80 you've no right to darken the doors of a gaming store, or tell me your cute youngin theories of life.


Automatically Appended Next Post:

Justicar Alaric wrote:A quick question to all those who have commented.

If you were a parent would you leave your child unattended in a store full of people you didn't know, staffed by people who are not legally allowed to look after your child for you?

Ooh a serious question. What age when you say "children?"

OK -- if we all agree that it's crappy parenting to leave young kids in the store alone -- there are 3 approaches that we, the customers, can take to kids in the store:

1) Welcome them, game with them, teach them about the hobby, make it see to them that the hobby is all about inclusivity and community. This approach is absolutely fine.

2) Be neutral towards them. Just say, if approached, "Look, son, I'm happy with you gaming here, but I prefer to play against other adults -- no offense." This approach is fine, too -- you shouldn't be expected to engage with other people's kids, or be an unpaid childminder, if you don't want to.

3) Be verbally or otherwise hostile towards them. "I wish they wouldn't let kids in here, ruining my gaming experience" etc. I don't think this approach is acceptable.

Assuming that these kids have crappy parents, and so are already at something of a disadvantage in life... which of the above 3 approaches is likely to help out those kids, and society at large? Which approach, on the other hand, is likely to further alienate them from society?

It's not your duty to deal with the problem of other people's bad parenting. But it is kinda your duty not to exacerbate the problem by simple bad manners.

Tim the Biovore wrote:Well, you're all talking really young kids, below the recommended age. Parents put their kids in the store because the child will make their time shopping hell. How would you like to walk around with a crying child while trying to have a good time? I get frickin' pissed when a baby cries for more than ten seconds on a train or bus.

So they pass the baton to us, so their kids can make our time shopping hell instead?

Someone commented on assertiveness when dealing with the youngsters earlier. I would totally agree. I used to become annoyed and rather than simply acting as an adult and talking to them in a mature manner, I would (in the past) probably say something to the staff. Now (especially knowing that I'm four months from being a parent myself) I go with the "I'm an adult, if I convey that...." and it has worked wonderfully. (sides the store mgt has hooked me up with discounts as me and my friends gladly help people when he is busy)

Isn't baseless discrimination fun?

Except it's not baseless.

Like I point out in the "who do you refuse to play against" thread, it's certainly true that not all kids are annoying to play against. However a majority are and it's the rarity of the exceptions that help to prove the rule. I see by your profile that you started gaming in 2007, which makes me assume that you are a very young person as well. Don't take it personal. If you are not one of the majority of whiny, annoying, loud, ADHD suffering kiddies that make being in the same room with most kid gamers such an unpleasant experience that the CIA is thinking of using it in place of water boarding, then good on you. But you have to understand that while you might be an exception, most of your peers live down to the stereotype. That's why I refuse to play children.

As to the broader point of parents using GW stores (and yes it's not just GW retail outlets, FLGSs get their fair share of this too) for child care I blame both folks with poor/irresponsible parenting skills and GW's deliberate policy of targeting the kiddie market. Anyone else recall the "Kids, Kids, Kids!" memo from the '90s that outlined the company policy shift toward marketing to kids? The line from that memo that stands out in my mind was something along the lines of "if they are old enough to be trusted not to swollow the models they are old enough to play".

TR

Ian Sturrock wrote:OK -- if we all agree that it's crappy parenting to leave young kids in the store alone -- there are 3 approaches that we, the customers, can take to kids in the store:

1) Welcome them, game with them, teach them about the hobby, make it see to them that the hobby is all about inclusivity and community. This approach is absolutely fine.

2) Be neutral towards them. Just say, if approached, "Look, son, I'm happy with you gaming here, but I prefer to play against other adults -- no offense." This approach is fine, too -- you shouldn't be expected to engage with other people's kids, or be an unpaid childminder, if you don't want to.

3) Be verbally or otherwise hostile towards them. "I wish they wouldn't let kids in here, ruining my gaming experience" etc. I don't think this approach is acceptable.

Assuming that these kids have crappy parents, and so are already at something of a disadvantage in life... which of the above 3 approaches is likely to help out those kids, and society at large? Which approach, on the other hand, is likely to further alienate them from society?

It's not your duty to deal with the problem of other people's bad parenting. But it is kinda your duty not to exacerbate the problem by simple bad manners.

Get that nonsense out of here!

I want those kids robbing me in 10 years!

i dont mind kids about 11 and up,but kids that are 6 years old that walk around gw and beg there mom for every tbattleforce and tank in the storemakes me want to hit my head repeatedly with a rulebook.especially if there mom buys it for them.

