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Original poster

Toddlers/young children watching videos on a phone, loudly, in restaurants

70 replies

Munchies7 · 14/07/2023 20:11

Is this a thing now? Just been for dinner with my children (we took travel triominos to play at the table). At the next table a 2-3 year old sat in a highchair with a phone propped up, loudly listening to videos. It's very unpleasant for other diners and I didn't like having to listen to it. It's not the first time over noticed it either. Parents 100% ignoring the child. At least get him some earphones. Do you think restaurants should clamo down on allowing this noise pollution?

OP posts:
Tinkietot · 14/07/2023 20:12

No it’s not new. My eldest is 9 and I remember it happening in a restaurant when they were little.

Annoys the hell out of me whenever I witness it. My kids have headphones if we use devices in public

Marblessolveeverything · 14/07/2023 20:14

Yep, recently had the joy of being in a&E. 15 individual tablet, phones full volume and my poor child holding onto his head and ears.

It drives me nuts, especially the teeny tiny ones who can't hold the phone. Why on earth are the shoved in their faces.

Jinglybangly · 14/07/2023 20:15

I find this so annoying. I have a 3 year old and once all the games, drawing etc we bring out with us have stopped entertaining him we will resort to the tablet but always with headphones or sound down.

Not just in restaurants either, supermarkets, waiting for siblings after school clubs, shopping, hairdressers etc. Kids don't need a screen in their face all the time.

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Helena7319 · 07/08/2023 06:38

YANBU - I hate that people do this. It's rude and entitled but not just confined to ignored kids. I recently had to ask a full grown woman to turn down her gospel preacher video which she was playing very loudly in public transport. I will never understand why people think this is ok. If you are an adult, buy some headphones. Parents need to teach their kids to interact with the people around them rather than just stick a screen in front of them.

rookiemere · 07/08/2023 07:08

It's increasingly a thing. We're on holiday and caught a bus and the noise was literally bellowing through from the front as a lady held her phone in front of her toddler to watch what sounded like a keep fit class Confused. I get with young DCs you do whatever gets you through the day, but I thought it was a bit sad as a) surely bus rides - even a frequent one - have things that are of interest to toddlers and can be pointed out to them and b) toddlers usually have good hearing so the volume could have been a lot lower.

But people generally are getting less aware of sound pollution. Also older people on bus watching their phones at full blast. Am tempted to buy some cheap headphones and start handing them out.

VenusClapTrap · 07/08/2023 09:06

I hate this, it’s so antisocial. I recently stayed at a lovely boutique hotel with a couple of friends for a precious child free long weekend. When I came down to breakfast, the waiter tried to seat me next to a woman and toddler who had a screen propped in front of her with Peppa Pig on. I asked to sit at the other side of the room.

The woman took umbridge - “Darling, that lady doesn’t like babies, well we won’t let it bother us!” Huff huff huff. 🙄 I just wanted to enjoy a peaceful breakfast enjoying the beautiful view without shrieky electronic noise. Why is that too much to ask? My own kids never had screens in restaurants; it’s just not necessary.

xapele · 07/08/2023 09:07

I think so, I guess it is to keep kids entertained so they aren't running about and parents can finish their meal so fair enough but yes please take headphones and use them too!

MaMaMeeAah · 07/08/2023 09:19

I hate the expectation that other people should tolerate the noise because they are children
It's rude and selfish of the parents

Cloudsandrainnotsunandsand · 07/08/2023 09:23

Can't imagine the sort of adults these dc will become. Never having to amuse themselves. Ds 8 loves eye spy and just communication irl!

Work2live · 07/08/2023 09:24

I’m noticing this more and more too, not just in restaurants but everywhere, including on public transport. Headphones seem to be a thing of the past.

And it’s not just kids either 🙄

HundredMilesAnHour · 07/08/2023 09:28

Work2live · 07/08/2023 09:24

I’m noticing this more and more too, not just in restaurants but everywhere, including on public transport. Headphones seem to be a thing of the past.

And it’s not just kids either 🙄

I was stuck on the Elizabeth line on Sat afternoon with 2 grown men playing loud videos on both their phones. They appeared to be from Ecuador (they had football shirts on). Fortunately I was only on for 3 stops or I wouldn't have been able to not say something.

I hate it. I hate the constant noise that some people make with zero consideration for anyone else.

