Baby at Burger King- do I live in a bubble?

[Howshat]

We live in the countryside. Took DC to the city today and had lunch at Burger King. There was a couple there with their baby, about 8 or 9 months old. Not walking. She was sitting in a high chair and had a phone in front of her. She was mainly ignoring it and looking around at the people in the restaurant.

Their food came and the parents fed her a burger, chips and apple juice, with the phone still in front of her.

I‘m happy to accept that I live in a bubble. But I‘ve never seen anything like this before and was very shocked. This was a baby, not a toddler.

Is this a normal thing nowadays?

I’d look twice at this, I find it really sad for babies to be plonked in front of a phone especially as there’s no reason, they are fine just watching what’s going on, my daughters favourite pastime is staring at people and waving 🙈

I'm not convinced the countryside bit is relevant at all tbh. I live right in the sticks and (primary aged) DCs classmates all seem to get MacDonald's at least weekly.

Crap food is crap food whatever age you eat it. If you think it's ok for your kids to eat garbage it's almost irrelevant when you start feeding them it.

You really don’t know what’s gone on that day and shouldn’t judge too harshly. A few year ago I had some devastating news, couldn’t face cooking and took my 1yr old to McDonald’s. I was in autopilot mode feeding him a fish finger meal when I suddenly realised I was giving my baby McDonald’s and felt awful 😞 It wasn’t our norm, but it didn’t harm him either. We were in survival mode. Maybe they were too, you just don’t know.

Why is it a stick em in front of a screen or running round chaotically type choice?!
Why cant children sit still and eat a meal and converse anymore?
The answer? Screens and lazy parenting

We’ll never know hey. Personally we don’t actually use them in the house though, we would save screen time for things like a long journey where I can’t engage like I could in a restaurant. I am sure people would see my kids in the car watching a programme & clutch their pearls. But that’s the point isn’t it, it’s a small snap shot whenever we see how others parent, unless it’s an actual friend or family member.

That's utterly grim. Food and phone.

That's utterly grim. Food and phone.

That's utterly grim. Food and phone.

That's utterly grim. Food and phone.

Your faux horror is the hideous thing here. The phone is clearly a backup as the mum wass lavishing attention, and the baby wasn't really paying it any attention.

All food is good food, depending on moderation and situation so I've no issue with the food. Better than constantly chomping down sugar-rich, texture-free pushes and jars. Because that isn't food. The kid is either 8 or 9 months old, in which case "food before one is just for fun", and the majority of their diet is formula/breastmilk, or they were just eating some food, in which case as long as the reast of the meals that day/over a couple of days are balanced accordingly, that's fine. I suspect by the amounts you describe, the kid was older.

Off your country-dwelling high horse, OP. You were in Burger King yourself, posting on your phone. This kid was interacting with their family. You were spluttering indignation online to strangers.

That's utterly grim. Food and phone.

I don't buy the Mumsnet "snapshot into their life" theory. The sort of people who give fast food and a phone to a baby are not spending every other day enraging meaningfully and preparing wholesome meals.

Burger King? For shame, the burgers there are terrible and overpriced

If this is the most shocking thing you have seen in a while that is worth making a thread over then yes you do live in a bubble.

Yep you live in a comically bubbly bubble. Come hang out in my corner of north east London and you'll think this baby is floating through life on a silk pillow.

You definitely live an extremely sheltered life if this shocks you.

😁 😁 😁 👍

It’s not what I would feed a baby and I loved chatting with my tinies but some of the parents I worked with regularly gave babes in high chairs a bag of wotsits for breakfast.

I took my 23 month old to Five guys last week. He ate burger, chips and loads of ketchup.

What you assume might be that he eats this regularly and we are shitty parents but what you don't know is;

1. It was my birthday and we only go out to eat on special occasions.
2. Our first choice was Nandos if that makes anyone feel any better, but the queue was too long and toddler wouldn't have waited
3. It was his first time having a burger and ketchup in his life
4. He's never even eaten a single jar or pouch. I home make all his food.
5. Broccoli and green beans are his favourites foods

Maybe don't judge.

That seems young to be having Burger King but for all you know it's a one off. I wouldn't say it's normal at that age and the phone thing seems young too.

A baby that young and already making a rod for their own back!! My son didn’t have a tablet til he was nearly 3 years old and even now we don’t have it in public and I think he was 2 when he had his first maccies 🤣 people are nutters

I used to be quite judgey of kids watching phones etc and tbf not done it loads with mine but you've literally no idea what sort of day them parents have had, that kid could have been screaming for 5+ hours and the phone gives half hour relief while they enjoy their lunch. Obv there's people that do it all the time but I defo think you've been living I. A bubble

Your 2 year old having a Burger is a little different to an 8/9 month old 🫠

Personally I think the whole thing is depressing - Burger King, phone etc. - HOWEVER, having read some of these responses, I'm remembering the time I was standing in a long line at security at an airport with my husband and kids. My husband was on his phone and I was dealing with the kids who were kicking off for one reason or another. I saw a woman behind me observe the scene and disapprove of my husband, who was totally disengaged at that moment - and I thought to myself that she didn't know that actually my husband does the lion's share of the childcare and was having a brief moment of respite, having packed all the kids' bags, given them breakfast, got them ready etc.

Yeah, sometimes people are so quick to judge something they know absolutely nothing about!
Annoying....