"Ipad Kid" ??

[Becc91]

Worried I'm going to be grilled for this 🙈... But has anyone else noticed that whenever you go out to eat there always seems to be a sticky toddler with an i pad?!
After seeing this for a 3rd time this week , complete with spaghetti hoops on the screen , a nasty cough and vacant parents who could care less - one of whom was ON THEIR PHONE 😱 i made what I thought was a reasonable request

to turn off the loud video of dancing fruits , only to be looked at like I'd grown a 3rd head?!?! DS (19) typically embarrassed- says I was out of order , but I just can't understand the laziness of it all.Is it just me?😲

@Becc91 my brothers youngest daughter is one of these children you describe. She is also severely autistic and it's the only way they can go 'normal' family things with the older two children.
Don't judge unless you know the story.

Leave your sticky toddler at home next time.

I think that you are being COMPLETELY. Unreasonable. My DS (4) would be BANANAS without his ‘dancing fruits’ ITS CALLED COCOMELON by the way 😡 HOW DARE YOU GO AND DISTURB SOMEONE ELSE! We are all just trying to enjoy our own meals, and if my DS wants to enjoy dancing fruits and music with his jacket potato SO BE IT!

It’s obviously not just you as this topic comes up every few days or so 🤷‍♀️

Put some headphones on your kid though
please.

I hate that tinny sound from someone’s phone or iPad (adult or child) when it’s on loud. It’s impossible to ignore despite how hard I try.

As it goes, my DS doesn’t like the feeling of headphones. So I will NOT. Force him to do something he is uncomfortable with for other peoples comfort 😠

God you sound like an entitled nightmare.

Just don't have it blasting out. Use headphones and maybe teach them to sit at the table and be quiet or converse. I have 2 autistic kids and 2 with ADHD we got there eventually and never used screens.

Pretty sure SallySue is joking!!

Sorry @TheaBrandt1 but I REALLY can't see how I'm the entitled one, can you explain?

Thank fuck! There are some very selfish people around though so can never tell 😂

Why does your child need to be watching a f**king iPad at all? If you're going to go out with your child for a meal, can't you, you know, talk to them, play games, bring some colouring / books to do with them? It's devastating to me how many young children are denied the fundamental opportunities to learn human interaction because the adults around them are buried in their phones, and fob them off with devices because it's easier than actually engaging with their kids.

Calm down. 'cocomelon' whatever that is, is annoying for other diners.

I never take books, toys or colouring to a restaurant. It sets the expectation that the children need to be entertained, which escalates to screens.

You wouldn’t have them at home, so we stick to the same format. Also don’t eat out later than the usual routine so children aren’t tired and restless.

I agree with you OP.

You can get hats with inbuilt headphones, most kids wear hats

They can’t win either way. You’d also be moaning if they were unable to sit still at their table.

Not true in our case, no screens just colouring and books etc.

To have a negative opinion on ipads/tablets, let alone one's with the volume up loud while in restaurants/trains/boats and planes isn't allowed on MN...

It's looked uoon as judgmental.

Its not a binary choice of either a noisy kid or glued to a screen

It's ridiculous, so many kids without proper interaction and then parents who don't realise their 3.5 year old who can say 3 words is significantly delayed and it's probably for this reason.
All the parents who use the autism card... my DD is autistic and parents on some of the autism forums I'm on saying how their kid regulates with hours and hours of screen time. Doesn't occur to them that their kid would find better ways to regulate if the parent stopped taking the stupid, easy way out and actually parented their child.

You were probably BU to say anything but I completely get it.

My child is autistic, globally delayed and finds public places incredibly overwhelming, scary and stressful. On the rare occasion we do go out, my child will probably NEED a form of technology to block out all the difficulties that my child faces. The sound is low or off visual is enough, my child cannot wear anything on their head. The smallest things to us, makes a huge difference to them. It’s not a form of babysitting, it’s not plugging them in, it’s a coping mechanism for my child to be in public. Oh and if you really want to judge… they have a dummy too!!!

you have absolutely no idea of story of these children. Let them be. Be kind. That kindness and acceptance might absolutely make their week.

Today I had people stare due to my child breaking down in a supermarket, because they couldn’t stand the feeling of the metal seat in the trolley on their legs. We also had to wait for a lengthy time for some service, the combination was soooo challenging. But we survived it! Because that’s what you do when you are a mum of a disabled child, you fire fight constantly in broad daylight, doing ‘normal’ tasks which every other person takes for granted. Those who tutted and stared and one person even had this face like they chewed on a wasp. I hope you never have to walk a day in my shoes!

luckily my autism means I quite frankly don’t give a monkeys about what you think of me or my parenting, but others don’t have a rhino hide like me and your judgement can be crushing.

be kind.

Surely you mean the parents couldn't care less?

This will probably come across as entitled, but I’ve never seen this at any of the restaurants I’ve been to with my family and we eat out a lot.