sshindel
The Epcot Manifesto
<lots of angry content erased>
Yup, I'm a bad parent.
(Btw, if your profile is correct, I'm actually quite a few years older than you, so if you've raised a perfect 7YO by now, my hat is off to you)
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- Thread starter PenguinPrincess
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Yup, I'm a bad parent.
(Btw, if your profile is correct, I'm actually quite a few years older than you, so if you've raised a perfect 7YO by now, my hat is off to you)
Don't worry you wont hurt my feelings...But yes, you probably are. It is pathetic if you need an Ipad for a 7 year old in a nice restaurant..
xdan0920
Think for yourselfer
How many kids do you have? What ages?
Jealousy is a dreadful affliction. Just ask Mommy and Daddy and I'm sure they'll accommodate you....
sshindel
The Epcot Manifesto
To walk back a little from your obvious troll-ery.
While I do not own an iPad and have not given my phone to my child in a few years, I will freely admit to using things like this:
and
We carry them with us at all times, and I will not hesitate to bring them out to keep the kids entertained while we wait for our food to come out, or if they finish their meals before we do.
I also will not judge those that will give their electronic equipment to their children to keep them from misbehaving in an inappropriate setting. We all may not be able to raise perfect 7+ year old children like you, but I would much rather a see a parent try and help manage the situation if their kid decides to be in a bad mood on a date they planned 180+ days in advance than I would if they sat there pretending it wasn't happening at all.
Really? When you have raised a couple of kids to adulthood, seen them graduate from college, and they are living independently with well-paying jobs, you realize that every child, and family, is different. There are a lot worse things that a child - of any age - can do. Allowing your child to play quietly with an electronic device in a restaurant doesn't even make a tiny blip on my "bad parenting" radar.
I'm fourtysomething with an iPhone 6plus. It comes out many times during the meal. Keeps me from focusing on the judgemental prats with their upturned noses around me.
polynesiangirl
Well-Known Member
We've been taking our kids to Cali Grill since the oldest was a year old. Our kids eat at restaurants with us a lot at home and they know there's no getting up from your seat, no running around, no yelling, etc. I am HARDCORE about not being That Parent and any time we eat somewhere nice I go into it knowing that if my kid melts down, at least one of us adults is headed outta there with them.
We do not eat late -- at CG we try to get the very first seating of the evening, so that our kids are not tired. We pick a day when they have not been run ragged for 12 straight hours prior. We keep things moving (we don't linger over the menu for an hour,) and when our younger son was very small, the minute I thought he might start crying I picked him up and walked out for a bit. Our waiter laughed at me for being so vigilant about it, and I said, "I just don't want to be one of Those People," and he said, "trust me, in my experience the people who actually are Those People are the ones who never think to worry about being Those People," hahaha. One of my proudest parenting moments was when the people next to us told me that my kids were so well behaved as they left for the evening. (Yes, pin a rose on my nose...
)
I will also say that every time we've gone we've been far from the only family there with small children. Now, if we'd eaten at 8pm it might have been a different story. I personally would get more nervous about going the later it gets, unless your kid is a night owl normally.
We do not eat late -- at CG we try to get the very first seating of the evening, so that our kids are not tired. We pick a day when they have not been run ragged for 12 straight hours prior. We keep things moving (we don't linger over the menu for an hour,) and when our younger son was very small, the minute I thought he might start crying I picked him up and walked out for a bit. Our waiter laughed at me for being so vigilant about it, and I said, "I just don't want to be one of Those People," and he said, "trust me, in my experience the people who actually are Those People are the ones who never think to worry about being Those People," hahaha. One of my proudest parenting moments was when the people next to us told me that my kids were so well behaved as they left for the evening. (Yes, pin a rose on my nose...
)I will also say that every time we've gone we've been far from the only family there with small children. Now, if we'd eaten at 8pm it might have been a different story. I personally would get more nervous about going the later it gets, unless your kid is a night owl normally.
RandomPrincess
Keep Moving Forward
Never looked at your phone when you were in a restaurant?