Defiler wrote:Get that nonsense out of here!

I want those kids robbing me in 10 years!

Yeah, I hope they give me an extra kick or two in the face for being an obvious geeky gamer type, like all those guys who were mean to them at the game store.

They are okay i guess. Except when they block the door by sitting near it "sigh". I do wish they wouldnt stay there all day, its a hobby for home aswell.

Justicar Alaric wrote:Why is it there are always some parents who see GW stores as free places to drop their kids while they shop.

More to the point why should the more mature gamers have to put up with stores filled with kids, if I wanted to have an argument with an 8 year old over the fact that the table they are using is reserved for tournament use I'd stop at home and fight with my own kids.

Personally I now avoid weekend gaming as it's too much like hard work trying to get everything sorted with these kids running round touching that ain't theirs.

Please tell me I'm not the only one out there who wants an over 18's area reserved or just a ban on unaccompanied kids.

I LOL'ed this post.

Personally? NO.

I like seeing the MILF action that comes into the stores every now and them. Personal entertainment, and sometimes a little dinner action for such little effort.
Muh ha ha ha!!!!

Seriously though,
I want those rugrats coming to the store. As for the craptastic behavior, thats entirely on you and your gaming group that frequents the store to establish, enforce, and uphold for your area.
In a local GW store, It was bad enough for you to get in the door, put up with the incessant BS sales pitches, the angles, and the yaktiy yack don't come back mentality that the upstart GW redshirts breeds to let your gaming groups go to seed just because of a little inconvenience like a customer.

YOU have as much if not more responsibility to mold, help out, and sell those people that just show up walk in for a few minutes and give you at least 1-10 minutes to make that decision if little johnny is going to even get into this game, make a sale, or even give you the rest of the time to sell me into why I should pay from 20-100 bucks on a bunch of plastic miniatures, overpriced gaming supplies, or overpriced paint.
Thereby keeping your local shop in buisness for one more week so that YOU in turn have a place to come back to and continue to play at.

Think of it another way-

Cultivating your investment.

It is much better to help the new player along then it is to put up with TFG breeding, playing with halfwits that don't take the time to learn, and play like they don't have a pair, while all the time trying to keep up with the Joneses, (I/E YOU and YOUR established group) while they play the roill of the outsider and use YOU and your local shop to point at as the ones NOT to be.
I find it a much better environment when the place is orderly, the players HELP the shop, instead of the asstastic cutting and self destructive behavior or outright sabatage of a sale by giving the little youngster such a hard time that they THEN go over to mommy and daddy and end up deep sixing the shop.

You have a responsiblity to your shop to help them out, teach new people, and give direction if you see something going on that is going to in the long run end up losing your group its asset of a local shop.
I don't particulerly care in this case if it is either a GW shop, or a LGS, these shops run on commerce. Period.
If you don't continue the time honored art of teaching noobs, you are going to end up finding your shop with fewer and fewer people, until the point where you either close down the store, or those people that you scorned so well go some other place and end up playing, modeling, and collecting while you end up crashing and burning.

You don't have to like them, but you do have to either help them, or shut up about and to them while someone else does your fair share of the work.

Two parties are to blame.

1. The parents. For being bad parents. I have a sister and brother-in-law who would routinely disappear at family get-togethers and let the rest of the family watch their young triplets. That's not fair to the rest of the family. As a result, if I'm not watching my kids, I ask a niece/aunt/etc. if they mind, even if my kids are playing with 3-4 other kids. Being a responsible parent means you are...responsible. You know what your kid is up to.

2. The store. For not setting clear boundaries. It's fine to have a "kid's event", but the store needs to make it clear what obligation (or lack of) the store has to watch the kids. Are kids under 12, 16, 18 not to be left without a guardian? And, when the parents show up, the store needs to communicate what is acceptable. Frankly, the store is taking on liability by having minors unaccompanied by an adult at the store. What if one of the kids falls and splits open their forehead on a rack? Now, in a true emergency, the EMTs will take the kid to the hospital. But, unless it's a true emergency (life or death type), the hospital won't do anything without parental consent - because of liability. I don't know (and it probably depends on jurisdiction) if the hospital would even put in stitches without consent, or just try the 'pressure and bandage' method to stop bleeding.

Personally, I don't want my kid getting taken away by the next Ted Bundy, so I know where they are. And will continue to do so, probably to their social detriment. And, I don't think it's reasonable to avail someone of free babysitting.

dietrich wrote:Two parties are to blame.

