There's absolutely nothing wrong with iPad at the table at a restaurant after a child centric day

I just wouldn't think to bring an iPad to a meal out. I wouldn't be nasty to any parent that does though! As long as it's not on a high volume bothering anyone else I can't see that's it my business!

I have 4DC and I am a teacher. Using screens at tables, especially in restaurants is definitely not my style and I do not believe it does any children any benefit to use screens at a young age. Especially not at the table. It is not educational, nor is it age appropriate.

However, many parents believe the marketing hype and advertising, and they believe that these things that are on the market are beneficial.

But, getting parents to accept this is like pissing in the wind. You have a tool to keep your kids quiet and you will use it, and tell yourself it's ok. You are not alone and other parents will tell you YANBU.

Btw. No one expects a two year old to sit at a table for an hour or two. People eat quickly, politely and then leave because they are parents to young children.

I would never make an uninvited comment about it or express my opinion unsolicited though. Not my circus and not my monkeys.

Only a tiny percentage of children would be taken to a restaurant in the 1970's. When we visited family, there'd be a children's table to sit with cousins. Up until the 90's you'd see children getting smacked in public. Parenting wasn't any better.

Who cares what other people, particularly strangers, think

Fuckem.

Carry on as you were.

Is the sound on these iPads on or off?

If the sound is off, it's fine, if a bit lazy.

If the sound is on, YABVVVU.

You are forgetting that these are MN children who can have a conversation about world affairs at 2 years old.

Why would they not be happy?

Umm because most 2 year olds have an attention span of about 2 minutes and can hardly talk so aren't keen on 'socialising'

And no, not “everybody’s happy” as per a PP. I promise you the surrounding diners are not.

Only part of behaviour is down to parenting and if you have not realised this by now then you are fortunate indeed.

YABU. You bring more than one thing to do at the table, and you include your child in the conversation. That’s what parenting is.

I would just like to point out younger kids do need distractions more when waiting for food than older kids. My 7 year old doesn't need to watch a phone etc and he's fine without, but when he was 2 or 3 or 4 he wouldn't sit and wait nicely so we always used it. So it's not starting bad habits. As they get older you can explain they don't need it now and in time they'll get use to not having it

Quietly watching an ipad in a restaurant doesn't make that child a shitty behaved kid nor does it make the parent a shit parent.

I'm not judging whether they are or not...infact I'm not even sure a "perfect parent" exists, be it on MN or otherwise.

I just find it a bit judgmental in itself to assume that these parents are "perfect" just because their DC can be capable of sitting still quietly or holding a conversation without a device under their nose.

If using that way of thinking, to outright assume a parent of "perfectly behaved kids" is "a perfect parent" is it then acceptable to call a parent of a kid that is playing up a shit parent to shitty behaved kid.

How is it any more lazy than throwing stickers at them to keep them occupied?

iPads can be a tool to help a young child when they are restless in a restaurant. No different to Lego or stickers.

OR how about taking them to the meals and including them in the socialising..?

Gosh and the lack of joy in it all! Whizzing them out of a restaurant by the time they have finished eating, everyone having to play incessant board games or only going to McDs until they are old enough. No thanks! I will take my kids to long lingering meals with family and friends and after eating if they get bored (after ordering, interacting etc and taking in the whole experience) they can huddle round an IPAD on mute/headphones while we keep dipping into the food, gossiping, laughing and generally showing them the joy of socialising. I won’t judge!

This. I wouldn't judge you for it, either.

Sometimes DC is angelic, reading quietly, colouring, organising sugar cubes, etc. Sometimes they're full-on rage screaming carried out of the restaurant. People who only see one snapshot may judge based on that, but we need to remember that the snapshot we see isn't ever the full reality.

I'd rather see a child on an ipad than listen to some performance parent banging on and on.

I suspect their well behaved children are not always well behaved at all times, even though the perfect parents like to think they are.

Do many women pop out "perfectly behaved kids" at birth?

Or is there a bit more involved by way of these "perfect parents of MN" contributing somewhat during their up bringing to having well behaved children as they grow older.

Did you win a parenting award for your excellent parenting?

I see the perfect parents are out in force on this thread. Spouting their usual bollocks about lazy parenting because people don't parent exactly like they do.

I agree.

I think it's awful to teach children nowadays that they must always be occupied.

Learning to behave in a restaurant seems to be a thing of the past.