https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Mon, 27 Apr 2026 16:41:01 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/games-with-noise-to-distract-kids-in-restaurants#post-812054 Tue, 28 May 2013 05:07:45 +0000 Cherrybee 812054@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>How very rude!! For other people's kids, while I'm trying to enjoy my dinner - it's ok with headphones or sound off. In fact, I'll go one step further, for other people's kids, while I'm trying to enjoy my dinner, gagging and drugging is also fine - whatever silent method you need to use to keep them quiet! </p> <p>For my own kids (she says, naively) - electronics will not be allowed at the dinner table, end of. I might consider the gagging though....! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/games-with-noise-to-distract-kids-in-restaurants#post-812020 Tue, 28 May 2013 01:37:18 +0000 lomom 812020@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@yoursilverlining: +1 </p> <p>I've eaten in restaurants many times when parents have just allowed their kids to run through the restaurant. Not okay in my mind, regardless of how much the parents want to eat their meal in peace. It's the parents' job to make sure their kids are disrupting everyone else, I guarantee no one went to that restaurant to listen to your kid play Super Mario on High. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/games-with-noise-to-distract-kids-in-restaurants#post-811997 Tue, 28 May 2013 00:22:32 +0000 erinpye 811997@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We had a similar experience at brunch the other day--2 kids somewhere between 6 and 8 were playing loud videos on 2 separate players at the table across the aisle from us. More than being annoyed by the sound, we had our toddler with us and she kept twisting in her high chair to see their video players behind her. It was frustrating to try and get her to focus on her own meal, and then at one point she cried because she wanted to see their screens better. The mother of the boys noticed, and did nothing. Definitely rude to bring anything audible like that into a place where other people are dining. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/games-with-noise-to-distract-kids-in-restaurants#post-811656 Mon, 27 May 2013 19:50:43 +0000 CupQuakeWalk 811656@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I'm not ok with them at a table at all; I believe kids should be able to sit still and have a meal and learn to occupy themselves with electronics.<br /> That being said: if they honestly weren't cooperating, then *maybe* I'd let them use it but absolutely without sound! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/games-with-noise-to-distract-kids-in-restaurants#post-811633 Mon, 27 May 2013 19:38:00 +0000 Mrs. Lemon-Lime 811633@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>DH and I went out to lunch with friends and their young children. When the kids got restless the parents played some kiddie show you tube-like clip in a loop. The noise was low enough we were able to carry on a conversation, but every time the clip ended the children would whine until replay was pressed for them. We are not going to take our kids out where they became a distraction and nuisance for others at our table or diners near by. DH thinks at 5 kids should be able to sit through a restaurant meal without disturbing others. We'll see. I don't mind puzzles and crayons at the table. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/games-with-noise-to-distract-kids-in-restaurants#post-811595 Mon, 27 May 2013 19:12:00 +0000 MrsSCB 811595@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Andrea: haha that sounds fair! I remember when I was little I was allowed to read at the table sometimes, but even that was allowed a bit grudgingly. I think they didn't really want to discourage reading, but I still remember hearing more than a few times, "Put that book down and eat your dinner!" lol </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/games-with-noise-to-distract-kids-in-restaurants#post-811589 Mon, 27 May 2013 19:08:52 +0000 wheres_c 811589@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I voted ok with headphones....but only ok for other kids. My kids will not be allowed to use these devices at dinner period. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/games-with-noise-to-distract-kids-in-restaurants#post-811583 Mon, 27 May 2013 19:07:36 +0000 blackbird 811583@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Nope! DH and I both think electronics are not ok. Kids can learn patience. They can read. They can be bored. They can talk to each other. Video games at dinner are inappropriate</p> <p>Eta: for our kids. I don't give a crap about other kids as long as they don't interrupt our meal </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/games-with-noise-to-distract-kids-in-restaurants#post-811576 Mon, 27 May 2013 19:05:02 +0000 Andrea 811576@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@MrsSCB: ah, in that case, I wouldn't allow video games myself at the dinner table. If my kids can't sit through a restaurant meal, I would rather not eat out with them! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/games-with-noise-to-distract-kids-in-restaurants#post-811563 Mon, 27 May 2013 18:58:22 +0000 MrsSCB 811563@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Andrea: oh yeah, I should say I'm also totally fine with other people's kids doing whatever at the table as long as it's not disrupting my meal. I meant the poll to ask what people do with their own kids, out of curiosity, but reading it again that's not totally clear :-) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/games-with-noise-to-distract-kids-in-restaurants#post-811545 Mon, 27 May 2013 18:43:16 +0000 yoursilverlining 811545@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>It's never ok in my book to behave, or let your kids behave, in any way that irritates or ruins other people's dinners when you are out to eat. That includes loud games at the table - electronic or not! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/games-with-noise-to-distract-kids-in-restaurants#post-811541 Mon, 27 May 2013 18:36:24 +0000 Andrea 811541@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>People can let their kids play games as long as it doesn't ruin my meal. None of my business. So it would have been nice if the kids could've used headphones or turned the volume off. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/games-with-noise-to-distract-kids-in-restaurants#post-811521 Mon, 27 May 2013 18:07:11 +0000 MrsSCB 811521@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Foodnerd81: I'm like you, I wouldn't have said anything myself because I hate "confrontation" but DH is totally cool with it, haha! Not that it helped in this case... </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/games-with-noise-to-distract-kids-in-restaurants#post-811519 Mon, 27 May 2013 18:03:33 +0000 Foodnerd81 811519@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I really don't know. As someone who currently doesn't have kids, it's easy for me to say, no, never, children will learn to behave at a restaurant and it's a good time for the family to talk and engage with each other, not tune each other out with loud video games. That's certainly how I feel now. BUT, being realistic I know there will be times that I'll resort to things I said I would never do just to have a moment's peace, you know? </p> <p>Still, it seems at school age like that, the kids would be old enough to sit and eat with the adults, and at the very least, wear headphones or turn off the sound. I would have been really annoyed too, though I probably would have just sat there annoyed and not asked them to be quiet or to be reseated, then been annoyed at myself for not doing something. :) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/games-with-noise-to-distract-kids-in-restaurants#post-811517 Mon, 27 May 2013 18:03:11 +0000 MrsSCB 811517@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@mrbee: I'm sure they would have, and we probably should have asked. By the time we talked to the women, our food had already arrived and we just dealt with it, but we were pretty annoyed! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/games-with-noise-to-distract-kids-in-restaurants#post-811516 Mon, 27 May 2013 18:02:37 +0000 pinkcupcake 811516@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I think that's really rude of them. I understand wanting to entertain your kids so that they don't cause a ruckus, but not at the expense of bothering other ppl. I feel like ppl can be very oblivious to others and it drives me nuts. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/games-with-noise-to-distract-kids-in-restaurants#post-811512 Mon, 27 May 2013 17:55:27 +0000 mrbee 811512@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I would have reacted similarly to you!</p> <p>Would the restaurant have sat you elsewhere if you asked them? </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/games-with-noise-to-distract-kids-in-restaurants#post-811508 Mon, 27 May 2013 17:50:04 +0000 yin 811508@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I don't plan on allowing my kids to play games on devices, especially at the dinner table. I do understand that sometimes as parents we ask a lot of them to stay seated in a public restaurant for an hour or longer. I try my best to keep snacks readily available and actively engage him throughout dinner. If dinner runs later than planned, and he has been well behaved throughout, I will allow him to watch a show on my phone. Volume is very low and barely audible to me sitting next to him. It keeps him happy and entertained while we finish dinner. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/games-with-noise-to-distract-kids-in-restaurants#post-811507 Mon, 27 May 2013 17:48:35 +0000 aprk 811507@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Ugh. I would be annoyed too. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/games-with-noise-to-distract-kids-in-restaurants#post-811502 Mon, 27 May 2013 17:45:10 +0000 MrsSCB 811502@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Today DH and I were eating outside at a restaurant trying to enjoy the beautiful day. Two women and two kids who looked about seven or eight were seated next to us and the kids started playing games on an iPhone and gameboy with the sound on, no headphones. We were pretty annoyed because the games were obnoxiously loud so we asked, politely, that they turn the sound off. The women gave the dirtiest looks, as if this were the most immense inconvenience, and told the kids to turn them "down" -- not off. We could still hear it during our whole meal.</p> <p>I get wanting to distract kids at a restaurant so you can have a nice meal, but I thought it was incredibly rude to do it at the expense of all other diners. Plus these kids were school-age and perfectly able to carry on conversations while playing, so it seemed kind of unnecessary. But what do you all think about devices at the table -- ok overall, ok with headphones, not ok at all?-- *ETA for your kids* </p>