To think this is a bit daft?

[Fluffcake]

Just popped to Tesco to get some lunch and saw a woman pushing a trolley with a baby sitting in a car seat in it. The baby was about 4 - 6 months old, I would guess and facing the mum. There was an tablet facing the baby blearing it out Finding Nemo.

Is that not a bit too young to be relying on an ipad to be entertaining your child and is not a missed opportunity to by interacting with your child?

The child, quite rightly, was looking at everything going on around them and gave me a lovely big smile.

[hoobypickypicky]

:) There's nothing to be sorry for at all Jassy.

[Iliveinalighthousewiththeghost]

It sounds like I'm jumping on the lets pick on Fluff bandwagon but with the best will in the world you can't and quite frankly do not want to be entertaining your child 25 hours a day 8 days a week, but that's not being a bad mother/father that's just life.!
People do what works for them, as others have said she might have needed to be in and out.
I second whoever said "We can't all be Mary bloody Poppins!

[Sparklingbrook]

Whatever gets you through the day. Meh.

[findingmyfeet12]

Do some people's lives only revolve around the immediate needs of their children?

Have some of you never had to distract an irritable child while you shopped, had a quick conversation, went to the loo? If that's what you're claiming then the chances are you're lying.

[totallybewildered]

Maybe she wants the child to hear plenty of fluent English and can't speak it well herself?

[Ethylred]

Your fault OP for going to Tesco. You wouldn't get that in Fortnum's.

[SeenSheen]

Yanbu. It's ridiculous using screens at such a young age and I am perfectly comfortable judging people on that.

Only on Mumsnet must you first consider every conceivable reason, however improbable, before daring to make any judgement.

Yes it may keep the baby quiet for a while but I really dislike the way that screens are used in place of toy or bunch of keys as a distraction for young children both at home and outside.

[FireCanal]

A 6-month-old hasn't got a hope of following Finding Nemo. Even if it's some prodigal genius.

[Iliveinalighthousewiththeghost]

I disagree, Fire, yes agree that the baby wouldn't be able to follow the actual story. But they would be able to take notice of the bright colors shapes and sizes ect

[spillyobeans]

I hate seeing kids infront of tvs and ipads constantly - a baby that young though is strange as surely baby wouldnt even be interested in the ipad and would just be looking around the shop? To be fair i wouldn't judge someone for it - you never know if that's the only thing that gets patent and child through shop peacefully.

I always think its a shame when you see a patent with a crying/screaming child because you can tell they dont want to cause anyone else any annoyance but i would never be bothered by someone elses child - its a natural part of parenting isnt it?

[MyGastIsFlabbered]

Seen Sheen
Is a bunch of keys really any better than a screen? I must have missed that memo.

[GwenStacy]

I couldn't give my child my keys as every time I tried that, without fail, I'd end up lying flat on the floor trying to extricate them from under a shelf.

Tbh, she never got my phone whilst shopping for similar reasons, but you'd probably have her taken off me if you saw how often I'll chuck my phone at her so I can have 3 minutes to cook tea etc.

[manicinsomniac]

Maybe she was watching the film herself!

How did it play though? An iPad doesn't have a DVD drive does it? And there surely wouldn't be enough signal to be playing it over the internet?

I agree that a baby can't get anything out of a screen. I wouldn't necessarily interact with the baby in a supermarket but it wouldn't occur to me that a child that age needs entertaining - mine just sort of sat/lay there!

I was strict on the no screens before 2 with my eldest 2 (or I was at home anyway, I don't know if they had them at nursery. I never asked). I'm laxer with my youngest (15 months) because it's not fair on the older 2 (8 and 12) to say no screens when she's around.

But then we don't have any iPads or anything so the screen would be this passive thing mentioned upthread rather than being interactive. If we had an iPad then maybe I'd be more okay with it. Definitely don't see the purpose in tv for under 2s though.

[OhItsYouAgain]

YABU. My DD 6 1/2 mo is a nightmare at the supermarket. I do the same thing putting the car seat in the trolley, unfortunately DD often screams until I take her out and then I'm carrying her under one arm and trying to push the trolley!!
I'm off to see how much a tablet costs!!

[saturnvista]

Would you have preferred that she endured the misery of having her child scream the supermarket down? You don't know the child! She does!

This is why young mothers think the world is against them.