Ihateslugs · 07/08/2023 09:33

My children are grown up now so screens were not an option when we went out to eat. I just expected them to sit quietly until the food came then to eat! We would chat as a family and point out things to look at. They often had colouring in sheets provided by the pub and I might take something to play with like a travel set or some cards. It was never a problem, they were able to sit quietly around a table for an hour or so while we ate.

However, times were different then and I don’t think we went out to eat as often as families do nowadays so it was always a treat that they looked forward to.

Wenfy · 07/08/2023 09:42

If adults were sitting drinking and talking / laughing loudly on the next table would you complain? People in this country are idiots over kids. In other countries kids are able to run around waiters in restaurants - but British society doesn’t allow that.

daffodilandtulip · 07/08/2023 09:44

It drives me mad. I hate it. It's not even just kids anymore. I went out for a meal recently, and a lady was having a full volume FaceTime for the entire meal.

MaMaMeeAah · 07/08/2023 09:52

Wenfy · 07/08/2023 09:42

If adults were sitting drinking and talking / laughing loudly on the next table would you complain? People in this country are idiots over kids. In other countries kids are able to run around waiters in restaurants - but British society doesn’t allow that.

So the waiters have to tolerate them being a nuisance ?

Noodledoodledoo · 07/08/2023 09:55

I've just got back from AI and so many kids couldn't even have breakfast with no screen - not a long drawn out meal, but just plonked in a highchair with screen put in front.

Just find it sad, no waiting as buffet style.

When at a served restaurant rather than buffet then I have a couple of notebooks, toys whatever is age approriate - current favourite is hangman!

Sirzy · 07/08/2023 09:57

I hate it the extra sensory input if causes makes me really uncomfy. I can cope with the normal noises (but always try to sit in a corner!) but adding in things like that really throw me.

ds is autistic and needs devices when out but I have always made it clear he either wears headphones or has no sound.

HundredMilesAnHour · 07/08/2023 11:01

In other countries kids are able to run around waiters in restaurants - but British society doesn’t allow that.

Really?!! In the countries I've been to children seem perfectly capable of sitting at a restaurant table without having to be entertained by noisy screens or running round the restaurant. But I think their parents have actually you know, parented them from a young age.

Mademetoxic · 07/08/2023 14:11

Wenfy · 07/08/2023 09:42

If adults were sitting drinking and talking / laughing loudly on the next table would you complain? People in this country are idiots over kids. In other countries kids are able to run around waiters in restaurants - but British society doesn’t allow that.

Which countries allow this?

WildLavender · 07/08/2023 14:19

Yes it's awful. On holiday, enjoying breakfast in the sunshine with a beautiful view and then a toddler gets a screen plunked in front of them at the next table and we all get subjected to tinny Peppa Pig or shouty YouTube videos. I noticed how much it happened as routine - not something that gets pulled out when the child has eaten and is getting restless but grown ups want to take their time. Just an immediate thing - sit down, put on screen, get fed without ever taking eyes off the tablet to look at what's around. And of course no headphones! I do find it quite shocking. I'm sure for some children there will be a reason if ND but not for all of them. It's so antisocial and it's profoundly depressing too to think of kids never engaging with the actual world around them.

skyeisthelimit · 07/08/2023 14:22

YANBU. It is awful to have to listen to it and I do think that restaurants should ask them to switch the noise off. Some adults can be just as bad though, looking at stuff on full volume.

DD has always used earphones when on her various gadgets , since she was little. It should be common sense to not inflict your noise on other people.

I can't stand to hear 2 sounds at once, so if the restaurant has background music and then a kid on the next table starts with Peppa Pig or whatever, my head literally wants to explode.

It is entitled parents who allow their kids to make such a noise, because they don't care about anyone else.

Last time we stayed in a PI there was a young baby in a high chair with a phone propped up in front of it while the parents ate breakfast. Shocking parenting.

TakeMe2Insanity · 07/08/2023 14:25

Agree they need headphones.

What I hate more are the grown adults doing face time without headphones on the bus etc or watching tv shows etc. There’s no awareness that other people aren’t interested in what they find interesting!

0021andabit · 07/08/2023 14:25

I think your unreasonable singling out kids/ parents in particular. Anyone watching videos without headphones is annoying/ anti social. Most adults I see are glued to their phones, so it’s hardly surprising kids are too.

Anxioys · 07/08/2023 14:37

It's done by dickish parents.

Some places now ban children under 10. Their business is unaffected. It's not the kids but the entitlement of the parents

KevinDeBrioche · 07/08/2023 14:40

Totally agree. I don’t understand the parents who behave like this and condition their children to need screens every minute of the day. Their brains will be a complete mess.