To find it annoying when parents let their children watch tablets in coffee shops with the volume turned up?

[Zippyzoppy]

Sat in a coffee shop just wanting to have a quiet few minutes to myself. Opposite is a Dad with his circa 4 year old who is playing games on a tablet which I can hear and is really distracting and spoiling my enjoyment of my coffee. Dad is on his iPhone.

Am I a miserable cow for finding this irritating?!

See also buses.

Children don't need iPads in cafes. Children need to be able to sit quietly and calmly and if they sit at a table to eat at home they can manage it in a coffee shop. It's lazy parenting to shove a child on a tablet to keep them quiet rather than interacting with the child.

It's so incredibly poor social etiquette to disturb someone else with the noise of the game.

Yes, it's annoying, but if you are in public you can't expect everyone to behave according to your exact requirements so... meh. Whatchagonna do?

YANBU. There was a woman in front of me at the cinema with a toddler on an tablet. I asked her to turn it off, she refused and asked me why I wanted to watch a kids film

Hate this. Same on trains! I really don’t want to hear kids youtube at full volume for a 3 hour journey….

@UrAWizHarry I was thinking that maybe you could have a word on my behalf?

Spoiling your enjoyment of your coffee? Is the coffee shop deadly silent or something?

I cant get up in arms about kids on tablets in cafes - but this is what headphones or silent mode is for.

Our kids tablets stay at home always (or in the holiday home), and I've no doubt that their and our chatter at cafe tables is louder than a tablet but chatter is expected in this places. Beeps and buzzes and tunes are not.

This is one of my absolute pet hates! Headphones should be obligatory in all public spaces.

I’ve asked people to turn down the volume before though and some people do tend to get aggressive/defensive. It seems that the people who do this generally are pretty anti social anyway.

I’d suggest having a word with the cafe staff. And if they don’t do anything about it then maybe play some music from your own phone to annoy them back.

So rude. Can't bear it

[quote Zippyzoppy]@UrAWizHarry I was thinking that maybe you could have a word on my behalf?[/quote]
Well, if it bothers you that much you could ask them to turn it down, or use headphones yourself or move away.

But it's not massively unreasonable for a kid to be making a bit of noise in a public place.

Yanbu. It’s inconsiderate and lazy parenting.

It gets worse - the Dad’s now on his phone chatting on speaker phone!😂
I’m giving up.

Unfortunately the kind of people who do this usually won’t turn it down if you ask politely.

Honestly i give my kids a phone when we are out. On the lowest volume. I mean would yous rather that or screaming? Wee one hates the high chair. I won't be able to eat if not. Its briefly though. Not straight away and only while I eat.

Had to endure a three hour flight with this. Seems these days no one has much thought for anyone except themselves

I hate people who judge. You don’t know if that I aren’t is trying to avoid an autistic meltdown or whatever.

My daughter had her tablet yesterday in a cafe as we were waiting for my husbands eye surgery to finish but it over ran. We ended up sat in there for 3 hours.

@SheABitSpicyToday

I hate people who judge. You don’t know if that I aren’t is trying to avoid an autistic meltdown or whatever.

My daughter had her tablet yesterday in a cafe as we were waiting for my husbands eye surgery to finish but it over ran. We ended up sat in there for 3 hours.

You can avoid autistic meltdowns with headphones. 👍

We don't use electronic devices out. But that means you have to make your peace with screeching, toddling to your table, touching you and Random toy noises. It'd be much easier to keep Sen baby quiet with an iPad though and no doubt the noise is preferable. Our baby is far too young to 'discipline' and any curving of his exploration results in blood curdling screams. Not ideal for other people.
Of it's not an 'adult' focused cafe it's realistic to expect some noise. iPad is sometimes the lesser of two evils.

The dad sounds like an entitled arse.
On silent or with earphones.
We went camping last year and the neighbouring tent gave the child a phone or tablet to watch some hideous kids show at 5:30.

Id rather they did that than let their child run round the cafe getting underfoot and interrupting people. But agree mute/headphones should be used.

Phonecalls on speakerphone in public are a dick move. You should join in the conversation!

Id rather they did that than let their child run round the cafe getting underfoot and interrupting people. But agree mute/headphones should be used.

It's not an either or. Teach them them to sit nicely and quietly without iPad or running around. It's parents.

Can you imagine prince Louis or Charlotte on an iPad at a family gathering?

@Clymene I know. I was replying to the poster who said that they judge children having tablets at all. But forgot to tag them.

*parenting

Boils my piss!