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There have been instances where LO was getting antsy towards the end of the meal so we looked at pics on my phone together. But we were looking/interacting together. I don't have games or shows on my phone. I'm hoping to avoid that stuff at mealtime altogether.
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No. I don't want it to become an expectation. If they were behaving badly, we would leave. They can color or sit there and talk to each other or us.
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We do and I don't feel the least bit bad about it! We don't really have any sitter options or family close enough to babysit for a date night, so if my husband and I can enjoy a meal out while my three year old is content watching a video, I'm all for it.
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We haven't yet, DD is 18 months and pretty good out to eat...but lately she wants down and out within 15 mins so I can see me using it as a last resort for sure
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We do, we go out to dinner to relax so if LO wants to watch videos or play games, I'm all for it. I'm actually opposite of others here where I make him wait until the food comes out. While we are waiting we try to engage him in conversations.
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@lawbee11: I don't have games on my phone so we would only be looking at photos of we did allow screen time AF TTC table.
We deliberately avoid going out for dinner as it just isn't a good time of day for our kids! We will make the effort if it's early enough and a special occasion but we usually just stick to doing lunch..
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We have before. Mostly between 1-2 when she was getting ansty and we were still eating. Now that she is 3, I don't remember the last time we had to pull it out.
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Yep, no big deal to me. Whatever works to make the dining experience more enjoyable for all.
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We generally avoid any screens at meal time so we do not use iPads or phones at restaurants. I have a Ziploc of mini markers and crayons with some coloring books and sheets of paper. I keep it in our car so if we're eating out I have something for her to do at the restaurant while we're waiting for our food. But once the food arrives we put those away.
I used to bring stickers for when she was younger. And when we've had to wait a long time for a table on vacation we've let her watch stuff on our phone while we're just sitting around in the waiting area.
But I don't care if others let their young kids use screens while dining out especially if it's after the meal and the adults are mostly just visiting together.
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When we're out for a long time, like more than an hour, yeah. We have a weekly happy hour that usually lasts around two-and-a-half hours. The kids are stellar for the first half, so the get a show on the iPad for the second. Just dinner, though? We don't make a habit of it because we want to keep it a special (not expected) thing.
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No.
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If we're looking at a long wait, then we'll break out a deck of cards and play Uno or War together!
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@Bao: I will be in the same boat. Used to judge, now I am sure phones/ videos will be essential in restaurants!
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We avoid screen time at meals so we wouldn't let her at a restaurant. She's pretty happy to colour or do stickers when we are out. Things might change with two kids.
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I'm in the "only if they're becoming really unruly" camp. We color, play games, etc first. But if he's really getting antsy, I'm not at all opposed to giving him the phone I keep in the diaper bag for him. Your choice, other diners - he quietly sits and plays on his phone and doesn't bother you at all or you listen to him whine and cry and annoy the crap out of everyone around him!
We don't do this at home, and he understands the difference between dinner at home and dinner at a restaurant.
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We have, but not typically. Usually the 4yo is fine to color, talk, or snack on an appetizer while we wait. And the 18m old would only be minimally interested anyways; she will color for a couple minutes, and I try to have one toy that will entertain her if necessary. Usually the bread basket is all the entertainment we need - ha.
When younger, if they are really unruly, we go walk around outside. But we will occasionally use Endless Letters/Numbers/Reader for the older one if for some reason the meal is taking an exceptionally long time.
Never say never
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When I only had one LO, we never used screen time at restaurants. We would keep him entertained, and he was generally patient and well behaved. With two LOs, things have changed a bit. We use it when needed, especially for buffet/AYCE dinners with family. I cannot expect them to tolerate a 2+ hour dinner, especially when they can't even enjoy the food (food allergies... so we bring their meals).
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No, usually not, 99%. But I only have one child so it is much easier. We just get creative, like we'll pretend the fork and butter knife are characters, and create a story so we just "walk" the utensils around and pretending they are going to the zoo, or going home and sleep (with the napkin covering half of it)...etc. Other things we played before include getting out the sugar packs and counting them, and DH started introducing adding and subtracting using the sugar packs. When we go out to eat with his best buddy, they usually bring a toy car or what not, and the boys will be playing with the toy cars, which I don't even do that myself. Somehow we've been able to wink it at the end of the meal because DS is usually the last to finish and we are usually the ones waiting for him. The only time we ever pull out our phones was when the food takes ridiculously long to come out (as in we have to complain 3 times and it is still not coming out), then maybe we'll start looking at pictures on my phone together.
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@chopstixwife: Haha, this. After LO2 came along, whatever rules we had about stuff like this went out the window (even more so now that LO3 is on the way). They don't stare at phones the whole time, but if they are fussing or eating crayons or we just want to talk about adult things for a few minutes, I have no problem handing devices over with good games or shows on and the volume off or super low. We go out to family friendly places for early bird dinners, so I have never noticed any dirty looks. Honestly, I'm surprised this bothers so many people? I expect appropriate social behavior from my kids, but they are 3 and 1, so I don't expect them to engage in dinner discussions the entire time. If other diners have an issue with my quiet, polite kids looking at our phones so everyone at the restaurant can enjoy their meal, I don't give a flying you-know-what
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I always bring books and crafts to occupy them while we wait.
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We usually don't and I can only think of one time when we've had to pull it out. And I'm in more of the "you do you" camp for other people. But if you do let your kids use your phone, for the love of all things holy, turn the sound down/off or use headphones!!!!!!!!
