Getting children to behave themselves in restaurants is sometimes no easy feat, so most parents at least once have resorted to a book or some crayons to keep them occupied during a longer meal, especially if the conversation isn’t child-friendly. But one mum took to Mumsnet to debate whether or not kids should be watching cartoons during meals out, and other users certainly had some feelings. The forum user explained how she was out to lunch with friends, but the table next to her had two children that were sat "zombie-like" and watched Peppa Pig for the duration of the meal.
The disgruntled mum said: "The parents did not speak to their children and the children were just glued to the screens. My three children aged 8, 5, 3 are not angels but managed to sit through a short meal (main course and then ice cream, no starters, no coffees) without needing screens. I talked to my adult friends and kept an eye on my children, pointing out stuff that was happening outside, large boats passing by, surfers, dogs etc". She admitted that she "judged", but asked the forum: “Am I a Luddite? Or am I right to think unlimited access to screens during a meal out is not right?"
As with all threads, the mother divided opinion, with some people saying that they "completely agree", but one saying "I don't see any difference at all between this and giving the kids colouring in to do, or a puzzle sheet". Many users asked whether or not the sound was on, which they said would have been unacceptable - and the original poster explained that they were mute, meaning that they were sitting in silence while being ignored by the parents.
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One poster disagreed with the argument, and simply put: "Sometimes I liked to talk to my adult friends. Children don't need constant interaction from their parents". So which side would you be on? Would there being sound or not make a difference?
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