Horrified at 7month old in pizza express with screen

[MadeinSW3]

I went for lunch today at pizza express, there was a couple giving their ?7month old a bottle with a screen propped up with something Disney to watch. They then plopped baby into high chair and put something else on during whole time at the stable. How can people be so stupid! The baby was looking around elsewhere for something more interesting.

Get a grip honestly- I’d be more concerned with the thousands of children (who you don’t see) stuck at home who don’t get taken anywhere.

Totally totally agree and more.

I think it's really sad the sheer quantity of people that think this is ok. Bottles shouldn't be propped as they are a choking hazard, parents should be holding if baby can't. Mealtimes are an ideal time to talk about food, textures, colours, generally bond with your baby. I wonder why so many choose to become parents if the prevailing view is that they are an inconvenience.

Judgers gonna judge. Let the parents eat their dinner for god's sake.

Yeah I agree OP but I dont give my 4.5 a phone either and he doesnt have a tablet. I certainly wouldnt give one to my 1 year old. But I think we are increasingly in the minority. It is one of my pet hates.

Very judgmental - maybe they just wanted to eat a meal without it getting cold 🤷🏻‍♀️

Quite shocked at some of the responses on here, horrified might be a strong word, saddened is probably the one I would have used.

How do you think parents coped before screens? Babies do not have to scream either, there is a lot of middle ground, engaging and occupying a child would be so much better. We are probably brining up a whole generation of children who will never know how to behave in restaurants, personally I think screens should be banned, they are just a parenting cop out.

If the parents were so desperate for a break from their child they could have stuck it in front of a screen at home, much more relaxing.

I thought you were going to say they fed them a 12 inch pizza. Then I would actually have been horrified.

It was 45 minutes while the parents ate a hot meal, from the sounds of it the baby was still looking around, interacting, smiling, etc.

Unclench.

@Perfect28

I think it's really sad the sheer quantity of people that think this is ok. Bottles shouldn't be propped as they are a choking hazard, parents should be holding if baby can't. Mealtimes are an ideal time to talk about food, textures, colours, generally bond with your baby. I wonder why so many choose to become parents if the prevailing view is that they are an inconvenience.

Maybe re-read the posts then.

Generally posters don't think it's 'ok'.

They are objecting to OP's hyperbole & judging a snapshot of a stranger's life.

My husband and I went out for dinner the other day and our 7 month old was getting grumpy and fractious. We tried toys, talking, bouncing him up and down but the only thing that would stop him from screaming the place down was YouTube. It was for less than 10 minutes whilst we quickly finished our meal and paid. Yes, people were probably judging us but they would have been judging us a whole lot more if we’d just let him scream and ruin other people’s meals. All I’m saying is, you don’t know that parents circumstances. Yes, they could be lazy parents or they could be severely sleep deprived and just want 30 minutes to themselves.

I hope you phoned the police.

Parents can't win really, can they? If they engage with and chat to their DC they're accused of performance parenting, if they let them cry and disrupt those around them they're rude and entitled, if they let them look at a screen for a bit to keep them quiet then they're neglectful and disinterested...

FWIW sometimes I take DS out and I colour 4 million pictures, play dinosaurs, pull faces to make him laugh and chat to him about whatever thing he happens to be into that day. Other days we could have had a really bad morning, have experienced 4 million tantrums and I've taken him out to escape the house for a bit and stopped for some lunch, those days I'm probably pretty done with parenting and might let him watch a show on my phone to grab myself half an hour of peace to enjoy my lunch in the hope it might lend me further reserves of patience for the afternoon. I'm sure people judge me for that but I really don't care, they're seeing a tiny snapshot of an overall picture where I'm an engaged and dedicated parent, I'm just not perfect.

No I really don’t. But as long as it’s not blasting in my ears then I don’t give a damn. I’d save that for children who are never taken anywhere or you know, actually abused. Not parents who take their baby out for dinner and dare to enjoy it themselves.

@FilthyforFirth

Yeah I agree OP but I dont give my 4.5 a phone either and he doesnt have a tablet. I certainly wouldnt give one to my 1 year old. But I think we are increasingly in the minority. It is one of my pet hates.

I don't think you are.

Most of us are just saying, it's not our place to judge.

There is no aspect of anyone's parenting that someone wouldn't judge.

That was in response to the poster who said anyone who disagreed with this must have children addicted to screens… ^^

@Molly499

Agree.

We are probably brining up a whole generation of children who will never know how to behave in restaurants, personally I think screens should be banned, they are just a parenting cop out.

Nope. I used screens when I was out. Now my kids are older they're great at the dinner table. Well mannered, good conversation. And the bonus is when they were younger they were distracted enough to let me eat my dinner. Win all round.

I've just had lunch in the pub which was completely ruined by toddlers screaming and running around while their parents swigged wine and tried to pretend they were child-free again. A screen would have been welcome tbh.

@justlonelystars

Taking a 7 month old out for dinner is asking for trouble though, isn’t it?

@MadeinSW3

I’ve never seen a child so young with a screen, just shake a toy! The baby looked calm and was smiling when looking away from screen !

What did Child Services say and will you be adopting the child yourself when they're dragged off to the children's home?

Please say yes, you're obviously far more capable than those horrific parents.

[quote Giraffesandbottoms]@justlonelystars

Taking a 7 month old out for dinner is asking for trouble though, isn’t it?[/quote]
Works well with a screen 😉

engaging and occupying a child would be so much better

And perhaps they do all the rest of the day / week

Your post is ridiculous.

Clearly using screens as a distraction device for children / babies isn't great. But there's no need to ban them.

Families make different choices for the way their families work. What I decide to do may not work for a someone else. And vice versa.
Don't be so directive about what everyone 'should' do.

I don't think it's 'lazy parenting' so much as ill-informed, as in people think 'The baby will be bored and act up if we don't actively entertain them every moment or put a screen in front of them'. I think there is sometimes this attitude of 'Oh a baby/toddler won't be interested in a book, they'll want something more fun' - but honestly I think chewable, textured baby books or a sturdy cardboard book with bright pictures is generally sufficient to keep a

@EarringsandLipstick

Not sure 2 sentences and 1 swear word constitute a @foul mouthed rant” but ok 😉