Have I just discovered the secret to enjoying a dinner out!

[Thingcanonlygetbetter]

Just back from a fabulous family dinner out. No stress, fab food and good service. Restaurant we went to for the first time seems very popular and we could only get a table at 8pm. Which we would deem to be a bit late. We would normally be a 7pm
booking.
We have just chatted about why was this soo good and think we have hit the jackpot! No kids on bloody iPads with the volume turned up, that just kills the atmosphere and grinds me and my families gears. We went out last Sunday night at 6pm to a different restaurant, good food and good service. BUT not one, not two but three kids on the table next to us were all watching /using iPads with the volume up and it was torture and really spoiled the experience. So in future if I go out I am going to go late when the little people and their IPADS have gone to bed. They all need to put a set of headphones on their Santa list!!

ND or not they learned that it's socially acceptable to watch a screen with the volume on in a room full of people who don't want to hear whatever is on the screen and who will be made to feel uncomfortable by this noise disturbance. They have only learned to use the screen as a pacifier in the first place becauase it's been allowed.

People have been socialising their ND and NT children without artificial bright lights and obnoxious sounds for generations and nobody has spontaneously combusted. ND really isn't an excuse for allowing something so antisocial. This is one of those situations where IMO the parent should be expected to adapt to the social expectation rather than everyone else being expected to adapt to such offputting and unecessary noise.

There is zero excuse to give kids iPad in a restaurant. Honestly it’s absolutely shit parenting.

I had twins and a you mg step daughter. Not once have they ever been allowed a device at any table or in public, with the exception of one 5hr train journey (eta and that was with no volume).

They read, colour, play games like I Spy.

It’s a real bug bear of mine.

readjusts hard hat

iPads should not be at table in.my opinion. However, if people are wearing earphones we won't even.know they are there. Result!

Absolutely. Yes, it takes a lot more planning and effort to entertain your kids and talk to them at a restaurant but isn't making the effort called parenting? We all want to relax sometimes but using screens in a public space isn't it. Do it in your own home. Parents actually had to make the effort when there weren't screens to fall back on.

I went out for lunch at 1pm yesterday. The kids in the restaurant were no problem. The couple in their 60 /70s listening to reels and taking video calls from their family! They were the issue. Just like with those kids the adults /parents should be considering others.

When did such become acceptable 🤔

I’m not averse to a screen to keep a bored kid sitting down in a restaurant, but playing the sound out loud I just cannot understand.

If your child wants to hear the sound - but some headphones.

Agree FaceTime has also become an issue too - and adults watching reels / TikTok.

I fear playing sounds from your device is becoming a norm and I loathe that.

The reels / TikTok thing is the worst - constant change of sound, so hard to ignore it.

You do you. I go out to eat at 6pm all the time and there are no kids on ipads without headphones.

Generally the only reason a kid would ever "look at [a menu] and cry" is because they have not been exposed to those foods which is very sad.

If given the opportunity most children would be happy to eat/try most foods. It's just they are constantly told "children can only eat burgers and milkshake" and "children will only eat bland food" and "children won't eat vegetables so need them hidden in pasta sauce". If you tell anyone something often enough, they'll believe it and it will becone a self fulfilling prophecy.

The iPad kids of today are the entitled, inconsiderate adults of tomorrow so just give it time.

I now assume the people who have their children playing devices out loud are the same people that smear their shit in public toilets. I'd always wondered who does that!

I leave restaurants that are horrible to be in and I (politely) say why when I can be bothered. Mainly though I just leave and spend my money somewhere else. It's up to them, really, what sort of place they want to run, I think. We can self sort in restaurants. Trains are different because there's really no other option.

My kids watch things in restaurants but without volume. I am shocked that you see so many with volume turned on

I can’t say I’ve ever been out to eat and seen kids on iPads. I have, however, been out to eat with adults watching sports and god only knows what (once it seemed to be stand up?) on full volume on their phones.

That said, I imagine I don’t eat at restaurants where this would be tolerated. And 6pm is definitely too early for dinner.

You seem very scared of your children. Referenced a few times about how they'd kill you for standing up for yourself.

This thread just makes me sad the amount of children on tablets/screens at a table.
Never once have I given my kids a screen when we eat out, we talk, we play uno or they colour. They are 6 and 12 now.
As a teacher I have seen first hand the damage this easily accessible screen time and brain rot is doing to patience, conversation and concentration

If they can't be bothered to parent now, what makes you think they'll be bothered about parenting when their DCs are older?

Do people not talk to their kids anymore? Surely sitting at a table eating is time to interact with your family, whatever age they are. Not plug them into something.
Thats so depressing to read.

My son and I were on holiday in Dubrovnik and one restaurant offered a free dessert if you handed your phone in. We ended up having a nice chat with the American woman eating alone next to us and a lovely cheesecake. Great idea.

True that.

If your kids have a regular diet of things like almond mousse with carraway bread dip and caviar, good for you. Most kids would simply not eat what I was eating yesterday. And the restaurant most definitely wouldn't have allowed any poor behaviour or screen noise.

I’m sorry. I quoted the wrong person. My apologies.

No worries. Easy to do sometimes. :-)

Thank you. I have apologised to @AllIneedAreMyFamilyandDogs as I made a mistake and quoted the wrong person.

I like restaurants that provide paper tablecloths and crayons. When my kids were younger they would play boxes, noughts and crosses, hangman and draw pictures on the tablecloth. And 3 of my 4 are ND

I really really disapprove of very young children on iPads with headphones.