Mamaof2QTs
Member
We have stayed at the Wilderness Lodge twice with 2 kids under the age of 3. We did NOT eat at Artist's Point. We usually eat at Whispering Canyon. It's delicious, kid friendly and loud. We did make a conscious choice to not eat at Artist's Point with little kids.
ScarletBegonias
Well-Known Member
I worry about this in any restaurant with my DD. She's 14 months old and refuses to sit in a high chair. She will literally just stand up, even when she's strapped in. So we have to stand her in the booth next to us. She's normally okay playing with things on the table, but she always tries to sneak her foot up on the table and crawl across. I have to redirect her. Sometimes she throws a fit and my husband and I will go outside, walk around with her. It gives me anxiety, but I won't avoid having a life because of it. While we are not doing any signature dining in Disney, I'm anxious to see how she does with our ADR's.
Thank god.
For them, perhaps. Since you're just making your usual attempt at being isulting to those with younger children....
jaklgreen
Well-Known Member
When our girls were little we would "train" them on how to behave. So at meal times, when they wanted to get up, we would tell them "no" and have them sit for a minute or so more. Keep increasing the time that they have to sit and be good. Its "old school" parenting and it is hard work to raise a child. But the good news is, most of the hard part is done when they are little. Once they know how to behave and what you expect from them then they will carry that with them into adulthood. Always remember that Mom and Dad are the ones in charge not the child. Kids can sense weakness. LOL
ScarletBegonias
Well-Known Member
Exactly! She actually does very well for a 14 month old, minus sitting in a highchair. I know if I try to force her to do it, she'll throw a fit. Obviously if she's trying to climb across the table we tell her "No" but redirection always tends to keep her calm. Once dinner comes, she's golden! She loves to eat!
jaklgreen
Well-Known Member
Exactly! She actually does very well for a 14 month old, minus sitting in a highchair. I know if I try to force her to do it, she'll throw a fit. Obviously if she's trying to climb across the table we tell her "No" but redirection always tends to keep her calm. Once dinner comes, she's golden! She loves to eat!
Who doesn't like to eat, right? Hehe Except for my boss' wife, she says eating is a waste of time.
Club Cooloholic
Well-Known Member
Yet he claims he has children. But he's against lying...so he's either lying about having kids or he has them but never allows them to eat with him.
French Quarter
Well-Known Member
I'm not against children being in signatures at WDW in general but I have never taken mine to any. I can't see it being a problem if they are well behaved and it is at an appropriate hour.
To weigh in on the technology debate: I think that if you have to pull out an electronic item, perhaps they aren't ready to be there. It doesn't bother me as a diner as I'm not likely paying attention to what you are doing at your table (unless it involves sound). But I wonder why you would take them to experience something and then hand them a screen? At that point, it's time to go, I would think. But the kids don't use electronics a lot in our house and certainly never at the dinner table. And yes, I have real children, most of whom are past the age of 7. And no, I don't think you are a horrible parent if you do it. Different people make different choices. Just offering my opinion.
To weigh in on the technology debate: I think that if you have to pull out an electronic item, perhaps they aren't ready to be there. It doesn't bother me as a diner as I'm not likely paying attention to what you are doing at your table (unless it involves sound). But I wonder why you would take them to experience something and then hand them a screen? At that point, it's time to go, I would think. But the kids don't use electronics a lot in our house and certainly never at the dinner table. And yes, I have real children, most of whom are past the age of 7. And no, I don't think you are a horrible parent if you do it. Different people make different choices. Just offering my opinion.
jaklgreen
Well-Known Member
I agree with your statement. Our kids (whom are teenagers now) never had any kind of hand held electronics when they were young. We just never gave it to them. They learned how to entertain themselves with their imagination. We started taking our kids to WDW when they were 1&2 years old. And we took them to eat at nice restaurants, but earlier in the day. They did great! But we had taught them to behave. With every one's busy lives, we use the dinner table to talk and connect with each other. There are no other distractions at that time, no TV, no phones, etc.
Schneewittchen
Well-Known Member
We took my son to Artist Point at 1.5, he was fine. We had early dinner reservations, so the place was dead. And I think we went there on a non-park day, so we weren't exhausted.