Re: ipads at the dinner table, what are your thoughts?

Re: ipads at the dinner table, what are your thoughts?

Absolutely not. We are a tech savvy family and this is a no go. Your kid should be able to sit out at a restuarant and not need to be entertained like that. Jmho

Re: ipads at the dinner table, what are your thoughts?

Re: ipads at the dinner table, what are your thoughts?

I don't really care what other people do, and I can't give an answer as to my family because we haven't gotten to a situation where we needed/wanted to do it. Nor do we own an ipad or portable DVD player.

Re: ipads at the dinner table, what are your thoughts?

also, an iPad can be used for reasons other than "entertainment". How about learning apps ... how is it bad if my child at 2.5 is tracing letters and numbers while we wait 35 minutes for food? At 2.5, he is not interested in how work was today for DH and myself. yes, yes, yes we talk about what happened at "school" but how far does that go with a 29 month old? I can't even get straight answers out of him sometimes. "Did you go outside today Jack?" "YES!" (which I know he didn't because it poured all day.)

I think people need to focus on their own family, their own children and stop paying attention to others, judging other's decisions and parenting choices. Like a recent post mentioned, you have no clue what goes on in another family dynamic. How do you know that the iPad is not keeping an Autistic child calm and focused?

They are learning tools as well.

Focus on your business and move along. Judging others based on whether or not their kids plays with an iPad or iPhone while waiting for food or waiting for adults to finish dinner is stupid.

Re: ipads at the dinner table, what are your thoughts?

Posted by maymama

yup, we give our DS our phone to watch mickey or guppies if he is starting to lose it in a restaurant. He is 29 months.

I'd prefer to save my sanity and let others enjoy their dinner

Re: ipads at the dinner table, what are your thoughts?

To each their own.

We don't take the ipad out of the house, but we let our DS play with our iphones and watch movies and play games when we're out.

Re: ipads at the dinner table, what are your thoughts?

We don't eat out at full service restaurants regularly. I wish our 18m old toddler would be entertained by an iPad! He isn't and won't sit still. It is stressful to say the least so we order in a lot.

Our 3.5yo does great at restaurants. He is pretty well behaved. He was similar to our 18m old toddler when he was the same age. I remember DS being obsessed with walking up and down stairs at restaurants. This is when we lived in Manhattan and rode elevators mostly.

At the same time, I would not judge any parents and kids at restaurants. When I was a non-parent, I was very annoyed at babies, toddlers and young children. Now we are that table, which is why we don't eat out often.

Re: ipads at the dinner table, what are your thoughts?

Absolutely NOT.

(well at this stage I say this! She's 4)

I HATE HATE HATE electronic distractions. We sit and a family, eat as a family, watch TV as a family. Yes we play as a family. If she's on the tablet we are all there with her.

I will always remember the little boy walking with this Dad (must have been like 3) and he's GLUED to the handheld device. Not looking at the parking lot he's crossing, not caring. The Dad has to grab his arm to keep him safe, then I hear "Look Dad, construction truck" and the dad is like that's nice. "its so cool, look" watch where youre going. I'm standing there as they walk by. Thinking..... how is this kid so into that stupid electronic piece of crap when we have REAL construction trucks right THERE! (we are under a lot of construction in my neighborhood) but he can't see them because he won't look up.

Ugh!

I don't care that my 4 yr old hasn't mastered the keyboard or a mouse. She'll have plenty of time. She's ok with her touch screen leappad but she rarely uses it (not sure how I feel about that considering the cost LOL). She does use daddy's tablet (or pad as she calls it). But we limit it to about a half hour a full day (broken up).

Re: ipads at the dinner table, what are your thoughts?

I think it depends on the age, what they are doing on the ipad, and if it's independent or interactive. I bring coloring books for my kids and we will color together, play little games together, practice writing. An ipad isn't all that different. I think family should interact at dinner, so as long as it's not them watching a movie and shutting everyone else out, I am ok with it. They are also young right now. As they get older and have the capacity to sit longer and engage in conversation for longer periods of time, I might, likely will, have a different view.

Re: ipads at the dinner table, what are your thoughts?

Re: ipads at the dinner table, what are your thoughts?

