Get off your phone and supervise your toddler!

It's not really concern though is it as it sounds like OP is more interested in getting people to froth about it on here than actually try to prevent any harm coming to the child.

It's not OPs responsibility at all and parents like this are a waste of space, but let's not pretend OP is actually concerned. She just fancied a bit of gossiping an attention.

The OP is on here showing concern for a child. Why is she being heckled and made out to be a monster. Also No I don’t think toddlers no matter how cute they are should be walking up to random adults to chat. Not only because of hot drinks but because of potential stranger danger. Anyone could be anyone. You’re like a group of 14 year old mean girls, grow up FFS

I hate it. I raised my own toddlers and am not remotely interested in other people’s children when I’m trying to get a bit of adult time in a coffee shop.

i Would tell the child to go back and sit with mummy. There are playgrounds for children to wander around. Get a takeaway coffee and take your child there.

I always feel obligated to jump into the mother-on-phone-judgement threads to remind people that phones are needed for literally everything these days. Taxis, maps, doctors, school info, booking softplay, banking etc etc etc. So yes she might be doomscrolling Tinder or Til Tok and ignoring her child which is of course crap parenting. But she might also just have one eye on the very active small child another trying to download the latest version of Uber so she can get them both a taxi home (or something equally as tedious and attention sapping and necessary).

I presume she isn't on her phone while a child she is responsible for is wandering around a cafe approaching strangers and investigating hot drinks though 🙄

I'm trying to be mindful of that myself, and try and stay off my tablet when DS is awake. He's currently asleep in my arms and so I can get away with it. 😁 But I do chat to him when we're out, he smiles and giggles when I talk to him now, and I think that's better than anything online. 😊

What do you expect a bunch of people on the internet to do 🤔

@HappierTimesAhead

so? She can be? She’s not the one with a child to look after.

I can’t decide what’s worse- those babies, or the toddlers in pushchairs holding and watching a phone themselves?

What about them?

what about the poor babies in pushchairs on the bus being ignored while the parents on the phone?

Just tell her🙄

I think it’s perfectly reasonable to make a comment about something that is irritating and potentially dangerous. Isn’t that partly what a forum is for?

I agree with you OP and I think people are reluctant to intervene, because the parents who allow their children to wander or mess about, will probably be the ones that shout if someone does make a comment.

I once had my arse handed to me here, when I dared to say that I thought it was a shame that so many people were glued to their phones, instead of interacting with their babies and children. Thinking particularly of those in prams, that are not being spoken to, or have any kind of interaction. I was told that those parents might be dealing with a phone emergency, or paying a bill, or a number of other things. I don’t reckon so. I think it’s just a question of them being more interested in what’s happening on the screen.

We’re going to raise a generation of children who can’t communicate in real life and don’t understand basic social norms.

And? What has that got to do with anything?

You know perfectly well what the OP meant - we didnt expect her to find out the woman's caring role before posting

My mum used to work on a paeds burns unit. She delivers toddlers back to the negligent parent with an explanation why it’s such a stupid idea to let them roam unsupervised in a cafe. She has a very thick skin and really doesn’t care what people think of her, she’s just thinking of the child. It’s hard to relax isn’t it OP when your brain can think ahead and do the risk assessment in ways that others can’t!

OP, you’re right to be bothered about it- I sat next to a table with a toddler and their parent on a phone. I saw the toddler pull a plate of cake off the table and whack the plate on their head, all whilst the adult with them was scrolling on their phone and the toddler cried loudly presumably from their head bash which I don’t think the adult realised had happened. I didn’t know whether to say they’d hit their head, I assumed the parent would think it was none of my business. It could easily have been the adult’s large coffee cup, they wouldn’t have noticed until it was too late.

I think we’re supposed to say we don’t judge any parent who’s just trying to have a coffee and a few minutes to themselves, but if you’re away from a young child’s home environment with their toys and other distractions they can play with to keep them occupied, don’t expect other parents to keep an eye on them or shout at them to sit nicely still whilst you have a pointless scroll on your phone.

@Lifeisarealchallenge No, I was talking about OP in my post and not you. No idea if you're a 'whiny, attention seeking wimp'. 😅

@oakleaffy

Yes 'phone parents' is a good name

Like the mums I see on tik tok lives...stay on there all day long, ignoring the kids, hoping for gifts and likes. Sad sad lives

Make it a problem for the cafe owners..they should return the toddler. If the child is scalded they will be blamed so it's in their interest to prevent it. A customer will respond better towards a staff member than another customer.

Maybe the people giving the shitty response’s are the people who let their kids wonder around coffee shops….

I didn’t claim that it did…

Same here. No one should feel obligated to engage with strangers’ toddlers just because THEY want to.

it dosent hurt anyone to read it though.

Sorry is that you telling me that I'm posting for attention or just having a moan?

Well actually I was posting because I quite often get really fed up of posters giving the OP a hard time for no other reason than being unpleasant. So I was trying to give OP a bit of support.

And no I don't have a solution because, as stated, I wouldn't approach the child's adult carer.

So I'm just a whiny, attention seeking wimp aren't I ?

This actually made my husband and I laugh out loud “Most bizzare meal I’ve ever had”