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0 pointstheonething3y ago0 comments

Believe or not, especially if we order something she really likes, she'll sit there eating her food and talk to us, making comments about things she notices in her environment. Before the food comes, she'll just look around and make conversation about what she sees.

Could this be just her personality and we got lucky? Possibly. But I'm willing to bet it also has to do with her not being used to screens and instead being used to focusing on the environment in front of and around her. There are studies about the association between screen time and ADHD symptoms.

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6 comments · 2 top-level

marapuru3y ago· 2 in thread

Same here with our son. 2,5 years old and we bring him to restaurants or friends with ease. We don’t entertain him with a phone or screen.

He also sits with us, eats with us. Sometimes we do bring a toy car, or pencils for him to draw. But that’s it.

Great side effect is that he eats everything. From olives to onions. He sees us eating and he mimics. That’s the whole parenting game imho.

I don’t believe you are lucky. You’ve simply set the standard for your child, by _not_ providing a screen for every situation.

Well done:-)

WarOnPrivacy3y ago

I had 5. Two could do restaurants. Two not so well. For the other, we brought toy cars and ordered piles of mashed potatoes for him to drive thru.

theonethingOP3y ago

> we brought toy cars and ordered piles of mashed potatoes for him to drive thru.

Brilliant! Way better than screens in my opinion.

Aeolun3y ago· 2 in thread

I think the symptoms/behavior comes first, and the screens come after. My son cannot sit still. He’ll wiggle, jump, run and try to touch/lick everything in existence if he’s not entertained, and what he finds entertaining is exactly the things I mentioned before.

And youtube.

It’s literally the only way to get him to sit still for any amount of time (that I’ve found anyway), so that’s what restaurant time has become.

Doesn’t mean he always wants to or gets to watch a video, especially if he can run about outside instead, but if we’re eating in a restaurant that’s otherwise dreadfully boring to him, yeah.

theonethingOP3y ago

I have nothing negative to say about your comment. The reality is your son cannot sit still at a restaurant and youtube works to have a decent dining experience.

Now if outside the restaurant context, you were constantly giving him Youtube time in lieu of real world activity, I would encourage different behavior.

prawn3y ago

Occasionally see people with children who cannot eat a meal without a tablet or phone running beside them. Before or after food at a restaurant if it's the only way you can enjoy your own meal is one thing, but as a behavioural crutch otherwise is asking for trouble.

Like you, I try to foster in my kids an interest in everything around them. Absolutely everything is an interesting topic of discussion. Or a way to build an observational challenge - can you point to something purple? Or triangle-shaped? What instruments can you hear in this music?

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6 comments · 2 top-level

marapuru3y ago· 2 in thread

Same here with our son. 2,5 years old and we bring him to restaurants or friends with ease. We don’t entertain him with a phone or screen.

He also sits with us, eats with us. Sometimes we do bring a toy car, or pencils for him to draw. But that’s it.

Great side effect is that he eats everything. From olives to onions. He sees us eating and he mimics. That’s the whole parenting game imho.

I don’t believe you are lucky. You’ve simply set the standard for your child, by _not_ providing a screen for every situation.

Well done:-)

WarOnPrivacy3y ago

I had 5. Two could do restaurants. Two not so well. For the other, we brought toy cars and ordered piles of mashed potatoes for him to drive thru.

theonethingOP3y ago

> we brought toy cars and ordered piles of mashed potatoes for him to drive thru.

Brilliant! Way better than screens in my opinion.

Aeolun3y ago· 2 in thread

And youtube.

It’s literally the only way to get him to sit still for any amount of time (that I’ve found anyway), so that’s what restaurant time has become.

Doesn’t mean he always wants to or gets to watch a video, especially if he can run about outside instead, but if we’re eating in a restaurant that’s otherwise dreadfully boring to him, yeah.

theonethingOP3y ago

I have nothing negative to say about your comment. The reality is your son cannot sit still at a restaurant and youtube works to have a decent dining experience.

Now if outside the restaurant context, you were constantly giving him Youtube time in lieu of real world activity, I would encourage different behavior.

prawn3y ago

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