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Original poster

Children watching Peppa Pig on phones in restaurant

740 replies

SilverLeafClover · 12/04/2017 11:01

We went for lunch with friends yesterday at the Fifteen restaurant near Newquay. I only mention the place because it has an amazing view of the beach and the sea, which made it all the more surprising that as soon as we sat down, my friend and her husband handed their children (both NT, aged 4 and 6) two phones. For the duration of the meal, the children sat zombie-like and watched Peppa Pig on the screens.

I will admit, I judged.

The parents did not speak to their children and the children were just glued to the screens. My three children aged 8, 5, 3 are not angels but managed to sit through a short meal (main course and then ice cream, no staters, no coffees) without needing screens. I talked to my adult friends and kept an eye on my children, pointing out stuff that was happening outside, large boats passing by, surfers, dogs etc.

Am I am a Luddite? Or am I right to think unlimited access to screens during a meal out is not right?

OP posts:
Spikeyball · 13/04/2017 18:45

I think it's close competition for the most smug.

lottachocca · 13/04/2017 18:49

Thing is - just because you see a family out with kids on their iPad doesn't mean that family are always out like that - you have no idea what the back story is, and the odd one off harms no one.
We can do a one off and we can do Michelin Star but god I'm bored with the restraint involved in formal dining.

hazeyjane · 13/04/2017 18:50

I love my spork. Is there a reason why screen watchers use sporks?

treaclesoda · 13/04/2017 18:56

hazey didn't you know? There is no middle ground between a three year old who sits upright at the table and debates current affairs and one whose parents never speak to him/her and communicate only through the medium of Peppa Pig. None whatsoever.

GreenGinger2 · 13/04/2017 18:59

User they were eating with them so highly likely they did know what day they'd had.

I think it's rude,teaches children to be rude,dreadful for learning language skills and utterly lazy.

Strongmummy · 13/04/2017 19:03

So you are complaining about children that aren't your own being quiet and occupied during a meal at an expensive restaurant so that you could enjoy the company of your friends? How odd!

hazeyjane · 13/04/2017 19:04

But we learnt everything we know about parenting from Peppa Pig - far more informative and realistic than GF, Toddler Taming and all that bollocks -

  1. spend jolly days cooking, jumping in muddy puddles, watching Mr Potato on the TV, visiting grandparents, pretending to be snails etc
  2. roll eyes at daddy when it all goes tits up
TheRealPooTroll · 13/04/2017 19:07

Quiet and occupied and completely ignored by their parents! The op would have been able to catch up with her friends had the parents left their kids in the car for the duration of the meal. Would she have been wrong to judge that too because it hadn't directly impacted her evening?

hazeyjane · 13/04/2017 19:16

Yes! Quiet and ignored and stabbing their own eyes out with sporks!!!

(or scooping own eyes out.....you've got to love the multifunctionality of the spork)

Strongmummy · 13/04/2017 19:25

My point is it's none of the OP's business! If you wanna judge do it. I find it bloody weird to share that judgement publicly

second2musketeer · 13/04/2017 19:27

I fail to see what the cost of the meal has to do with it. Children shouldn't be made to be quiet anywhere. If people feel there meal may be ruined by hearing children they should say at home!

TheRealPooTroll · 13/04/2017 19:28

Really Strongmummy ? Have you never read any posts on here before? Sharing judgement publicly is MN bread and butter!

Shona52 · 13/04/2017 19:29

Please don't judge every parent out with they child on a iPhone or tablet. My son Gascony autism and there is no way I can get him through a meal in a place outside the house without it. Unless I didn't want to sit down and eat. I hate the looks and loud comments I get from people and it make me not want to eat out but I know by doing this and getting him use to eating out and experiencing new places foods etc is a good thing for him.

TheRealPooTroll · 13/04/2017 19:31

And I'm still not sure why people think that the phones were some kind of courtesy to the other diners. Why on earth would an nt 4 and 6 yr old be running around, shrieking, climbing on tables or anything else described on here regardless of phones? Are phones the only way some parents can get their kids to behave?

Lovingit81 · 13/04/2017 20:00

Judge, judge, judge, judge judge. You have no idea what is going on, what has been going on, or what their kids can handle. I can honestly say since becoming a parent I do all those things that I said I never would. Deal with your own kids not theirs.

grannytomine · 13/04/2017 20:02

TheRealPooTroll, it depends on the company. There are some people who would make me run around shrieking and climbing on tables and I'm 63 so I'm not going to condemn kids when I don't know what their companions are like.

Shona52 don't let them get to you, the people who are busy making comments are much ruder than your son is for using an iPhone. I can't think of a reason in the world why he, and you, should be denied the chance to have a nice meal out just because of smug, judgey people.

Strongmummy · 13/04/2017 20:08

If I'm eating in a bloody expensive restaurant I DO NOT want to be disturbed by kids. I take my son to expensive restaurants. If he acts up, I take him out of the restaurant. It's called not being a selfish prick.

And yes, it never ceases to amaze me how many people feel comfortable sharing their judgement of other parents on here. Get a life

TheRealPooTroll · 13/04/2017 20:10

In all seriousness I've never known a 4 or 6 yr old without sn to be climbing on tables or unable to follow simple instructions such as sit down.
The op was out with friends and said that the children don't have sn. So the op isn't judging kids with sn having Ipads. She's judging the parents of 2 nt children for handing them phones and completely ignoring them for hours. Something I notice no-one on here will say is acceptable despite criticising the op for judging. Would it have really hurt the parents to, at the very least, break off from their adult conversation for a few seconds every now and then to pretend to be interested in what Peppa was up to?

LittleBearPad · 13/04/2017 20:10

MN's traffic would decrease significantly if there were no judgy threads.

Everyone judges everyone else. It's just that an anonymous forum makes us all admit it more.

TheRealPooTroll · 13/04/2017 20:11

Why do you take your son to restaurants if you don't want to be disturbed by kids?

Shona52 · 13/04/2017 20:40

grannytomine - thank you for you words of encouragement ❤️

grannytomine · 13/04/2017 20:42

You're welcome Shona, I hope you and your son are having a good Easter.

hmcAsWas · 13/04/2017 20:49

"Quiet and occupied and completely ignored by their parents"

And? What is wrong with that? A healthy bit of ignoring is vital for parental well being and sanity

Leontine · 13/04/2017 20:50

If your kids hadn't been there I wouldn't find it that odd. Did they not interact with each other at all?

As a child, I remember going out to dinner with my mum, her friends and their children many times, and I always chatted to them even if I didn't know them that well or they were a vastly different age to myself.
It wouldn't have even occurred to me to not talk to them tbh....because it's you know, polite.

Popfan · 13/04/2017 20:50

Totally agree with the OP. What happened before technology? Children were taught how to behave in a restaurant and it was a time to talk to each other. All the arguments about stopping kids from disturbing the other diners - well teach them how to behave!! Drives me mad when children are allowed to run around etc. It's so not about smug parenting, just about putting in a bit of an effort.