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We only have one lo right now. So as of now, no. She always gets a little coloring or magnetic toy and we keep her entertained. DH & I would prefer that it doesn't happen in the future either, but I never say never anymore lol. I think it's a question of whether or not you would leave a restaurant. I really barely notice what a kid is doing in a restaurant unless they're very loud or misbehaving and the parents aren't doing anything. If we were in the situation where we're all trying to finish and she's about to meltdown, I'd give her the phone to look at pictures or play a game.
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Never, and it's something I feel pretty strongly about. We are very careful about going out to eat--we go early, to make sure we're going to eat on my twin boys' schedule, pretty much do family-friendly restaurants, take snacks and play the what's missing game. It is also super helpful that they have watched the Daniel Tiger about waiting in a restaurant and Daniel also played what's missing. I also have two happy meal toys they got over a year ago that I keep in the diaper bag and only pull out if we're waiting longer than normal--they never play with them otherwise so it's a big deal.
I try not to judge other parents, but was recently at Olive Garden (not my fave, but family friendly) and the table behind me was letting their LO watch videos so loud on their phone that I literally couldn't hear my husband across the table! It was less of a parenting thing and more of a manners thing. -
@Eminthevalley: Agreed about the volume. If D is playing on the phone, the volume is off or so low that even I can't hear it sitting right next to him.
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So far we are able to get by with books and matchbox cars, oh and those awesome Melissa and Doug water pen/paint books. I really try to avoid phones at the table.
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Nope. DS and DD1 are old enough to color and talk while we wait for our food. If I gave my phone to DD2, she would probably cause a scene. She yells when thinks don't work the way she wants them to!
I don't judge other parents if they allow scree time. You do what you have to do. It just doesn't work well for us.
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@Alba4: those Water Wow books are awesome. I always carry one with me, DD can't get D enough of them! I've found cheap knock offs at the Dollar Store which work just as well.
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Hell to the yeah, we do! With twins, it's the only way I'd get to eat my food! And actually participate in some sort of meaningful, engaging conversation. And I have no shame about it either. I bring crayons, books and other toys but those only last us so long. And then once I bust the iPad out, my husband and I are always like- 'Ahhhh, why did we wait this long?' Haha. Am very surprised at the number of adamant 'No' responses and have to admit, mildly rolling my eyes at a lot of them.
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No, but that's probably because we don't have any games or watch shows on the phone in the first place. Not for any particular reason, just never did that. No judgement towards parents that do. She probably gets enough screen time in front of the TV to make up for her lack of phone use
. Also, we don't eat out very much and DD (3) is reasonably well-behaved when we do. I also keep matchbox cars, books and other little toys with me to occupy her if needed.
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We totally use screen time after LO finishes his meal. Which usually happens before I take 2 bites.
I want to eat my meal hot and while sitting down, and usually have already spent the time leading up to getting food using up all my charm and energy keeping him happy.
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@Trailmix: thank you! I'm like Crayons only last 3 minutes max over here!
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I bring it sometimes if we're in for a long night (or a big event that will last for ages) but I usually try to avoid first - only because she has a short attention span and gets bored easily. I don't care if I use it or not, to be honest. We start without & bring out if things spiral.. but it's not an expectation one way or the other. I'm not a huge anti-screen time person though, so it doesn't phase me. And if it gives us an extra ten minutes to eat our dinner or have an adult conversation, I think it's totally worth it.
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yes. unless we forget her kindle fire... in which case I almost always give her my phone, complete with preloaded episodes of her favorite shows... we don't get to eat out as much anymore so I'm all about doing what I can to make sure I get to eat without having to get up and wander around (or eat cold stuff at home)
We give her crayons and such as well and she chooses which she'd rather do, it's about 50/50-- I do make sure volume is down to barely though.
we also do this during waits for doctors appointments etc. and uh I have no shame
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DD is only 8 months so we haven't had any struggles yet but I'm going to try my best not to. I just plan to engage her and play with her. It surprises me how much people rely on technology these days to entertain their kids (not judging). I remember coloring or playing with the sugar packets and creamer containers and making buildings out of them when I was little.
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@alphagam84: we weren't allowed to touch those things on the tables when I was a kid-- my mom about lost her mind when my dad showed us a "magic trick" of putting salt on the table and resting the salt shaker on it- we thought it was so cool (because we were like, 6) and my mom... not so much haha
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@alphagam84: Engaging a toddler can be exhausting. Mine seems to leave daycare even more energized, as opposed to being tired from playing all day. And sometimes you want to have a conversation with DH vs spending all your mental energy on a toddler that wants to stand on the seat and try to destroy everything on the table.
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@Mrs. Pink: same. we were taught not to touch food or condiments unless we were going to eat them. They were not items for play.
I also never use them at family restaurants because I imagine they've been touched a thousand times over by little germy hands -
@alphagam84: I definitely sit at restaurants and wonder how our parents did it! I think the answer is we really didn't go out to eat all that much when we were this young.
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I don't have games on my phone so it's not our go to. But if we're catching up with old friends or know it's going to be a long dinner for whatever reason I'll sometimes bring my ipad along for them to play games on once they're finished eating.
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Nope. We don't let our kids use our phones in general.
. Also, we don't eat out very much and DD (3) is reasonably well-behaved when we do. I also keep matchbox cars, books and other little toys with me to occupy her if needed.
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