1. The parents. For being bad parents. I have a sister and brother-in-law who would routinely disappear at family get-togethers and let the rest of the family watch their young triplets. That's not fair to the rest of the family. As a result, if I'm not watching my kids, I ask a niece/aunt/etc. if they mind, even if my kids are playing with 3-4 other kids. Being a responsible parent means you are...responsible. You know what your kid is up to.

2. The store. For not setting clear boundaries. It's fine to have a "kid's event", but the store needs to make it clear what obligation (or lack of) the store has to watch the kids. Are kids under 12, 16, 18 not to be left without a guardian? And, when the parents show up, the store needs to communicate what is acceptable. Frankly, the store is taking on liability by having minors unaccompanied by an adult at the store. What if one of the kids falls and splits open their forehead on a rack? Now, in a true emergency, the EMTs will take the kid to the hospital. But, unless it's a true emergency (life or death type), the hospital won't do anything without parental consent - because of liability. I don't know (and it probably depends on jurisdiction) if the hospital would even put in stitches without consent, or just try the 'pressure and bandage' method to stop bleeding.

Personally, I don't want my kid getting taken away by the next Ted Bundy, so I know where they are. And will continue to do so, probably to their social detriment. And, I don't think it's reasonable to avail someone of free babysitting.

I think that this is a real good point, too.

DarkHound wrote: You can imagine trying to play against someone who randomly shakes uncontrollably. It makes measuring difficult, but he's damned good at rolling.

I'm going to go to Hell for laughing at that ...

On topic, I saw both sides of the argument last Saturday whan I popped in to a GW to pick up Battle Missions. The place was wall-to-wall with (unattended) kids, all participating in a boisterous 'Nids v Marines mission to launch the book. All the kids were noisy, excited and involved and it was great to watch.

At the same time, there was a disgruntled-looking mother being told quite firmly by the guy behind the till 'We do NOT offer a childcare facility here'.

Bring kids to play? Fine.

Bring kids to park? Nope.

And, I'd add to all the customers of FLGS that are thinking of leaving due to it becoming a free daycare - talk to the manager and/or owner. Losing business is a negative. Now, they may simply tell you that the grubby 12-year olds spend more than you, and they have to make that trade. But, if they realize that they're losing customers because of it, they may rethink their free daycare policy.

Mhm.

I'm 23, and I've made an effort to emit an aura of menace around myself to the youngins in the shop (theres alot...probably around 6)

You just have to perfect the eyes, I was born with terribly un-colored eyes, they're black-ish grey, and really flakk around with your head when you look me in the eyes, kind of like those people who wear the colored contacts.

Kids can't stand looking at my eyes, and when they don't, I tell them to look at my eyes. Even the ones who are around 13 don't usually converse with me because of this. Theres only probably 6-7 other guys my age or older, who tell me that kids ask them about me and how "weird" I am.

Maybe I'm stroking my elitist ego a bit, but I love talking about it.

For those who don't have my blessing, a simple menacing glance will do the job. If at first they don't look like a total douche, talk to them a bit, they might just be really cool.

Karon wrote:Kids can't stand looking at my eyes, and when they don't, I tell them to look at my eyes.

Well, yes, asking kids to look in your eyes will get them to stay away from you. At least if they've been taught to avoid talking to creepy strangers and accepting rides in their cars...

In my view it is up to the staff of the store to make sure these kids aren't a nuisance. As an ex-staff member I know that it can sometimes feel like a day care centre. But all you need to do is have a set of activities set up already. We had painting, modelling, and gaming lessons set up for weekends. They would just accomodate whoever came through the door, with space set aside for them. The rest of the space would be set up as a first come first served basis - unless there was a tournament or a table had been booked.

Now obviously parents can't expect GW to act as a daycare centre, but if the kids are interested, and not a nuisance, then why should they be turned away? Nuisance kids should be told not to misbehave, and when their parents return, then they must be told to either supervise their child, or not bother coming. Harsh? Or just plain sense?

That's all I can think of for the moment . . .

Oshova

malfred wrote:

For some reason, I hear more about these "clubs" from you Brits than I see/hear about
locally. In Chicago, the people I see gaming are at the shops or at someone's place
who's able to give up the space for the night.

I don't generally hear about clubs and such. Specifically, I don't hear about people
gaming in a public/reserved space that lets them store their terrain.

