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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]We have been intentionally low screen in our house and we did a similar thing on planes. The result is that my kid has developed the skills to chat with people and entertain himself without a screen. My rule was that we had to be considerate of others and I never talked and narrated the whole time. I think that is just as annoying as the parents who let their kids on tablets without headphones.

We’ve been doing this since he was a toddler. Things that kept him occupied were window clings, lots of snacks, cheerio necklaces, and quiet toys like Wix sticks. As he got older we did more quiet card games, puzzles, and now in 2nd grade he mostly reads, listens to audio books, writes, and looks through the seat back stuff. Now that he is older he gets to watch TV if the plane has a screen, but most of his time is no screen. He’s done 16+ hour flights this way and fellow passengers have been commenting on how pleasant he is, so it can be done!

But again, my most important rule was not annoying anyone else on the plane. We are in very close quarters for hours. [/quote]

Pretty much the same story here which is why OP isn't annoying me that much. I wanted to teach my kid how to entertain herself and be polite on a plane. Yes it would have been easier to hand her an iPad and a pair of headphones and then I could relax for the flight. But as with a lot of parenting approaches I felt that in the longterm I (and everyone) would benefit more if my kid actually developed some skills for dealing with boredom and being stuck in your seat for extended periods.

But yes the goal was quiet in-seat entertainment that didn't bother other passengers. I did occasionally read to her but in a quiet voice -- I was not reciting picture books for the entire plane. We mostly did drawing and coloring or stuff like plus plus blocks that can easily be done in your seat. She also came to know and like the rhythm of the flight so she would look forward to the drink cart coming around and either getting a snack on the plane or opening one we'd brought. I wanted her to learn to interact appropriately with the flight attendants (answer their questions when asked and know how to ask for something simple). It was a lot of work for me but I view it as important skill building.

And yes now it pays off and I don't have to do much for my kid when we travel. She will often watch 30-90 minutes of a show or movie on an iPad or seat-back screen but she will also read and do other things. To me the important part is that she's self-sufficient and is not complaining to me about being bored nor is she reliant on having a screen in front of her just to function. That's what I worry about with just planting a kid on a screen -- that they will become totally dependent on it and then if something happens where the screen isn't available they will throw a fit.[/quote]

What I notice about this post and the one you are replying to is that you both only seem to have one child. Having more than one kid is a totally different experience. I have one kid who I could chat with for a few hours on the plane and/or he would find ways to amuse himself. I have another kid, though, who would not. Just different temperaments. But the thing is, when there is one kid who won't self entertain on a plane, the whole thing falls apart. The two will bicker. If we try to play games, having multiple kids rile each other up and they get too rowdy. It just doesn't work. Only childs are much more adult/parent focused (I am one). Multiple children are in their own worlds are much harder to manage. [/quote]

PP here and I agree that having only one child makes it easier for me do what I'm describing here.[/quote]

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