Just an experience I'd like to share.

[Cappuccino17]

Once i was abroad with my husband and 18 month old daughter. Our 1st holiday away. We had booked for 10 days and she was teething practically all the way from day 1. She'd cry non stop I literally felt like crying too as I'd wanted a break and didn't expect this to be a stressful holiday. I gave her calpol which settled her and so she could actually enjoy the holiday too. We did a lot with her day in day out the whole holiday was centred around her. On day 8 we booked a restaurant for a romantic meal. We dressed up and took our daughter with us. We literally just wanted 1 peaceful meal between us with a chat. So we took the ipad along. We made sure she ate first. When our food arrived we put the ipad on and let her watch rhymes. But we couldn't help but notice many families around us staring in disgrace and whispering. They were from other parts of the world but I felt very uncomfortable. 1 lady in particular was glaring and shaking her head at us. When I say staring i mean very obvious staring from many people. I felt so uncomfortable. Like I couldn't relax. When we finished and switched off the ipad which my daughter was so content watching. They stopped staring but loved my daughter and smiled. So it was kind of a happy ending. Still shocks me till today lol.

[Polpetto]

Your earlier posts read like it was on at normal volume. Only when pps pointed out how totally inconsiderate and rude this was did you revise it to suddenly being so quiet you couldn’t hear it?

Shove a screen at your baby if you like, but don’t inflict it on everyone around you as well. Im not surprised people were annoyed by it.

[Cappuccino17]

Hmmmm okay... very strong opinions. It's like this action has caused so much pain to humanity lol. I need to remember this is mumsnet.. pinch pinch.
I have seen babies watch t.v. in public to be very honest. I live in the U.K. and I go to many cities and nice restaurants where I have seen this pre children too.. so for me honestly it just felt like oh this is normal for when you need a little break. :) never bothered me when parents did this in public I just thought oh okay they're tired they're human they need to refresh and recharge and in return they'll give thier kids a lot more energy after a short break :) be positive mumsnetters !

[Cappuccino17]

I'd like to add. I do not agree that babies should watch t.v. but my own personal stance is after a year old a bit of limited time screen time is okay and won't hurt.

[S0220]

OP, before becoming a parent myself I always said I wouldn't be shoving an iPad in front of my child for some peace and quiet. But lo and behold, here I am a mother to an almost 2.5 year old and I take that back completely. You do what you need to do to enjoy a meal in some peace and quiet!

Every child is different, and every parent will parent differently. If it works for you, so be it ☺️ if people don't like it, sod them. Please don't pay any attention to those who are being so negative.

Ugh, judgemental Mumsnetters back at it again. 🤦🏽‍♀️

[Thatusernamewastaken]

Lot of people in this thread don’t seem to realise you can adjust the volume on an iPad and have it at a very low volume that wouldn’t be audible to other diners….
Screens for 18month old not great, but it’s a holiday and hardly the end of the world as a one off. Wouldn’t bother me in the slightest.

[clickbaitcow]

Exactly. People on this thread seem to think that op connected her iPad on some wireless speaker in the restaurant blasting out nursery rhymes. I put it on very low volume, generally on one bar and sometimes even mute it. The lo seems to enjoy it because it's not all about the music otherwise if it was, you would use Spotify instead. The lo is more interested in the graphics hence why he watches it without even blinking. Is it wrong? Yes of course it is but so is eating ice cream and chocolate which you don't give it everyday and only on special occasions just like everything else really including screen time on holiday when you want to eat some food without a toddler winging, whining and trying to wriggle out of the high chair to run off and explore which isn't the most appropriate place. Mn is a different universe. I guess those German speaking tourists are from the mn universe of how dare you entertain your toddler with technology and live like the Amish

[clickbaitcow]

Sorry.

And expect you to live like the Amish on holiday ffs. holidays are one of those things were you do things that you normally wouldn't do at home and if screen time in a restaurant where op stated it was on low volume where only her lo could hear is one of those things, then those judgemental tourists were probably twats. They probably judged Egypt as well and the hotel and the people and the fellow tourists like yourself. So don't feel bad about yourself and next time just smile and roll yours after releasing the forced eye contact.

[knockyknees]

I don't care if someone lets their kids watch screens 24/7, so long as it's on silent when in a public place. How rude, selfish and arrogant do you have to be to think it's okay to inflict unnecessary noise on other people when there is a perfectly easy way to prevent that from happening?

[knockyknees]

will secretly applaud you for your bravery for taking a 18 month old on a family holiday on your own with your husband without a army full of in-laws, grandparents, aunts and uncles and nannies

😳
Huh? I don't know anyone who has taken extra people on holiday to help out with their toddlers. There's nothing brave or noteworthy about going on holiday with just your nuclear family. DH and I took DC1 to multiple cities in the US for 6 weeks when they were 17 months old. No extended family. Nothing "brave" about it.

