Are adults who give babies tablets showing American cartoons at full volume in medical waiting rooms the lowest form of life? (Serious, not in any way light-hearted)

Would it make a difference if they were watching loud Australian or Canadian cartoons?

Was in urgent care for 4 hours the other day.
Wtf!

Jeez I hope this is supposed to be a joke.

You know that your entire job as a parent is to be in control? Certainly with young children anyway.

If you think that control (or let’s just call it ‘parenting’) is some magical abstract thing then I suggest you get advice. Your children need you to have it.

I work in a hospital and come across this a lot. But it's actually one step up from the bottom. I detest the parents who drag their kids, glued to a screen, through the corridors. These poor DC have no awareness of their surroundings. People have to swerve to avoid full on collision and sadly one of these kids crashed into a vending machine ending up with a cut to their head and a broken phone. The sad thing was that mum was more worried about the phone than the injured child.
What are we teaching our children?

It's lazy parenting rather than interacting with your child, but I can totally understand making an exception for long waits like A&E or on a long flight. In those circumstances though, everyone is in a stressful and trying situation, so you're still awful if you have the volume on or don't give them ear phones to listen with.

Parents who let their kids run around are lazy too though. Yes, it's hard work to keep your child entertained in a way that doesn't annoy others when waiting for appointments or other things. That's parenting though. Read books, help them draw or colour, walk around with them looking at posters on the wall and talk about things. When you need a break, then give them a quiet screen for a bit sure, we have that now, but don't inflict it on everyone else.

Books!

oh my god you dangerous radical!

Do you seriously think seriously ill people should have to listen to children's TV in A&E?
From my post 'Yes the tablet should be quiet'.

And do you seriously think the only two options are tablet or talking to strangers?
From my post 'I'd prefer them distracted in some way.'

Hospital waiting rooms and wards are a nightmare. I don't normally advocate for screens but when a child is poorly then yes I would be offering a tablet, anything to distract him from wanting to run around in a confined space. I would have it on silent or with headphones though. Not sure if I would offer it to a baby either. We didn't have a tablet until my youngest was about 5 so I don't know what I would have done if that option had been available then.

I don't think you're incredibly stupid so you're being deliberately obtuse. Why?

The hospital staff should insist that the volume is muted, or the family leaves. 2 options, let them choose.

Where did I suggest that I thought either in my post?

Do you seriously think seriously ill people should have to listen to children's TV in A&E?

And do you seriously think the only two options are tablet or talking to strangers?

I don't know which is more alarming.

Have you quoted the wrong post? I've not said anything about controlling a child? I have implied that ignoring a child then loudly telling them off and/or shoving a loud tablet under their nose is inconsiderate to other people in the waiting room though.

My solution would be to bring some quiet toys (for my child that would be a handful of toy cars) or some books or something and then spend time actually engaging with your child - talking to them, responding to them, and giving them positive attention. That way, they actually learn what appropriate behaviour in that environment looks like. Quiet interaction isn't stopping then from being their own person.

She didn’t post at 8pm

It is 8pm on a Friday night so I'd expect OP is likely in A&E. I certainly wouldn't want my DC interacting with the characters in my local city's A&E on a Friday night, I'd prefer them distracted in some way. Yes the tablet should be quiet but I can't imagine starting a thread about parents in a tricky, likely unplanned situation. I think that is pretty low. Edited as I now realise OP started the thread earlier but there are plenty of other things to judge than parents and children in medical settings IMO.

It’s a pet peeve of mine. We once had 4 hours of peppa pig on loop during a flight to Turkey. No attempt to tell the child to turn it down as the parents were either side, fast asleep. More recently, my daughter is currently very unwell and has had multiple hospital admissions. She hates going in due to the noise from other people’s tablets/phones. Last time we had a teen next to us watching Matilda whilst her mum was trying to talk to her (loudly) over it. I had to ask the nurse to tell them to turn it down, which they did, only for it to go back on half an hour later. And it completely puts me off “family friendly” restaurants. I’ve asked to move a few times due to being seated next to families who have their tablets blaring.

I loved seeing a 3-year-old little girl with no tablet in the waiting room recently. She walked around, sat on different chairs, brought different books over to her mum and smiled at strangers. She was interacting with the world.

OTOH, I recently saw a boy of around 2 in his pushchair, absolutely glued to the phone attached to his buggy. He was almost zombie like with no idea about what was going on around him and no interaction with his parent or older sibling.

Don't parents know how to parent and teach their child good behaviour? Of course, no kid is perfectly behaved all of the time but that's part of life and most people will understand if the kid or parent is having a bad day.

Why can't you use headphones?

Yes, the ones who completely ignore the child and let them cause havoc.

I mean, don’t we all read a news article about a man who annihilates his family and think “welp, it could’ve been worse! tThank fuck it wasn’t a toddler with a noisy American cartoon blasting at full volume at the local gp surgery!” Because, yes, what on earth could be lower form of life than that?! I dunno, maybe op’s first thought would be more along the lines of “that’s one less potentially noisy pond scum to annoy me when I’m waiting for my ingrown toenail appointment”…

ETA: just in case I need to actually say it, yes that was sarcasm 🤦🏼‍♀️
and yes, noisy children in busy places is of course annoying, I could give many “back in my day they’d have had a crayon and a piece of recycled paper and they’d be strapped in and would behave like angels” etc anecdotes like so many have. But, ffs asking some pp “can you think of any lower forms of life?”. And actually stating they’re deadly serious that this is the lowest form of life? Yeah. Tell that to someone whose kid has died, or the family dealing with devastating csa, or the woman who was raped last year. Think you’ll find these might actually be lower forms of life, since you asked and couldn’t actually think of any yourself.

I work in a health care reception and often have to tell parents to turn it down.
They have no consideration for other people who are unwell or people trying to work.
i say this as a parent to an autistic young person too
id far rather chatting or playing than the same noise on repeat at top volume

Next time ask them to put something Japanese...

And yes of course you should use headphones for the child.

I know! 'Where is this magical control parents are supposed to have'

Yep. Kids are very easy to keep occupied without disturbing others.

Lol at all the 'sneering judgemental arsehole' attacks from folk who park their kids in front of screens in public .