Posted by Hofstra26

Posted by maymama

also, an iPad can be used for reasons other than "entertainment". How about learning apps ... how is it bad if my child at 2.5 is tracing letters and numbers while we wait 35 minutes for food? At 2.5, he is not interested in how work was today for DH and myself. yes, yes, yes we talk about what happened at "school" but how far does that go with a 29 month old? I can't even get straight answers out of him sometimes. "Did you go outside today Jack?" "YES!" (which I know he didn't because it poured all day.)

I think people need to focus on their own family, their own children and stop paying attention to others, judging other's decisions and parenting choices. Like a recent post mentioned, you have no clue what goes on in another family dynamic. How do you know that the iPad is not keeping an Autistic child calm and focused?

They are learning tools as well.

Focus on your business and move along. Judging others based on whether or not their kids plays with an iPad or iPhone while waiting for food or waiting for adults to finish dinner is stupid.

I don't get the sense that anyone is judging or even criticizing on this thread so I'm not sure why you're so agitated. A question was posed regarding electronics at the dinner table and everyone is just sharing their thoughts on it.......and in a nice way I think.

I honestly don't care what others do with their children, to each his own. For my family though, it's just not something we allow at dinner. I agree with you that there are some amazing learning apps on the IPad and my DD LOVES my IPad and I encourage her to use all of the educational programs because I think they have merit and are great. However, as great as the apps are I *personally* don't want her "plugged in" to my IPad at dinner.

Whether our conversation bores her or not, she NEEDS to know how to sit still and entertain herself for extended periods of time without needing electronic devices. And it is possible to teach them from a VERY young age to behave through dinner without needing an IPad, my DD is proof of that.

DH and I were both raised in homes where dinner was family time and that was it. It was just natural for me to follow my parents lead and do the same with my own family. It's what I am use to anyway so for me it doesn't seem like a big deal.

Again, I don't have a problem with what other parents do but it's just not something I am okay with for my child. Everyone has their reasons for raising their kids how they do and what works for one may not work for another, that's cool with me. I really don't have a problem with what other people choose to do with their kids.

Re: ipads at the dinner table, what are your thoughts?

Message edited 10/16/2012 10:28:58 AM.

Re: ipads at the dinner table, what are your thoughts?

Posted by maymama

Posted by Hofstra26

Posted by maymama

also, an iPad can be used for reasons other than "entertainment". How about learning apps ... how is it bad if my child at 2.5 is tracing letters and numbers while we wait 35 minutes for food? At 2.5, he is not interested in how work was today for DH and myself. yes, yes, yes we talk about what happened at "school" but how far does that go with a 29 month old? I can't even get straight answers out of him sometimes. "Did you go outside today Jack?" "YES!" (which I know he didn't because it poured all day.)

I think people need to focus on their own family, their own children and stop paying attention to others, judging other's decisions and parenting choices. Like a recent post mentioned, you have no clue what goes on in another family dynamic. How do you know that the iPad is not keeping an Autistic child calm and focused?

They are learning tools as well.

Focus on your business and move along. Judging others based on whether or not their kids plays with an iPad or iPhone while waiting for food or waiting for adults to finish dinner is stupid.

I don't get the sense that anyone is judging or even criticizing on this thread so I'm not sure why you're so agitated. A question was posed regarding electronics at the dinner table and everyone is just sharing their thoughts on it.......and in a nice way I think.

I honestly don't care what others do with their children, to each his own. For my family though, it's just not something we allow at dinner. I agree with you that there are some amazing learning apps on the IPad and my DD LOVES my IPad and I encourage her to use all of the educational programs because I think they have merit and are great. However, as great as the apps are I *personally* don't want her "plugged in" to my IPad at dinner.

Whether our conversation bores her or not, she NEEDS to know how to sit still and entertain herself for extended periods of time without needing electronic devices. And it is possible to teach them from a VERY young age to behave through dinner without needing an IPad, my DD is proof of that.

DH and I were both raised in homes where dinner was family time and that was it. It was just natural for me to follow my parents lead and do the same with my own family. It's what I am use to anyway so for me it doesn't seem like a big deal.

Again, I don't have a problem with what other parents do but it's just not something I am okay with for my child. Everyone has their reasons for raising their kids how they do and what works for one may not work for another, that's cool with me. I really don't have a problem with what other people choose to do with their kids.

except for the comment that it is family time and people should should be able to hold conversation with their children without having to "entertain" them. That isn't judging?

Re: ipads at the dinner table, what are your thoughts?

Not sure what the difference is between that and playing with a toy or the sugar packets or coloring on the kids menu.
They are all something to keep kids busy out at a restaurant.