They're around. But their harder to find and rarer then the UK variants, as the UK doesnt have nearly the FLGS we do. But private clubs are around. I'm part of one in northern NJ, HQ the Club, near the NY border. Long story short, we got tried of stores crap and founded our own, and rent private space month to month- going on 5 years now?

As a kid, I always hated going on errands with my mother, and would have loved the opportunity to spend my time in a game store instead of what always happened: having my butt glued to the leather seat of an early 80's volvo minivan squished between my younger siblings.

As long as the kid does not act up, I'd have no problem with a youngster haunting the store.

My own club feels like a creche at times (although there are more of them approaching 18 (if not over it )now so it's not as bad as it was.

I'm fortunate that I have another club that I go to where the majority of people I play with are uni students.

I mainly dislike playing against under 18s because of the age gap between us (I'm over 40) and to minimise any suspicious thoughts of their parents (although I have done my working with children background checks and passed them all).

I don't go into my local GW much because it isn't large enough to swing a cat - that's when it isn't full of munchkins during the school breaks.

Years ago when I was about ooooooo 11-12 and starting out mum would leave me in the Games Workshop broad weir when she would go to the pound stretcher store down the road.

in those days Games Workshop was for adults and you REALLY wouldnt get a sniff out of anyone!.This was in the late eighties early nineties

It wasnt until I started to go to the Cribbs Causeway store when I was 18 that I started to chat and get reckonised.


Plus who leaves their kids with strangers???? I often wonder this..............

Is their childs safety really worth putting on the line for a couple hours peace and quiet or are kids really a bunch of whiney nowadays.

If people really wanna leave their kids around me.

Their loss I guess, but don't blame me if they start moshing around.

Shadowbrand wrote:If people really wanna leave their kids around me.

Their loss I guess, but don't blame me if they start moshing around.

Yea I guess.............

*edges away slowly*

Anybody who's in a GW store (or any business) may be asked to leave.

The parents that you describe are presuming upon the compassion of the people in the store. This should not be permitted, in my view.

Accordingly, I think the way you treat this situation is: Anybody in the store who causes a nuisance, and won't stfu when asked politely and then instructed sternly, is asked to leave, be he seven or seventy. No age discrimination, just discrimination on the basis that actually makes sense: being an ass, or not being one.

Malleus wrote:
The parents that you describe are presuming upon the compassion of the people in the store. This should not be permitted, in my view.

They also work on the assumption that the employees of retail stores are allowed to watch them at all. They're not, since the employee saying yes would mean that the store is responsible for the child.

As I said earlier, most stores have the policy that if a parent can't be found for a child in a store(or vice versa) security(or the police) is notified. If that parent is truly is not in the store or within a reasonable vicinity, the police will get involved. It's considered abandonment no matter the reason if you willfully leave your child somewhere and leave for somewhere else without a legal guardian(teacher, nanny, etc. NOT employees) to watch the child.

Want to teach these parents not to do it? Tell Security and have them page the parent over the mall wide intercom. I guarantee after a couple times of being embarrassed by that, they'll reconsider it.

The problem with trying to make kids go away by treating them like crap is that it usually doesn't work for one simple reason: they get that all day from the crappy parents who left them there in the first place.

When I plan to spend a day painting, I often go to my local GW. I don't do this on the weekend because it's a zoo full of the type of animals being complained about by the OP. More importantly I leave by 3 or 4:00 because that's when the worse offenders show up: the loudmouth douchbags that these spoiled kids turned into.

Pika_power wrote:Well on the topic, my FLGS gets the kids to ring their parents and get them picked up. One mother took away their phones, so the FLGS owner rang security on the basis that he had abandoned children in his store. They weren't seen again.

That reminds me of this story from The Acts of Gord website...

Defiler wrote:And so forth, I think enough posts have been made by people illustrating how an arbitrary age limit won't do anything to eliminate dissonance within a gaming shop.

I think a limit on weight, perhaps personal or based on your collection would eliminate far more than an age based restriction.

So the fat guys get all the juice huh? Let`s see about that

Demonslayer82 wrote:Years ago when I was about ooooooo 11-12 and starting out mum would leave me in the Games Workshop broad weir when she would go to the pound stretcher store down the road.

Games Workshop croydon?
On a separate note, I'm 13 (I definitely don't need looking after) and I do generally dislike playing alot of those in and around my age range. There's a particular group of people slightly younger than me who also have a trend of cheating. It works on someone who doesn't know the codexes, but when someone tries it out on me, it irritates me (though I do get a modicum of satisfaction ). Also, there a few people older than me there who are even more irritating than the younger ones. They've been banned by previous store workers, but have came back. They are quite aggresive, and always blame the dice when they lose. Heck, when one of them lost to me on turn 2 he told me he'd leave a ring imprint on my forehead.

