Loud Ipads/ phones being used to entertain children in restaurants

[SilverDoublet]

I was in a restaurant recently, I don't often get out and was out with my son aged 6 while waiting to collect my older child. Our food had just arrived when we noticed some very annoying loud noise coming from the table next to us, sounded liked people shouting and screaming. It was hard to relax and eat with the noise. It turned out it was a child watching YouTube while eating. I politely asked if the parents could maybe turn it down a little and was told no, that unfortunately the child can only eat while watching a screen. Was I being unreasonable to ask to turn it down a little?

YANBU. I know some people have a bad view on screens being used in restaurants, but personally I don't care that much.

However, if you're going to let your kid watch a tablet in a restaurant, either have it on a low volume or give them headphones to use.

Gosh I despair at some parents. Child can only eat whilst watching a screen? And who has caused that learnt behaviour?! And to say no to you to turning it down.. wow.

I would ask staff to ask them to turn it off, I dont care what they use but they dont need volume

Again?

Here we go another one of these posts. Yes, you don't get to dictate that sort of thing. Would you rather have heard the kids shouting and screaming?

That’s awful.

I was out with DC recently for lunch, having nice quality time, nice chat.

A man and boy (presumably father and son) came and sat at the next table, the man immediately got a phone out his pocket then produced an iPad for the boy and they sat and stared at their screens the whole lunch!

Honestly I despair of attitudes like this. Pure selfish stupidity.

Headphones set to a reasonable volume.

Christ are those the only options? Keep the kids at home in that case.

I was eating out the other week and there was a woman with a little girl, maybe 6, they were sitting eating and chatting. The little girl was so well behaved, all pleases and thank yous and eating nicely.

A family came in with two children, probably about 6 and 7, and before they'd even finished taking off coats etc the parents were getting their tablets out and they went on loudly.

The little girl asked her mum if they could move tables because 'I can't even hear you talk now mummy' 😂 The mum moved them to a table further away but the tablets were turned down to a minimal volume, so thanks little girl!

Is that the only choice? "Loud iPad" or "shouting and screaming"? Are "headphones", "colouring book", "talking to your children" or "choosing a restaurant where such behaviour is ok, such as McDonalds" completely off the table?

Of course you're not unreasonable but I'm sure many people will bleat about special needs

We don't use devices but then my dc play hangman and become 'animated' and we get a lot of 'looks'. If you have hyper children then you're damned if you do, damned if you don't.

Before screens, people still took their children out to restaurants and talked to them, or played a game, or produced a colouring book. My 20-something goddaughter still has fond memories of playing hangman in cafes! If the parents never introduce screens in the first place, then the children wouldn't "need" or expect them.

There is no excuse for screens at the table, or for disturbing other diners.

You’re selfish. Other people don’t want to hear your kids on devices during a meal out. Such rudeness.

As your name says, not your circus, not your "otters". Keep your nose out of people's business. Yes, special needs are often a valid reason for tablets. And before you, or anyone else, start bleating "what did people do before tablets existed?", they were often locked up in institutions so they didn't have to be "dealt with".

If they can’t sit in a restaurant without screaming, shouting or using an ipad, they don’t belong in the restaurant.

It's antisocial. They are in a restaurant. Of course you can't sit and eat with music/tv. The parents are obviously entitled idiots who think they are more important than everyone else.

If your DC have special needs, does that mean that headphones, colouring books, conversation etc are entirely out of the question? Does it have to be iPad on loudspeaker or screaming and shouting with no other option?

So?

Where did pp mention it being loud?

But to answer your "question" yes that is often how additional needs can present.

This.

No, absolutely not. If you look at my comment further up thread, you'll see that I said headphones are a courtesy if your children need screens when out for a meal.

However, I spent 5 years without giving my son a tablet or a phone in a restaurant. He used colouring books, we chatted (when he became old enough to hold a conversation) and I even used to walk him around the restaurant (safely!) and he would get overstimulated and scream and cry. At the time, I didn't know he was autistic. And I'd remove him from the restaurant until he calmed down. It was just too loud and overstimulating for him, but he would ask to go to restaurants because he liked the general experience. So, then out came the tablet. And he could finally just sit and enjoy his meal.

I don't take him to restaurants anymore, because of judgy fucking people like the person I replied to

We share public spaces with other people. If everyone behaves like a selfish dick then places like restaurants become shit experiences for everybody. its not a hard concept to understand.

Turn the volume down.

Which law is this?

The law of rock-bottom decent public decorum.