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

I'm ok if the phone or tablet is on silent or kid has headphones.

No they always have some game where the voice screams "yeah!"

Though wish parents would understand that phones and tablets are not e-parents/nannies.

This thread comes up time and time again. As others have said, you haven't seen the lead up to that point, what has happened during the day to warrant some screen time. You are seeing a tiny tiny snippet.

Time and time again you see threads on here complaining that there were children being too loud at restaurants (again after only seeing a snippet of the day that lead to the point of a child being loud).

And I don't believe in this "back in my day" bullshit. Socialising was different when I was a child. We rarely ate in restaurants, even when on holidays it was usually cook at home or order in!

For a site called MUMSnet, there's a surprising amount of negativity for both children and men (without which none of us would have children)! Bizarre place!!

I believe these kids at home don't sit at the table for meals. Either don't have a table to sit at or meals on trays in front of the TV.

Exactly this, it is just times are changing.

I would prefer a child was sat at a table engaged in something other than causing a scene or running around.

🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣 one glance at a family in a restaurant and you can tell this much about them!! Wow, that's a talent!

FWIW, my child sometimes gets a screen in a restaurant, my niece sometimes gets a screen in a restaurant. Both have very limited screen time at home, and both sit at a dinner table for all meals with the rest of the family.

YABU, obv.

I honestly don't understand why do people get their knicks in a twist about it? Yeah, if there's Peppa Pig blasting out of their screens next to your ear - you definitely have a point. Otherwise? If someone's kids, or parents, or grandparents, or all of them together are sitting with their noses in the screens - what's it to you? Did they steal your Iphone or something?

And this bit 'so sad' cracks me up. Sad? That strangers are minding their business and doing their thing? Right.

Incidentally, my own kid doesn't use screens at the table and never did. But it's because she herself never wanted it. I never forbade it. I love gadgets, screens, internet, being online, AI, etc, I think all these are great and we have all the possible gadgets in our home. My DD grew up with devices pretty much since she was a baby. We also do have other hobbies, read books (DD prefers paper books, me - Kindle), travel, go to museums, have friends, DD does well at school and is well behaved. It's not one or the other.

What on earth are you doing that a meal takes 4-5 hours?