Babysat by phones

[ABonHawks]

I'm sorry
I really can't stand parents that babysit there kids with their phones
Out and about in buggy in a park and your child stuck to your phone or their iPad
Or put having dinner, and you got pepper pig playing non your phone as rest of you eat
Why can't you teach your child to speak to you about what's going on around then ?
Why can't you teach your child to sit nicely while adults eat? Or do some colouring ?
Why has a child under age of 10 been giving a phone ?

I'm sorry but phones tablets not happening in my household till my child goes to high school simple

phones tablets not happening in my household till my child goes to high school simple

Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha!
That's all.

So basically you have a baby that doesn't need any screen time yet. Stop being a judgemental parent. If another persons child is on a phone and the sound isn't bothering you then why are you bothered.

I didnt use screens all that much when my DC were little and probably was a bit judgy about it however as they've got older screen use has increased, albeit with some limits. I had to take my DC to work a few years ago. I wouldn't let them use their tablets on the train (we did puzzles/train bingo etc) because I wanted them to use them (for as long as possible!) to give me peace and quiet when I was working.
Now I'm very grateful for screens as it's the way they're receiving teaching and communicating with friends. Imagine how much more isolating lockdown would have been (for everyone) before the digital age!

Nice one OP, I needed a laugh.

@FloggingMoll "Nice one OP, I needed a laugh." Same here!

Haha like a pp said come back in a year or two or when you have more than one child. I agree that you will be mortified that you posted something so rediculous and judgemental in the future. One 10 month old is a walk in the park.

Oh the innocence of having a PFB who is still a baby. Good luck, OP

I remember talking to a mum at toddler group who was going on about how lovely wooden toys are and how that's all they have at home. And then her little boy toddler up clutching this VTech monstrosity and having the time of his life pressing the buttons

I agree. I hate it, especially back when we could go to restaurants. I had kids pre smart phones, quite possible to eat out etc but the parents have to entertain their kids. Nothing wrong with a few minutes of tv whilst you are doing housework etc but at the table screens are banned, even now and they are adults.

Ps in restaurants I recommend colouring pencils and puzzle books, we spent the equivalent of days playing boxes, hangman and the like too. My sil has little ones and she always has colouring books too now

DDIJ to me colouring is superior to screens because it doesn’t absorb the child in the same way. They will still take part in conversations, show you their pictures etc. Also, they aren’t noisy / irritating to others like devices can be. I don’t think there’s a huge difference though, I just personally prefer them to a screen. If we give crayons to DD in a restaurant it would be when ordinary interaction wasn’t working and we wanted to keep her settled for others around us, for example if she’s hungry and the food is taking a while to arrive, or if she finishes eating well before us and is getting bored. I’ve never considered it bad table manners as i was often taken to child-friendly places where they were handed out on arrival when I was little. I suppose it is quite odd if you aren’t used to it and it’s not something of ever think of doing at home. But then if DD was getting restless at our own dining table she’s not bothering anyone else.

@DDIJ

With colouring books you are interacting, you do it with your child.

I used to be judgey about screens in restaurants too, but then (pre lockdown) if we were on holiday or wanted to go somewhere it is/was a great option to keep them quietly entertained - you know, as you never actually know how long your food will take (we usually put it on as our food arrives).

I also got sick of hauling a kilo of books & tiny toys that you always loose around and I’m sure other people didn’t really want to hear me or my husband reading Spot books 100 times, as they try to eat their meal either.

I have no children. Just reading a few threads means I would never judge a parent not in my party who used screens in a cafe or restaurant though ideally with earphones.

I might find it a shame if I was going out for a meal including older children and they didn’t talk to us at all and weren’t encouraged to at least a little but were glued to screens, equally though a book or staring into space. Even then not judging.

😂

Bless you, op. You are me a few years ago. 3 kids in and I now understand. I guess maybe with 1 you have more time and more energy with which to pass judgement. At this stage I just trust that most people are trying their best and mind my own business.

A

When my kids were young it was devices like Nintendo DS. It was considered bad manners to use them during the meal. We too played games and just chatted. If we were hanging about after the meal for more drinks etc the kids were allowed if they were bored. We don't use phones at the table at home even now, it's still considered bad manners!

I had (as gifts) some "nice" wooden toys for DS. They looked nice....but he didnt find them as exciting as ELC diggers with noises and flashing lights.

'1 and only 1' HAHAHAHAHA well done OP. Well done for having one child. Chufty bums

You’re just seeing a snapshot of their lives. You have no idea how much time these kids are spending on phones or tablets over the rest of their week.

I’d agree that too much screen time can be bad for kids, but it’s really unreasonable to judge parents based on a small glimpse like this.

I get you OP, I felt the same. Your feelings are likely to change. Everyone has their own thresholds, I try to limit screen time, however I think you need to come back to us when you have tried ‘teaching your child to sit nicely and colour in’ - they will get there eventually but this skill does not develop for years. Sometimes you need a cup of tea or lunch with a friend in peace. Sometimes you need to make dinner, or mong on mumsnet, without a toddler crying and cuddling your leg.

I’ve actually found it quite a joy to gradually evolve into the parent to real people that I am, out of the imagined parent to imaginary children, whom I thought I’d be - the two are different in lots of ways and the real me is much softer and kinder, less rigid with myself and others. I’m sure it will happen to you if you let it.

No screens in my house for my child including when we out for food simple
Don't have kids if you don't plan on playing and talking to them all day no matter what your doing