Teach your children well.


Where did I say that? I was talking about the most important learning years, plus I don't have young kids so have no idea what age they get phones.

If you think you've got me sussed through either a twisted narrative of something I never said, then the room is yours.

You said

"I'd not let a child have video games or a mobile phone before the age of seven."

So by simple maths, you'd be happy for an 8 year old to have a mobile phone. By all means clarify your original post as I don't think you meant "You're 8. Have a phone".
Perhaps it was a bit of throwaway remark.

You're quite right about early learning years, but if something can engage them and help them learn more then I'm all for it.
Kids today are massively spoiled by the technology and information at their fingertips, and yet I'm sure they'd still find a way to be bored!
Kids on devices in restaurants looks awful. Imho.

Kids on tablets without headphones is awful, or at least if no headphones, with the sound well down.
 
It is very popular 😀

Kids on devices in restaurants looks awful. Imho.

All depends on circumstances Harry. For whatever reason they may have been at the restaurant/pub quite a while for a family gathering for instance. To me there is no harm if that is the case to allow them to have there tablet for a little bit whilst you engage in conversations with the adults. Tough work keeping bairns engaged in a structured environment like a restaurant where they are restricted by sitting down
 
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All depends on circumstances Harry. For whatever reason they may have been at the restaurant/pub quite a while for a family gathering for instance. To me there is no harm if that is the case to allow them to have there tablet for a little bit whilst you engage in conversations with the adults. Tough work keeping bairns engaged in a structured environment like a restaurant where they are restricted by sitting down
They are not my kids so I’m not bothered. It looks awful. Part of bringing up a kid is ensuring they can behave in public.
Kids on tablets without headphones is awful, or at least if no headphones, with the sound well down.
I’d assume the kid wasn’t functioning properly if it had headphones in.
 
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They are not my kids so I’m not bothered. It looks awful. Part of bringing up a kid is ensuring they can behave in public.
Each to their own Harry, it's not something I do as going out for a meal is a social thing for us. Every child is different though, as is every parent.
 
Each to their own Harry, it's not something I do as going out for a meal is a social thing for us. Every child is different though, as is every parent.

Too many variables - we've just been out for tea,no phones at the table but there's times if I'm out with them myself and I have a work issue to deal with them no probs.

The boy is 8 and has a phone, bit early imo but he finishes school at 1345 so gets the tram home a couple of days a week when we can't pick him up - he texts when he gets on the tram so whichever of us are WFH walks down to meet him off it. Only 2 stops and 4 mins but gives him and his mate a bit of big lad feelings
 
They are not my kids so I’m not bothered. It looks awful. Part of bringing up a kid is ensuring they can behave in public.

I’d assume the kid wasn’t functioning properly if it had headphones in.

Would you expect your kids to sit quietly whilst the adults talked or would you engage them all night if you were out for a while?
 
You said

"I'd not let a child have video games or a mobile phone before the age of seven."

So by simple maths, you'd be happy for an 8 year old to have a mobile phone. By all means clarify your original post as I don't think you meant "You're 8. Have a phone".
Perhaps it was a bit of throwaway remark.

You're quite right about early learning years, but if something can engage them and help them learn more then I'm all for it.
Kids today are massively spoiled by the technology and information at their fingertips, and yet I'm sure they'd still find a way to be bored!


Kids on tablets without headphones is awful, or at least if no headphones, with the sound well down.
Mate, I've been psychoanalyzed by experts and all admitted they didn't know what the f**k I was about, so one foggy remark on a forum really isn't enough information, so best go back to not engaging with me, I'm really not that much of a serious dude.
 
Mini-K loves her phonics and reading apps. Reading Eggs is a great way for her to interact and learn phonics while out of school.

I'd agree with the phone although frankly if you think 8 is old enough for a mobile phone that says a lot about you.
They don't NEED a mobile phone until realistically secondary/high school

Ours get buses and stuff so really need a phone a bit younger than 11
 
Would you expect your kids to sit quietly whilst the adults talked or would you engage them all night if you were out for a while?
They would be part of the evening. They would learn how to behave in different social settings. The bairn managed it with a few crayons that restaurants might have given out.
If people want to their kids to have devices they can.
Ours get buses and stuff
That’s great.
Too many variables - we've just been out for tea,no phones at the table but there's times if I'm out with them myself and I have a work issue to deal with them no probs.

