"Ipad Kid" ??

I’d prefer that the parent actually parented and took the child home, rather than running round or sitting down with a noisy iPad if those are the only two other options.

Because of course those are the only two options. 🙄

I honestly couldn't give a single fuck. I don't even look at othe tables when im out for dinner because I genuinely do not care.

With both volume I would rather a child on an ipad sat down then screaming and running around the resturant with the parents thinking it is cute and doing nothing

Sounds like your kid has you well trained.

Funnily enough, before the days of mobile phones restaurants were not full of kids screaming the place down. Because funnily enough, there are other ways to entertain a kid/stop them being bored.

You're not seriously saying you can't calm your child any other way when you are out, surely?

Are those the only two options you can think of?

I don’t take iPad out with me, but my goodness sometimes my kid will play up so much that I have to give my phone to just keep them quiet otherwise they will become a nightmare. I don’t care if ppl like you judge, would you rather my kid screams the place down so ur unable to eat in peace?

What a stupid comment! Shows your lack of intelligence and understanding of children with Sen. You are one of life’s parasites with this close minded attitude. Autism is nothing to do with lazy parenting.

I thought of you all in a cafe this morning. Mum, Dad plus U/2, dad and U/2 on phone (hers propped up) Mum looking fed up. Definitely didn't seem like a positive that added to their family meal out..

That is so terribly sad for your daughter

I’d say it’s more that you tend to be in a restaurant longer than in a surgery waiting room, and going to a restaurant is usually a social occasion to be enjoyed with the people you choose to go there with - otherwise what’s the point?

Yes, idk why I decided to change the venues 🤷🏼‍♀️
I guess a surgery is more for sick people so trying to be respectful to them and keep noise down however a restaurant isn't the place for ferals but I think there has to be some kind of acceptability with restaurants because unless it's not a family restaurant then kids are going to make some noise.

Idk I'm just looking outside the box maybe.

Of course they would. There's at least one person who let her children throw food and scream in restaurants because she never worked out how to be a parent.

What’s different about a GP surgery and a restaurant? The principle is the same - distract your kid so that you and the public around you can get on with whatever they need to get on with?

I bet some people would. 😒

I could absolutely get behind the Lib Dems' idea, I think we need something like this.

This would be amazing if it was implemented. IMO many people have forgotten how to behave in public since COVID (maybe they spent too much time on their own or think their wants trump everyone else’s). The new pandemic of just listening to what you want in public and subjecting everyone around you to the noise is rife.

Every single time someone next to me starts listening to something on loudspeaker I very politely ask the person to pop some headphones in or turn it off. I’m usually met with a very surprised face. Only once did a young girl tell me I was ‘weird’ and started arguing with me - it was on a train and when it started everyone around me started rolling their eyes and tutting. Absolutely no one backed me up or had the balls to speak up. We all know it’s rude, bad mannered and selfish to subject everyone else to this noise. The more people who call out this selfish behaviour the better.

I visited Japan last year and absolutely no mobile phones or devices are used in public areas because it’s such a well mannered, respectful culture. Sadly, the parents who think it’s ok to subject everyone else to their child’s devices noise are only teaching their children that it’s acceptable.

It’s very sad what has happened in the UK and what a selfish, self centred nation we have become.

From today’s Guardian: I’ve never been tempted to vote Lib Dem but this is a policy I could get behind. It’s good to see the issue being discussed.

www.theguardian.com/politics/2025/apr/23/lib-dems-back-ban-on-playing-music-and-videos-on-public-transport-in-england

Frankly, even if it is slightly disruptive while you’re getting their coats on and leaving, that is infinitely preferable to being forced to listen to loud jangly noise for an hour or more. You are making excuse after excuse.

If your children can’t behave in restaurants, don’t take them. It’s simple. You wouldn’t take a toddler to the theatre and give them an iPad to shut them up.

Just use headphones, job done

Eh? Quietly talking to my children, warning them of the consequences if they don't change their behaviour and if they don't, paying if we haven't already done so, getting up and leaving quietly is only going to disturb us, no one else.

Not that we've ever had to do that because they have only ever needed a quiet 'stop/keep your voice down otherwise we will need to go home' to change their behaviour.

Some of us have taught our children how to behave in public spaces , strangely enough. Probably because we actually parent our children.

That will DEFINITELY result in other persons not being disturbed …

Why would you struggle not to use your phone when out for a meal?

For some ND people, kids included it can help to regulate but the number of really young children with electronics is quite alarming.

But then I do understand why someone would give a young child their phone when in a GP surgery for example.
Or they could just play/read with the child...

Gah I hate electonics

We are usually a family of screen heads when we go out to eat. It keeps the kids quiet and my DP gets to have some time doing whatever he likes on his phone and I have gone along with it.

I'm fed up with it. I have been for a very long time and I said to DP recently that in future we will not be taking electronics with us as I'm sick of being 'that' family who are all so disengaged from each other. If we're out for a meal then we sit as a family.

He replied, what will they do?

Colouring I said. Drawing, colouring, dot to bloody dot. Electronics are staying at home.

And so we did.

And we all survived.

Can't stand it!!
Our DD (7) told me last week she felt unloved by her DD because he's always on his phone. So I told him what she said and he's taken it on board and pays her more attention although I'm sad to say I don't know how long it will last.

I'm not as bad but I am guilty of being on my phone a fair bit but I made a conscious decision to put my phone down whenever she requires my attention, for anything which sometimes feels like a bite on the arse but if my girl feels seen then that's all that matters to me .