Re: ipads at the dinner table, what are your thoughts?

For us, we don't. My kids have been out to dinner hundreds of time since they were 3 weeks old and they LOVE it so they don't really need an ipad. They usually color or whatever the restaurant gives them. No judgement here though. I am all for parents doing whatever they need to do to enjoy a peaceful dinner.

Re: ipads at the dinner table, what are your thoughts?

Re: ipads at the dinner table, what are your thoughts?

I really really really don't like it - I WANT to be the parent that NEVER does it -
but I am guilty of pulling it out as a very last resort.
Mine are 1.5 and 3.5 and sometimes you just need 5 interrupted minutes to inhale your food.

Re: ipads at the dinner table, what are your thoughts?

I'll bite.

My kid is almost 5. Eating out at a restaurant is mainly the ONLY time he uses my iTouch to play games or use educational apps.

He is special needs, but doesn't "look" it, whatever that means. As someone else mentioned, he can sit at home for 20-30 minutes at the table, but that is his limit. We use the iTouch so DH and I have a chance to eat out and enjoy ourselves on occasion. And when I say "eat out", I mean we go to either the diner, local pizzeria or Panera. Becasue those are the only places I can get my kid to eat anything. If DH and I are going anywhere fancier than that, he usually isn't with us, but the few times we have brought him, we have the iTouch and make him keep the volume down.

I get looks sometimes but I don't care. If it allows us to enjoy a meal out on occasion, and it keeps him from disturbing other patrons, then it's done its job.

I also want to comment on the whole "kids need to learn how to behave at a restaurant" comment. I really don't remember eating out much when I was a kid, we ate at home, except for special occasions, and we were older. So I think for older kids, that is true, but for little ones, I think it's a lot to expect them to sit for over an hour at a table waiting for people to eat. If it's a priority for you to teach your kid to eat in a restaurant at 18 months old, that's great. It wasn't one of my goals, so I didn't bring him to restaurants at that age.

Message edited 10/16/2012 11:26:48 AM.

ipads at the dinner table, what are your thoughts?

No. I think it's unnecessary for US. I want my DDs to learn to behave themselves in all situations. I can't stand when I see it, honestly.

Re: ipads at the dinner table, what are your thoughts?

No. We don't even bring it with us when we go out to dinner or lunch. If the girls get nutty when we are almost done, they can use our phones for a few minutes. They usually like the crayons and place mats the restaurant provides.

Re: ipads at the dinner table, what are your thoughts?

Posted by Hofstra26

Posted by petunias

Not sure what the difference is between that and playing with a toy or the sugar packets or coloring on the kids menu.
They are all something to keep kids busy out at a restaurant.

I notice with most kids, my DD included, when they are on the IPad, or watching a movie, or playing on the Leap Pad they are more "zoned out". The electronics are more engrossing and I see that when my DD plays she isn't paying attention to what's going on around her, or the conversation, or the waitress talking to her etc. I think kids just get so locked in to the games they are literally off in another world sometimes.

When my DD is just coloring, counting sugar packets, or reading through a book she always has one ear open. She'll chime in on a conversation, she'll stop what she's doing if you talk to her. She's just more in the moment with us which I like. And in turn, we're more interactive with her throughout the meal.

Re: ipads at the dinner table, what are your thoughts?

People need to relax on this post. The original post asked what your thoughts were on iPads at the dinner table, if you're for it or against it - so people who agree and and DON'T agree are both allowed to answer this post. Doesn't mean anyone's judging.

Re: ipads at the dinner table, what are your thoughts?

Posted by computergirl

I just have to add that I bet this thread turns ugly.

First, the anti-iPad people are going to be accused of "judging", or "not knowing the whole story". To further this case, there will be 942 hypothetical scenarios presented, where the iPad was justified and not just lazy parenting. ("But.... but what if both parents were diabetic and had low blood sugar, and they just COULDN'T muster the energy to interact with their child until the food came! You see! You don't know the whole story")

Then the final smackdown will come when the pro-iPad camp suggests that they have "bigger things to worry about anyway" than what fellow diners are entertaining their children with

Re: ipads at the dinner table, what are your thoughts?

I don't judge other peoples parenting (unless its way out of the norm), if it works for that family then so be it. We bring an ipod so she can be entertained if she acts up, if she doesn't act up then we don't give it to her.

Message edited 10/16/2012 12:05:41 PM.