Last night, in a noisy Italian restaurant, I took a bite from my tagliatelle, while on the left I saw the happy puppies of Paw Patrol pass by and on the right the grumpy Lego men of Ninjago. Several children sat motionless at the table with their parents, an iPad in brightly colored cover at ten centimeters in front of them, headphones on, completely closed off from the world around them.
‘I wanted to be sure that they had fun, then I googled at’ Camping nuisance teenagers ”
I get it very well. After a day full of sand castles, lubricate sunburn and “look at what I can do!” The temptation is to put your child ‘on screen break’. Just breathe, finish your way and take a sip of your pinot grigio.
But parenting just takes effort. Also, or maybe extra, on vacation. And a little screen is fine at another (fixed) moment … But does that necessarily have to be done while eating? Do not choose the shortest route: your child will not learn anything from the umpteenth puppy adventure on the screen and lacks the chance to really participate in the joint eating out.
For me, eating together is a social ritual that is not being hung on. A moment of real contact with the whole family. Cozy or not. Even if your child is bored, throws the bread stalks on the floor or brutally puts the table next to you.
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In Italy that is fine by the way. There, the tolerance for children’s noises and difficult behavior is much greater. In the Netherlands, the pancake house seems to be the only place where children are really welcome. A shame, because children belong. As a parent, don’t be put off by the cans of others. Live and let live – also at the Dutch restaurant table.
Without a screen, children learn everything during a restaurant visit: waiting for food, taste new flavors, chatting together, bickering or entertaining themselves with markers, paper or a comic book.
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As a parent you have to make some effort for that. Good preparation helps. This is how you familiarize them with the restaurant routine. When my daughters were small, we kept the visit briefly and built it step by step. Gradually it became easier and easier and it almost happened. They had never learned this behind the screen.
Now that my oldest daughter is in puberty, that screen addiction is lurking. And now I am happy that the appointment ‘at the table is not a screen’ is like a house. One battle less to feed.
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