Do you let your DC do this?

[jcmayj]

If at the dinner table or out for a meal with family, do you let your DC watch things/play on their tablets whilst you eat?

what if they hadn't been invented?

Well.. then it'd be like it was 10 years ago before I could afford more than a basic phone.

1. I wouldn't go out to dinner, or coffee, ever because
2. DS was/is incapable of sitting quietly and letting us eat a meal.. so we had to tag team and I bolt my food like a starving dog while the other person keeps him occupied, then I get to take him somewhere else while they eat.. so social, much conversation...

I'll take the tablet thanks.

Not at home. Generally not when out for dinner either unless we've been waiting a very long time or it's a long drawn out dinner with lots of people and kids expected to sit for hours. Then I will make an exception.

I don’t understand why people need to make other people’s lives their problem. Does it really affect you that much? As long as my children were happy I couldn’t care less. Just because they are watching their iPads does it mean they are destined to be the scum of the earth as they grow up? Get a grip and worry about your own life. If the volume was too loud that it was affecting you then poltiely ask if they could turn it down slightly and get on with YOUR day.

Mine are 2&4 I have to put peppa on for the 2 year old because trying to keep her quiet and entertained is a nightmare. We recently went to this fridays for a relatives birthday, it was extremely busy and took 40 minutes just for the starters to come out (didn't help that there was 15 of us 🙈) we was there over 3 hours 😬

4 year old used to watch things on our phone when she was her sisters age, but is now older and will sit nicely and have a conversation about school ect so doesn't need the distraction. Just because they watched cartoons on a phone when they was little doesn't mean they won't know how to act at the dinner table when their older. My daughters a perfect example of that.

I don't often let them have screens when we're eating at home or out of the house. Occasionally when we've got a big family meal we'll let them because we know we'll be sat there for 5 hours while the adults have a proper jolly, but it's not often.

It doesn't bother me when other families do, though; it makes no difference to the flavour of my food if your DC are watching Peppa Pig (though I do maintain that Peppa is just a bloody naughty child and an unkind big sister to George).

Not at home.
The times we do eat out DS is allowed his ipad with headphones. He is SN though and gets anxious in noisy/busy places.
I wouldn't judge any family though - you don't know what they may be going through, Kids with SN etc.

No but it's a handy back up in some situations.

I try not to judge others as don't know the full story. I think it makes me a happier, less stressed person.

Personally I'd be grateful they were occupied but they need headphones.

We sometimes let them play on our phones or look through the pictures etc. Occasionally they'll do the colouring in/puzzles sheet that the restaurant provides. Sometimes they bring a book (or we'll buy a new one) to read.

We do talk to them and include them in conversation, we do teach them manners and they don't sit for the whole time with their noses in whatever they're reading or doing but we also want eating out to be a fun, enjoyable experience for all 4 of us, and that won't happen if the kids get bored and restless, especially as the eldest has suspected adhd but will hyperfocus on reading.

No way.
I have a 3&5 year old.
They have supervised screens in the house (not daily).

I've only used them outside of the house for plane journeys and once when we had no childcare and had to go for an appointment.

I don't understand the level of judging screens induce in some ways. Shouldn't be whilst actually eating, but it's the modern equivalent of pencils and colouring books. Parents have always taken distractions out for meals for younger kids. This is the modern day portable version. I don't see it as any different to what my parents took out, juts more up to date.

No.

I do if we eat out as DS 7 has ADHD and it's the only thing that keeps him still and quiet.

If it's not to loud or distracting the people around then I don't see a problem. I have given my kids my phone time when we've been out just to keep the peace. I don't judge anyone who does it. Not everyone is blessed to have well behaved kids or kids who don't have sen.

99% of the time it's a no from me but recently I met up with an old friend one afternoon. Ds aged 4 had already eaten lunch, me and friend wanted a late lunch and a catch up. Ordered an icecream for ds and let him have his iPad with headphones. It was a genius idea as a one off !

Headphones - use them!

I also agree with comments about not judging other families. I wouldn't use it at the table but both of my children are NT, I can understand why some children might be much better in some situations with a screen.
If I gave one to my kids I think it would negatively affect them but that's not always the case at all. It's coping for some people

Bloody glad there wasn't this temptation for electronics when mine were young. We might have had colouring books or something on hand for "emergencies," but mainly we talked with them or made up games/quizzes (dh was fab at that). Even silly things like the "yes/no" game where you fire questions at them and they have to answer without using the words yes or no. That was later extended to describing something not using "like."

Or listing top 5 favourite holidays/days out with reasons.

Oh, and lateral thinking questions (we had a book of these). And "tell me" (where they race to name certain items through the alphabet.
Or "I spot" in the car, where they have to spot given items out the window, eg a ladder, or someone riding a horse, or a letter box etc.

I've got a 2 year old so if she gets really fussy and disrupts the rest of the restaurant, after trying everything else of course. Then yes I'll allow her to watch something in near on silent and then there is no disruptions on anyone. Generally she is well behaved and doesn't require this. But sometimes she is a normal toddler. My older boys don't and will sit nicely and eat with manners, so I know I'm getting it right.
I don't judge parents on the expectations of society. If they're more relaxed so is everyone. And I'll cheer them on.
Pet hate is people who judge others on their parenting techniques. You just don't know what is going on in anyones life.
Obviously it they are rude and nasty people it's a different story.

Yes before the meal but not loud (usually one or both will colour but DS does have SEN).
No during the meal.
After the meal if at all possible we'd let them run around outside.

Never at home. Occasionally when out after a long day. If the kids are too tired to just chat quietly amongst themselves or read a book etc I'll occasionally let them zone out in front of a screen. It means we can stay out a bit longer than we would otherwise and I don't think half an hour watching a screen with headphones on in a restaurant is worse than half an hour in front of the TV at home.

@OhDearGodLookAtThisMess

You're really missing the point. Everyone does that already. There are occasions though - when perhaps you've gone out to eat with friends, and the meal has taken longer than expected. You've got tired, grumpy kids who have just had enough, they've chatted nicely during the meal, done their colouring/mazes/puzzle books and now they're tired and a screen can hold off the disruptiveness until people have finished their deserts and paid the bill.

Sometimes towards the end of they're getting a bit bored a d were still eating. No sound though I don't wanna hear it myself 😅

I don't usually allow my 7 and 9 year old to have tablets/phones in restaurants, however the other night we were out for a meal at a restaurant where the last time we went it was about a 2 hour wait for food, so we let them take tablets for games with no sound, once the meal came these went away. Any other time no.