"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?😲

YABU. My 12 year old old is severely autistic and the only way I can go out to eat, once in a blue moon is if we take his iPad. My other children are not on an iPad and don’t own one. Some children need one. Mind your own business. FWIW he would be watching the dancing fruits you requested to be turned off, to which I would have told you to do one.

I don't want half the children in my kid's class to be developmentally delayed compared to children raised in the pre screen era. That's not in anyone's interests.
@MissScarletInTheBallroom

Good point, with you here

Needs to be on silent, or headphones. Doesn’t matter if the child has additional needs or not. Other people should never have to listen to iPad shit.

‘Do one’? If I met such aggression from a simple request Id be pretty shocked. B poor reflection on you.

Nasty. Hopefully you stick to fast food places where noise isn’t so much of a bother.

It's very telling of someone that would use such aggression to a simple request.

I'm all for advocating for a DC when such times are called for but some of these replies to a simple request that, TBF shouldn't even have to be pointed out in any eaterie stink more of selfishness, inconsiderate and 'I can so I will' people.

Mind your own business. Parent ur own kids how u like and leave others to it. Not everyone needs to hear ur opinions

But everyone around is expected to hear the noise from the childs devices...without choice.

Same could be said for their parents too.

Your answer is typical ....but shows you only have one opinion and it's a "do as I say one".

Hit a nerve, did we?

Not sure why ‘u’ expect us to take any notice of ‘ur’ opinions anyway, when ‘u’ can’t even be bothered typing words out in full.

Fucking rough 🤣. What lucky children you have.

I’m guessing he may not be able to tolerate headphones, but if that’s the case can’t you at least turn the sound off for a short period of time?

Does using a device equate to parenting, fair enough use it, preferably quietly, but no way should it be called parenting.

Truth is when you stick any device under your kids nose to watch or listen to your parenting pretty much stops for a time as it's now the device doing the 'parenting'

Pretty much like when I say, and maybe others also say the same, I know not, I've got a stack of washing to do, but other than feeding clothes into the machine' adding some smelly's and turning it on technically it's not me doing the washing...the device is.

I think the sad thing for me is this whole argument that adults need a break and that’s why they put their kids in front of screens during a meal out. What happened to talking to kids / reading a book with them/ doing colouring with them / playing a game / having a conversation … it’s a perfect opportunity to do things we don’t always have time for at home. And to enjoy it rather than see it as chore. That aspect of parenting has definitely changed since my kids were small and I’m only talking about 7 or 8 years ago. If I went to Costa I took some books and I read them to my toddler and that was a pretty common thing for parents to do. Don’t remember the last time I saw that.

My son is also severely autistic but grew up pre-screens. Going out to eat was rare and challenging. Sometimes we’d have to leave halfway through a meal if I could see that he was getting agitated, but I would never dreamed of staying and ruining everyone else’s meal. My son’s autism does not trump numerous other customers’ rights to enjoy their meal in peace.

Exactly. My son is also autistic and the loud noise from a device would upset him - why should his comfort (or anyone else's) be deemed worth less than anyone else's??

You can do both. We always take books and colouring but will use a tablet as a last resort if she gets bored. It goes away when the food arrives but sometimes long waits can be boring for kids and stressful for parents when you’re worrying what other diners will make of your kids whining.

So much judgement on this thread. There is a big difference between parents who genuinely can’t be arsed with their dc and stick them on a screen for hours a day, and those who may occasionally use a screen to make certain situations a bit easier. And god forbid have a short break.

Yup, and then they’re surprised when the children turn out the exact same! Like breeds like.

@Oioisavaloy27 she's two and non verbal. She won't have a conversation 🙄

Thing is, certain pps have reacted so aggressively to this thread that it’s hard not to jump to conclusions about which side of the line they fall…

It's just so rude and inconsiderate, absolutely certain type of people who behave like this too.
Our children have been taken to restaurants since being babies, we use colouring/stickers on occasion but they behave impeccably (we do have tablets but these are only used rarely, never in a restaurant and always with headphones - e.g. long haul travel) oldest has additional needs.

Twice this week we've been subjected to loud videos being played on long train journeys, and yesterday we left a restaurant without our planned dessert as the table across from us had 3 kids all with a phone each on full volume.

Why should everyone else continue to have their experiences ruined through selfish and inconsiderate behaviour.

You’re quite right. It’s a shame not all children can be impeccably behaved like yours 🙄

The sound factor is there no matter the reason for tablet/phone use. Headphones on and problem sorted or even use without sound. Simple.

Oh yeah it’s completely unfair to have a loud device blasting out in a public space, don’t disagree with that at all. But there is a lot of judgement simply for using them which I don’t think is fair. Seeing people in restaurants is a very small snapshot of their lives. You can’t assume they’re all disengaged, lazy parents.

That doesn't mean you can't talk to her. My DS is non verbal at 4 but we chat with him all the time and allow breaks for him to "join in" generally he babbles but it's learning the art of conversation. He may never speak but I'm not going to stick him in front of a screen and basically ignore him.

I could give a flying fook if someone gives their kid an iPad as long as the volume is at a reasonable level.

What bothers me more is people who let their kids wonder around the restaurant, going up to people and bothering them (including one who tried to follow me to the toilet!). Or the family that let their child do cartwheels round a busy pub. All of which happened this week while we were visiting family.