And none of the things we used for entertainment in restaurants involved noise or disturbing other patrons either because we're not selfish arseholes.

[clickbaitcow]

No you're probably judgemental twats.

[Cappuccino17]

Actually it is an applaud to any parents who take thier children on holiday. Because we know how challenging it can be and it isn't a normal holiday when your kids are babies or toddlers.
And yes i know many many families who take extended members like their own parents or inlaws to help out or even to babysit thier children whilst they can have some fun. And no there is nothing wrong with that. But people do, do it.
Do many of you live under a rock ? It really feels like there maybe a generation gap amongst opinions or is it just sheer narrow minded people who have never seen the world and live in a cocoon.

[peonyinpink]

I would chill out @Cappuccino17 . Why do you care? That's where I'd start with this. Why do you feel you need to justify how you parent. You're the parent, you get to decide. Calling someone else narrow minded because they don't agree with
Your view and act like you would is a little bit contradictory?

I personally would say you need to invest in dc friendly earphones though. That's probably where the looks came from.

[iminthebath12]

Sometimes MN makes me realise that some people are just mental. I'm not talking about you OP...

[Occitane]

I have no problem with a small child watching an iPad occasionally, but in a restaurant it would have to be on silent, or the child wear headphones.

[Suprima]

If it was loud enough for people to look and stare- it clearly wasn’t quiet, so stop minimising.

I would be gawking at you too, and query your social skills hugely.

I have seen parents used iPads and headphones as babysitters in restaurants, I have never seen someone play nursery rhymes out of the speakers.

[Suprima]

@Cappuccino17

Actually it is an applaud to any parents who take thier children on holiday. Because we know how challenging it can be and it isn't a normal holiday when your kids are babies or toddlers.
And yes i know many many families who take extended members like their own parents or inlaws to help out or even to babysit thier children whilst they can have some fun. And no there is nothing wrong with that. But people do, do it.
Do many of you live under a rock ? It really feels like there maybe a generation gap amongst opinions or is it just sheer narrow minded people who have never seen the world and live in a cocoon.

I’m mid-twenties and I would be rolling my eyes at you. It’s rude, and I would make the judgement that you would be parents who’ll be flinging an iPad at the kids every time you want them occupied rather than teaching them table manners, patience and joining in with a chat.

Its really not a badge of honour, or ‘living in the real world’ to be proud of playing nursery rhymes in a restaurant.

as I said in my other post- it clearly wasn’t bloody quiet or no one would have been staring! 😂

[Rogue1001MNer]

When was this holiday?

[ThisisMax]

@Cappuccino17

Do people never ever do this when out? Just for a break? We did it once on our full holiday so for us we didn't even feel bad in the least as we know how much attention my daughter gets from us in the bigger picture.

No. Its lazy parenting. Seems to be a very British thing to do. I also think its why most British kids have such a limited range of foods - 'anything for a quiet life' parenting. I have lived in Europe and UK and have to say parenting styles are radically different.

[lop32]

@Occitane

I have no problem with a small child watching an iPad occasionally, but in a restaurant it would have to be on silent, or the child wear headphones.

Same. No judgment on the iPad but I think it's antisocial to have the volume on, whether it's quiet or otherwise. I also find the silly music/speaking/game sounds on iPads more difficult to ignore for some reason.

[Ohsugarhoneyicetea]

It obviously was loud or people would not have staring and annoyed. I've done this many times and no one looked twice because my kids had headphones on. You inflicted 40 minutes of nursery rhymes on a restaurant full of people trying to talk to each other. Its very rude.

[AllThatFancyPaintsAsFair]

@Cappuccino17

It was a one off so really don't feel bad. Our daughter is a huge part of out lives. For 40 minutes she watched some rhymes. I thought all mums would do this atleast once in thier motherhood lol I'm shocked.

Are you easily shocked? Prepare to be blown away then, I and millions of other parents managed perfectly well before iPads and other portable screens were invented, I'm certainly not the only person never to have done this, that's for sure

[Cappuccino17]

Lol

[Cappuccino17]

Insanity hits. Lol. Some of these comments make me chuckle. I can't believe how riled up people get over a post haha!! Such angry women on here.

[Cappuccino17]

My children have perfectly good table manners and my daughter who is now 2.5 has excellent social skills.
I think teaching children that having a break is OKAY it's healthy, not being PERFECT is okay, being human is NORMAL. Very healthy I reckon. :) the ipad was on low .. me and my husband couldn't hear it. There's no chance anyone else could and if anyone had super hearing and came to ask me politely to mute it, I happily would have. Rather than throwing daggers wouldn't that be more socially etiquette ?