Should restaurants have the right to ban children?

More and more restaurants are experimenting with child-free policies, explaining it as a matter of “guest comfort”. Supporters of these rules argue that in a free market, customers should decide – some will choose family-friendly places, others calm and quiet ones. Opponents warn, however, that this is not a matter of taste but a symptom of a deeper problem: society increasingly excludes children from public spaces, treating them as a nuisance rather than part of the community. For some, it’s a normal sign of diversity; for others, the beginning of social segregation. Is limiting children’s presence a sign of maturity or a loss of empathy?