every mom but me brought a tablet to toddler breakfast

[Anonymous]

Went to breakfast with 5 other friends, organized through the moms club. Every mom but me brought a tablet and immediately put it in front of their child (ages 2-3).

I honestly never occurs to me to do this. I brought some books and quiet toys and my son (18 months) just sat there. I have an older son too and we’ve never used a tablet.

It’s odd to me that this is what kids are like now.

[Anonymous]

Congrats, OP. Here's your gold medal.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Went to breakfast with 5 other friends, organized through the moms club. Every mom but me brought a tablet and immediately put it in front of their child (ages 2-3).

I honestly never occurs to me to do this. I brought some books and quiet toys and my son (18 months) just sat there. I have an older son too and we’ve never used a tablet.

It’s odd to me that this is what kids are like now.

OP, how have you achieved this? By just not doing screen time as distraction? I have a 14 month old and I don't want to get in the habit of occupying him with screens either.

[Anonymous]

Wow, that's great you are the perfect parent in the group. Those groups are for the mom's, not kids to chat. Toddlers aren't going to interact at lunch so the goal is for them to behave. We brought toys and a tablet. Its called survival. Wait till yours is 3 and not wanting to sit for an hour or two.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Went to breakfast with 5 other friends, organized through the moms club. Every mom but me brought a tablet and immediately put it in front of their child (ages 2-3).

I honestly never occurs to me to do this. I brought some books and quiet toys and my son (18 months) just sat there. I have an older son too and we’ve never used a tablet.

It’s odd to me that this is what kids are like now.

OP, how have you achieved this? By just not doing screen time as distraction? I have a 14 month old and I don't want to get in the habit of occupying him with screens either.

We just never use the iPad or tablet. My son gets to watch a show or play a game when I take a shower (so maybe once a day, LOL) but I have never brought it with me to a restaurant or grocery shopping or anywhere. I honestly never occurred to me to do so. I just bring toys and books, or they just eat.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Wow, that's great you are the perfect parent in the group. Those groups are for the mom's, not kids to chat. Toddlers aren't going to interact at lunch so the goal is for them to behave. We brought toys and a tablet. Its called survival. Wait till yours is 3 and not wanting to sit for an hour or two.

I said I have a 3 year old. He wasn’t there that day.

This was a toddler/Mom breakfast so I thought the kids would all play too. It wasn’t a fancy place, a small diner and we are always sat in the back. We knew we’d there for 45 mins tops; we all to pick up our kids at the same time.

[Anonymous]

Obviously screens aren’t necessary; most adults today didn’t have portable screens when they were toddlers. Good for you if you can delay the introduction of screens until later. I think we are altering these little brains during crucial development.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Went to breakfast with 5 other friends, organized through the moms club. Every mom but me brought a tablet and immediately put it in front of their child (ages 2-3).

I honestly never occurs to me to do this. I brought some books and quiet toys and my son (18 months) just sat there. I have an older son too and we’ve never used a tablet.

It’s odd to me that this is what kids are like now.

OP, how have you achieved this? By just not doing screen time as distraction? I have a 14 month old and I don't want to get in the habit of occupying him with screens either.

NP, and we also don't use tablets for distraction. It wasn't a big challenge or anything, we've just never used them that way. I did buy one to use on the airplane while traveling. DD is 4.5, and she has started asking sometimes to use it at other times (right now we have a deal that we'll revisit the question when she's 5)...but it's invariably after she has played with another kid who gets to use one.

I don't think they are bad or good, it's just not what we've done...and I like that it's something different for the airplane. Situations where I've noticed other kids using them are ones where our plan is for her to color.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Went to breakfast with 5 other friends, organized through the moms club. Every mom but me brought a tablet and immediately put it in front of their child (ages 2-3).

I honestly never occurs to me to do this. I brought some books and quiet toys and my son (18 months) just sat there. I have an older son too and we’ve never used a tablet.

It’s odd to me that this is what kids are like now.

OP, how have you achieved this? By just not doing screen time as distraction? I have a 14 month old and I don't want to get in the habit of occupying him with screens either.

We just never use the iPad or tablet. My son gets to watch a show or play a game when I take a shower (so maybe once a day, LOL) but I have never brought it with me to a restaurant or grocery shopping or anywhere. I honestly never occurred to me to do so. I just bring toys and books, or they just eat.

TV is no different than an iPad or tablet. An IPAD or tablet is better as you can put educational stuff and make it about learning. We never put fun stuff and it was all about learning. Your just allowing TV is not better, and in fact worse.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Wow, that's great you are the perfect parent in the group. Those groups are for the mom's, not kids to chat. Toddlers aren't going to interact at lunch so the goal is for them to behave. We brought toys and a tablet. Its called survival. Wait till yours is 3 and not wanting to sit for an hour or two.

What? 18 mo - 3 yo is the perfect time to let the kids play with each other! They can make their own fun

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Congrats, OP. Here's your gold medal.

+1. I would have enjoyed the relatively uninterrupted breakfast with other moms.

[Anonymous]

Some kids are easier than others.

My first was easy to entertain with toys and stickers. My second isn’t and it’s nice to give her a device and be able to chill and enjoy my my meal and company.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Went to breakfast with 5 other friends, organized through the moms club. Every mom but me brought a tablet and immediately put it in front of their child (ages 2-3).

I honestly never occurs to me to do this. I brought some books and quiet toys and my son (18 months) just sat there. I have an older son too and we’ve never used a tablet.

It’s odd to me that this is what kids are like now.

OP, how have you achieved this? By just not doing screen time as distraction? I have a 14 month old and I don't want to get in the habit of occupying him with screens either.

We just never use the iPad or tablet. My son gets to watch a show or play a game when I take a shower (so maybe once a day, LOL) but I have never brought it with me to a restaurant or grocery shopping or anywhere. I honestly never occurred to me to do so. I just bring toys and books, or they just eat.

TV is no different than an iPad or tablet. An IPAD or tablet is better as you can put educational stuff and make it about learning. We never put fun stuff and it was all about learning. Your just allowing TV is not better, and in fact worse.

So my son watching Mister Rogers 2-3x a week is worse than all the toddlers watching PJ Mask during mealtimes?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Some kids are easier than others.

My first was easy to entertain with toys and stickers. My second isn’t and it’s nice to give her a device and be able to chill and enjoy my my meal and company.

Same here!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Some kids are easier than others.

My first was easy to entertain with toys and stickers. My second isn’t and it’s nice to give her a device and be able to chill and enjoy my my meal and company.

Stickers can make a huge mess. Its rude to bring them to a restaurant and let them get stuck on the tables and chair when the mom's are too busy chatting.