If your kids use screens in a restaurant

@buttnut and @ItsTheGAGGGGGGGG what? Of course I don't know if they're ND or not. Why would I need to? I'm perfectly capable of considering both options at once, e.g. "either they're ND, or that child is not being taught how to socialise".

Even ND children should have headphones off or volume down though.

They didn’t go out. They didn’t participate in public life as much.

HTH

It doesn't bother me what other parents decided to do re screens and their children.
It does bother me if I can hear it though.

Volume off or headphones on.

That's for adults and children, no matter what.

We use screen time with DS at restaurants but always use headphones. If headphones are used, I don’t see the issue.

He just chucks crayons at the minute which would be far more annoying for others at restaurants.

I'd love to be in the same restaurant as you and have you say this to my face!

From a mum of 2 autistic children 1 of which needs their tablet to regulate and uses an app to communicate and choose words because he doesn't speak. He is terrified of headphones and can't cope with anything near his ears. He has it on a reasonable volume but of course the table next to it would be able to hear although we don't have it louder than our conversation so not really loud at all. Also has ARFID and it's a distraction for what others on tables around us have on their plates and smells ect because being autistic doesn't mean he has to stay home like a hermit

Some people are rude some people need it.
Educate yourself, move tables, ask politely for them to turn it down.

I personally see more adults on their phones watching stuff tbh but I'd say something if it was really bothering me not come online and be the perfect parent

Good idea!

And here’s my question to you, how do you know whether a child that you’ve briefly laid eyes on is NT or not? You don’t

You can’t often tell whether a child is ND or
not though.

thats just an excuse for poor parenting.

Yep, you sound as if you know the struggle!🤣 they can get so unpredictable so instead of judging, people should be grateful they’re not getting cutlery thrown at their head!

The OP's gripe was about noise, not what should or shouldn't be allowed at the table. You may not like screens at the table, and that is up to you, but for other families it isn't your call, at any time.
The bottom line is that the adults should ensure that the children do not bother other diners. In the case of screens, headphones should be used. It really is as simple as that.

What does that mean?

I mean, that's fine. But I do "judge" if by judge you mean have an opinion. My opinion is (unless ND) they are setting their kids up to never learn these skills, and are depriving them of valuable family occasions by shoving their nose in a screen instead. They are also stopping their kids from enjoying the restaurant by presenting them with a much more short-term attention grabbing device.

When it's loud it has the added annoyance of ruining everyone else's experience. I do find it annoying as a parent who doesn't believe in screens to have kids listening loudly to cartoons all around us on flights and restaurants. Children naturally ask why they can't, too, and that annoys me.

🍪

Head phones or silent, definitely!

I can’t bring myself to be too precious about their use. Sometimes you just want to be able to have lunch with a mate and have some adult contact.

Equally annoying is loud, performative “What shade of purple are you going to use for your abstract art colouring, Hermione?” parenting.

Not take a 1 or 2 year old out for lunch for an hour when they aren’t going to sit there? If your 1 year old sat at a table quietly for an hour then that’s great but mine doesn’t (yet) and I don’t expect them too. It’s not developmentally appropriate. So we don’t go for long lunches or dinners. Not sure why that’s a problem for you 😆

It's mostly adults glued to screens. One day soon we'll wake up to this. Some people will make a fortune 'treating' screen addiction.

Agreed! My DS has never had screens. Sometimes restaurants were a nightmare. I'd take toy cars, sticker books, and a few duplo pieces. Initially wouldn't expect him to eat, just being there and behaving well for his age was enough. He very quickly learned what the expectations were, and that they don't include screens. Now at 4 I can take him out to the places I like (still choose 12pm for lunch or 4-5 for dinner) and know that he knows how to behave.

Would be great if people stopped judging parents all the time on what they do.

you absolutely have a right to be annoyed by loud tablets/phones, and those parents should absolutely be mindful of being in public and being respectful of others

but the whole judging parents for giving kids tablets is absolutely tiresome! you are judging parents based on 15 mins-couple of hours of seeing them.

The mom who has given her kid her phone to watch while she’s doing the shop it might be the only time she gets to do that shop and trying to do a shop with a whiny kid is the most annoying thing in the world.

The parents who have fed their kids and entertain their kids in a restaurant would probably like to enjoy some of their meal that they’re paying for so why not let the kid watch a tablet just so they can eat a hot meal in peace

before anyone comes at me thinking i have taken offence to this because I do this, I actually don’t, we take colouring books/sticker books etc but I see no problem with other parents doing this.

It's got to the stage where tots have a screen in front of them when their being pushed around town or the supermarket. A stroll around town should be thoroughly engaging to a young child with all the sights and sounds. I don't know what to make of it.

I have seen plenty of adults doing just that.

there are plenty of adults glued to their phones!

No screens. I won't even let them sit at the tables with the screens. It's completely unnecessary

Granted but we aren't generally glued to them in restaurants ignoring family /friends whilst shovelling food in with removing our eyes from the screen.