You better have a private room if all you bitches are engaging your toddlers.
FFS.

I'm such a Luddite we don't own a tablet at all. And everyone feels the need to comment on it. "How to you keep Larlo entertained?!" Some how we manage meals out, travel, and visits to family without such devices. Drives me nuts that my 8 year old nephew cannot make it through a meal without an iPad.

That said, I'm a big fan of putting on Super Simple Songs when I need to not have kid pestering me while making dinner or doing laundry.

I’m not a crazy parent about screen time but I think screen time during meals is ridiculous. Kids need to learn how to be at restaurants without the use of tablets. What’s wrong with just talking to each other or doing quiet activities??

Anonymous wrote:I’m not anti-device, but yeah, that’s weird. I would have gone expecting it to be a social occasion for the kids, too.

That’s my point. It was a mommy and me breakfast type thing. I thought we’d all engage the kids.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:But the thing is, the kids weren’t watching anything educational and it wasn’t totally undistracted. They were still demanding new shows or a different show, or Mom had to hold the tablet or the child dumped his drink, etc. This was a mom and toddler lunch and I totally expected for the kids to engage. I was stunned when they all pulled out devices and my little guy just sat there playing and reading all alone.

You know the easy kids now often turn out to be more difficult later. Be grateful you have an easy kid. Why do you care what another child is watching? We get it, you are an amazing parent - but what makes sense to me is you said there were 3 year olds there and yet you left yours at home. What, cannot handle two kids at once?

He was at camp. But at restaurants he just reads or talks or plays with his brother.

Last week was the same thing, a bunch of moms and kids got together for dinner at chik fil a. I thought my 3 year old would have friends to play with or would play in the play space, but no they got out the tablets again.

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

Nasty unnecessary response

I’m not anti-device, but yeah, that’s weird. I would have gone expecting it to be a social occasion for the kids, too.

The only time my son gets any screen time is when we are eating out or on an airplane. We don’t even have a TV at home. And since we only eat out about once a week, he only gets about 45 minutes of screen time a week.

How much screen time does your child get a week, OP?

Anonymous wrote:But the thing is, the kids weren’t watching anything educational and it wasn’t totally undistracted. They were still demanding new shows or a different show, or Mom had to hold the tablet or the child dumped his drink, etc. This was a mom and toddler lunch and I totally expected for the kids to engage. I was stunned when they all pulled out devices and my little guy just sat there playing and reading all alone.

You know the easy kids now often turn out to be more difficult later. Be grateful you have an easy kid. Why do you care what another child is watching? We get it, you are an amazing parent - but what makes sense to me is you said there were 3 year olds there and yet you left yours at home. What, cannot handle two kids at once?

OP, what's the problem? You are a jackass and other moms have learned to deal with it.
Why didn't you just write here that you are a jackass and ask for help. Instead you are complaining about screens and toddlers in a restaurant. You do what's best for your family and other moms will do what's best for theirs. I have no idea why you think your method is superior. Maybe the saved up screen time just for this occasion.

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.

+100
Aren’t we all the perfect parent until the day finally comes when we realize we’re not even close.

Don’t worry, OP. Your day will come. Enjoy the ignorant bliss while you can.

Anonymous wrote:

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?

LOL, that PP has some f#$&*@ up ideas about fun. And learning.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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?

Both are bad and neither is really better. There are much better educational shows and videos. It wasn't meal time. They were waiting for at least 10 meals to be cooked which takes time. No one wants to risk their kid acting up and disturbing others but you. They use the tablet for their convince, just like you. But, please, pretend you are better than them.

I will definitely pretend that my child watching Mister Rogers a couple times a week is better than the kids watching PJ Mask and Shimmer and Shine for 2-3 hours a day.

But the thing is, the kids weren’t watching anything educational and it wasn’t totally undistracted. They were still demanding new shows or a different show, or Mom had to hold the tablet or the child dumped his drink, etc. This was a mom and toddler lunch and I totally expected for the kids to engage. I was stunned when they all pulled out devices and my little guy just sat there playing and reading all alone.

Anonymous wrote:

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?

Both are bad and neither is really better. There are much better educational shows and videos. It wasn't meal time. They were waiting for at least 10 meals to be cooked which takes time. No one wants to risk their kid acting up and disturbing others but you. They use the tablet for their convince, just like you. But, please, pretend you are better than them.