The boy is 8 and has a phone, bit early imo but he finishes school at 1345 so gets the tram home a couple of days a week when we can't pick him up - he texts when he gets on the tram so whichever of us are WFH walks down to meet him off it. Only 2 stops and 4 mins but gives him and his mate a bit of big lad feelings
Boy will love that
 
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Too many variables - we've just been out for tea,no phones at the table but there's times if I'm out with them myself and I have a work issue to deal with them no probs.

The boy is 8 and has a phone, bit early imo but he finishes school at 1345 so gets the tram home a couple of days a week when we can't pick him up - he texts when he gets on the tram so whichever of us are WFH walks down to meet him off it. Only 2 stops and 4 mins but gives him and his mate a bit of big lad feelings
Thank you marra, a sensible use of technology for the young, though some, well one, would think otherwise ;)
 
One of the things you have to teach them is how to have a conversation. Then the whole 'gaming in a restaurant' thing doesn't arise. Talk to them like a grown up and they will respond. There was no question of "would you engage them all night if you were out for a while?" because they were and are part of the company.
My kids never got baby-talk and got used to asking and answering questions, so when they got to nursery they had a good working vocabulary unlike some of the kids who could barely speak because they had never been spoken to.
Also @dangermows nobody said 'video games cause autism'. That says more about you than you realise. FWIW I think screens might encourage autistic behaviour in some kids- but we're all on the spectrum somewhere. Some kids are allowed to live inside their own heads and some kids are fully engaged with the world and screens, social media and gaming are part of that world.
Also, if you listen, your kids will teach you a lot too.
 
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They would be part of the evening. They would learn how to behave in different social settings. The bairn managed it with a few crayons that restaurants might have given out.
If people want to their kids to have devices they can.

That’s great.

Boy will love that

Any real difference between crayons and playing on a device? Things like this I'm really curious about. We were out for a family meal week before Christmas. There were 8 adults and two kids who were a year apart. Kids done a a bit engaging with everyone then eventually they were sat on one side of the table playing games on there tablets with each other. We are always very wary about noise they may make and try to ask for a corner table so we can block them in a corner. When the food came out it's devices away and eat. Adults were quite happily chatting enjoying each others company whilst the kids were enjoying each others company. Adults still engaging with kids all through the night at different times. Kids generally behaving really well, the odd time getting told to keep the noise down but hey ho they are kids it's bound to happen. Id say out of 2 1/2 hours they were on there devices about half of that time. In your book what's particular wrong with that?
 
Any real difference between crayons and playing on a device? Things like this I'm really curious about. We were out for a family meal week before Christmas. There were 8 adults and two kids who were a year apart. Kids done a a bit engaging with everyone then eventually they were sat on one side of the table playing games on there tablets with each other. We are always very wary about noise they may make and try to ask for a corner table so we can block them in a corner. When the food came out it's devices away and eat. Adults were quite happily chatting enjoying each others company whilst the kids were enjoying each others company. Adults still engaging with kids all through the night at different times. Kids generally behaving really well, the odd time getting told to keep the noise down but hey ho they are kids it's bound to happen. Id say out of 2 1/2 hours they were on there devices about half of that time. In your book what's particular wrong with that?
Absolutely nothing. Other people can bring up their kids however they like.
 
Absolutely nothing. Other people can bring up their kids however they like.

Yes of course they can but I'm curious as to why you think it's wrong marra? When your bairn was using crayons did you keep engaging with them or did you just let them crack on? I'm struggling to see the difference in them using crayons at certain times in a night and other kids using tablets
 
Yes of course they can but I'm curious as to why you think it's wrong marra? When your bairn was using crayons did you keep engaging with them or did you just let them crack on? I'm struggling to see the difference in them using crayons at certain times in a night and other kids using tablets
There is something of the lab rat with the electronics imho. A kid should be nowhere near them if that is possible imho.
 

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