I have no problem with other kids being left there as long as they're generally nice people. My local manager however, asked for those just wondering around the store to leave, unless they acually did something. With the ring imprinter at their forefront they left to attempt to scale a 1.5m wall, claiming they were doing 'parkour'.

The crowd at bromley seem to be more maturer, so I might try that out a bit more.

EDIT- Vets nights are always cool. I live fairly close to my local GW, so I can stay there quite late as long as my parents know where I am. Less children there, and there is a smell of fluff in the air

In my case there should be no leaving naive parents alone rules. My mom picked up a wet carnifex while a guy was away for a few minutes at the bathroom and left a huge fingerprint that ruined a days worth of work. Luckily the GW employees were nice enough to let me stay inside while my mom had to wait in the car. (i can't drive yet)

Seriously though,
I want those rugrats coming to the store. As for the craptastic behavior, thats entirely on you and your gaming group that frequents the store to establish, enforce, and uphold for your area.
In a local GW store, It was bad enough for you to get in the door, put up with the incessant BS sales pitches, the angles, and the yaktiy yack don't come back mentality that the upstart GW redshirts breeds to let your gaming groups go to seed just because of a little inconvenience like a customer.

YOU have as much if not more responsibility to mold, help out, and sell those people that just show up walk in for a few minutes and give you at least 1-10 minutes to make that decision if little johnny is going to even get into this game, make a sale, or even give you the rest of the time to sell me into why I should pay from 20-100 bucks on a bunch of plastic miniatures, overpriced gaming supplies, or overpriced paint.
Thereby keeping your local shop in buisness for one more week so that YOU in turn have a place to come back to and continue to play at.

Think of it another way-

Cultivating your investment.

It is much better to help the new player along then it is to put up with TFG breeding, playing with halfwits that don't take the time to learn, and play like they don't have a pair, while all the time trying to keep up with the Joneses, (I/E YOU and YOUR established group) while they play the roill of the outsider and use YOU and your local shop to point at as the ones NOT to be.
I find it a much better environment when the place is orderly, the players HELP the shop, instead of the asstastic cutting and self destructive behavior or outright sabatage of a sale by giving the little youngster such a hard time that they THEN go over to mommy and daddy and end up deep sixing the shop.

You have a responsiblity to your shop to help them out, teach new people, and give direction if you see something going on that is going to in the long run end up losing your group its asset of a local shop.
I don't particulerly care in this case if it is either a GW shop, or a LGS, these shops run on commerce. Period.
If you don't continue the time honored art of teaching noobs, you are going to end up finding your shop with fewer and fewer people, until the point where you either close down the store, or those people that you scorned so well go some other place and end up playing, modeling, and collecting while you end up crashing and burning.

You don't have to like them, but you do have to either help them, or shut up about and to them while someone else does your fair share of the work.

I fully agree.
I started part-timing at my local store ( in addition to my teaching job ). Especially on weekends we get swamped by kids,
mostly aged 8-13years old, left by their parents so they can do their shopping or enjoy a peaceful coffee.
Lucky us, that we have 3 separate gaming rooms(2large-8tables and 1small-4tables), so there's space for everybody.
If our venerables don't want to interact with kids, they don't have to + I try to keep the noobs in the main room, so I
can control them if they act up and generally moderate their games.

Of course we inform the parents, that they we are not responsible for their kids, should anything happen, but they mostly
leave them there anyhow. Is it ok?........I don't know... from a parenting perspective i think it is a bit irresponsible.

On the other hand, we get the opportunity to teach them all about gaming and our hobby in general. So that's good.

It is horrible parenting and makes me lose faith in humanity. However it is no excuse to take it out on the kid and treat them badly and people doing so are almost as bad as the parents. It makes me sad and I generally don't go to GW much because of it :(

Justicar Alaric wrote:Please tell me I'm not the only one out there who wants an over 18's area reserved or just a ban on unaccompanied kids.

Believe me, you're not the only one

I was in GW last weekend and was actually surprised to find staffers telling kids off for "Playing Orks".

Grot 6 wrote:
You don't have to like them, but you do have to either help them, or shut up about and to them while someone else does your fair share of the work.

No actually I dont, either way. See, I've already done my time years ago. Now that my free time is limited? I dont want to be bothered anymore. I dont have the time I use to. I just want to spend my limited free time playing a game or two every 2-4 weeks.