"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?😲

@Tbrh how old are you? I went to restaurants as a dc and we often went off and played which would be really frowned upon now days. I was never admonished by a stranger but did see it happen to other dc but no one got in trouble for playing.

Sadly, my cousin was naughty, spoilt and turned into a terrible adult unfortunately. Actually ended up in prison briefly. Sorry to bring the mood down, didn't expect to share that!

Were the parents to blame?

In my our case, They were getting used to sitting and being spoken to, to being shown things and interacted with. And given opportunities to get up from the table for fresh air or whatever if they needed it (fully supervised and not in a way that would put him or anyone else at risk). And if it was really too overwhelming, we paid attention and removed him from a situation he wasn't able to cope with, without disrupting everyone else.

Child of the 80s, 41. It may have just been my parents didn't go to restaurants anyway, but I don't really remember this as a thing. We never got in trouble for playing, but did if someone acted out (usually that cousin! I had two cousins from two different aunts who were really badly behaved)

If this is a real post then what you are missing is that the reason they are playing up is due to the blue light from the screen

Yes, I would say so looking back.

@happyhermione one of mine sounds like yours. Now I have to argue with him about not reading at the table or that he really does need downtime after hours of sport.

@Tbrh I'm just a little bit younger but a Londoner so maybe more access. We had things like Pizza Hut etc but 100% things my parents, other adults did would not be the norm these days.

Yep I'm with you, OP. Leave the nippers at home with a babysitter if they can't get through a meal without disturbing everyone else..How did people survive pre iPads ?

They were getting used to sitting and being spoken to, to being shown things and interacted with. And given opportunities to get up from the table for fresh air or whatever if they needed it (fully supervised and not in a way that would put him or anyone else at risk)

It's not either or with an ipad though?

That’s exactly what I remembered as a child. Going to Pizza Hut and playing with siblings or talking to my mum. I’m sure we were loud as kids can be but we still have fond memories looking back.

What about others in society who find the noise of 10 different devices overwhelming? Are they not as important? Surely there needs to be so kind of balance

Are you trolling? He’s 4. This is unreasonable. Either use headphones or eat at home.

If you give your child an iPad your judged (my son rarely has his and even then it’s games we play with him) and your accused of competitive parenting if you dare to engage with your child! So what do ever you do someone is going to judge.

im my sons mum and I will do what’s best and what works for my son- and no he doesn’t have noisy iPads and he never has mine or his dads phones.

I get it but what if other people also want to enjoy their meal and don't want to be bombarded with tv nonsense? Why not use headphones? Win win. Your kid stays quiet, other people get to enjoy their meal?

😂😂😂 tell me you’re “that kind of parent” without telling me…

But they need to learn how to function in society? They’re not born knowing how to exist in a restaurant in line with our cultural norms and expectations and not “disturb” people. They need to absorb and to do that they do need to be involved. If parents let them get into their late childhood/early teens without learning these important skills people would, rightfully, condemn them. So I don’t think the solution is to just leave them at home at every given opportunity. This is exactly what I mean by my previous post - people are so intolerant of children these days.

Then stay home. You don't get to disrupt everyone else and expect them to just tolerate your rudeness.

If the persistent electronic ‘music’ was disturbing you in a cafe, there’s no problem in politely asking the parent to turn off/down the sound. If you asked impolitely or in a judgy way, that was unacceptable.

I agree with you that toddlers shouldn’t be given iPads or phones to play with. It’s likely to overstimulate them or get them used to instant gratification. Looking at a book or playing with them (e.g. ‘one potato, two potato’) is preferable. It’s important to talk and interact with young children to aid healthy development.

I think @SallySue87 is currently busy charging up the iPad ready for Easter lunch at the pub, so her son can enjoy his jacket potato at his leisure with whatever the hell that iPad fruit game was called 🤣.

Also, quite likely the addiction of overstimulation. No child needs an iPad to be entertained. They’re a very new invention.

But they need to learn how to function in society?

Which is never going to happen if/when glued to a smart device.

I see parents who can't even get through a 5 minute bus ride without handing a kid an iPad or 'phone.

But then 99% of the adults on the bus seem to be looking down at their 'phone too so...

It usually is because kids seem to completely be zoned out, head in the screen and headphones on. I totally get it if parents want the occasional uninterrupted dinner, but I suspect with most it's a usual thing, especially since they usually have their own kids ipad.

Totally agree? The poster I was replying to talked about them “disturbing” others, not specifically on an iPad.