Children on phones/iPads in restaurabts

[Goldengirl123]

We have just got back from holiday and every night in restaurants. children of all ages were either looking at their phones or iPads the whole time. What’s happened to families sitting and having a conversation at meals times? I personally think it’s so wrong but maybe I am just being old fashioned

lol i was clapping the wit 👸

A child can be just as engrossed in a book as the next child can be an iPad.

👏👏👏

Exactly

People really are falling over themselves to excuse it. In many cases, the very reasons people are using screens are exacerbated by excessive screen use!

Quite possibly, but screens are more likely to trigger dopamine release making them far more addictive

I'm not sure it was meant to be witty, just factual

Which is why parents should limit screen time. It doesn’t make screens the devil.

People tend to relax more on holiday and allow some rules to relax, screen time is likely going to be one of those rules.

He loved the Mousehole Cat book so much, I struggle to read (or watch it) without crying. My mam made up a whole series of further adventures for the cat (and her children) that she used to tell him.

I read to him from when he was born, first books were Edward Lear's nonsense rhymes and Roverrandom by Tolkien. When he was older he loved The Hobbit and The Wind in the Willows.

He won't let me read to him now, which is a shame, the last books I read him were the Harry Potter books and His Dark Materials and we'd started on The Dark is Rising books when he lost interest. He doesn't read books unfortunately, he's autistic and his special interests at the moment don't include reading.

I hope when he's older he'll pick up reading again, or perhaps try audiobooks. I think he'd prefer non-fiction, something like The Ancestor's Tale by Richard Dawkins would be something he might enjoy - we've talked about it as a possibility for the future!

Are they not in that example? Children walking round not looking where they're going isn't great, whether it's because they're looking at a screen or reading a book.

At least one of the times I was reading The Lord of the Rings so I can't blame myself for not wanting to put it down, but is it really that different to my son playing Geometry Dash?

It can't be good for their eyes at such young ages?

@EilonwyWithRedGoldHair he’ll remember all you’ve shared & your discussions. Love the ‘further adventures’ :)

I don't think anybody can judge screentime unless they have seen the whole day or possibly weeks parenting. Screens themselves aren't bad, overuse of screens and certain things that can be accessed on them are. Yes they're not as enriching as say playing outdoors but that doesn't mean 30 minutes here and there is going to be detrimental to development, cause an addiction/behaviors issues or a speech delay.

My almost 2.5 year old can sit in a restaurant for a good 45 minutes - first talking, then eating. After that he gets restless and sometimes we may get another 15 - 30 minutes from a book, toy or engaging with somebody who's been at the other end of the table. Then he gets a screen until we're done - usually videos of himself or his cousins but sometimes things like number blocks or farmer ted. I don't know why PP's think me (or anybody else) explaining how we use screen time means I know it's shit parenting as I don't believe it is!

We went for a meal today and it pretty much followed the above pattern and the little screentime at the end also meant we also enjoyed our meal! We'd been outside all morning with friends and he's played all afternoon since being home. He's not been harmed by the 20 - 30 minutes of screen time he got at lunch.

@AmICrazyToEvenBother what if extended family is abroad? not introduce the child to family until they are past toddler age and able to be seen but not heard?

Meaning what?

No, the point is with the amount of children who have screens in this situation, they cannot all have SEN

🙄

Exactly this.

Grow up. Your comment says alot about you. Your happy to chat to a stranger online and berate them, but you wouldn't think of talking to anyone in real life that you hadn't been introduced too.😱

if parent/s have been dealing with moaning demanding whining children all day I don’t blame them for allowing the iPad/phone to keep them amused quiet

But for myself personally don’t really notice other children as I am so focused on my own ds and our fascinating conversations that we always have at the dinner table