Another big part of this is the lack of support structures. As a family we need to get things done, toddlers often prevent that. When there's no grandparent who is able to be there and help watch the kids, what really is the alternative?

Books? Coloring in? drawing? Audio books? Duplo? Magnatiles?

There are any number of alternatives that don’t involve a screen.

books are fine once you hit 6-7 years old, before then they'll get bored of them after 15-20mn since they can't read comfortably

colouring in / drawing great, but same thing, 15-20mn

construction games are great but they need to be carried about, they require space and there are parts you can lose

in places that aren't adapted for children (e.g. in an airplane or train), a tablet can be a life saver. you keep them busy/playing for an hour or so, then give them their digital crack for an hour, rinse and repeat. audio books are a good compromise

> 6-7 years old, before then they'll get bored of them after 15-20mn since they can't read comfortably

You could teach them to read. My mother taught me to read when I was four before I went to school at five.

> in places that aren't adapted for children (e.g. in an airplane or train), a tablet can be a life saver. you keep them busy/playing for an hour or so, then give them their digital crack for an hour, rinse and repeat. audio books are a good compromise

Boredom is not fatal and in small doses is a good thing for creativity. Children survived and thrived perfectly well on long train journeys for a hundred and fifty years before digital crack.

> You could teach them to read. My mother taught me to read when I was four before I went to school at five.

This only works for particularly gifted kids.

I flatter myself that in some senses I'm brighter than average, but i don't think I'm 'particularly gifted'.

> books are fine once you hit 6-7 years old, before then they'll get bored of them after 15-20mn since they can't read comfortably

Teach them to read young, buy books that are active, etc. My kids could read for a lot longer by that age, and so could I.

> in places that aren't adapted for children (e.g. in an airplane or train), a tablet can be a life saver

Talk to them, play games with them....

I loved spending time with my kids, and now they are grown up I am very glad I did.

my kids have a personal music/story player (Yoto portable for those curious, it can be loaded with your own recordings if the cost of the licenced cards is too much).

The big one (5) has a camera, we also play guessing games (like the classic "animal, vegetable, or mineral" but usually specific to their interests such as animal, instrument, etc).

They both like books and will sit with them for upto an hour uninterrupted despite the younger one's inability to read.

After that, a switch, or a heavily curated selection of videos might be available.

I think screens are fine in moderation, almost all parents do it, but it's far from the only option.

Honestly, when I was a kid I was dragged to a lot of places which were adult spaces with my parents and it'd be boring but I'd just have to deal with it. We shouldn't be conditioning kids that they should be kept entertained and distracted for every waking second of their day because it doesn't prepare them for the fact that sometimes in life, things will be boring.

It's really funny how inevitable it is to end up being the person who says, effectively "In My Day".

Of course it is true. I went to restaurants, cafes, recitals et al and I was expected to sit and be quiet without so much as a toy or a colouring-in book. Did it make me a better child, who grew into a better adult? No idea. Does my penchant for daydreaming and drifting out of the moment stem from it? Again, no idea.

I don't mind the choices that parents make, I do tend to object to the narrative of there being no other way.

I hugely agree with this, not so much because they need to tolerate boredom, but because I think there are huge benefits to observing things/watching the world go by, to daydreaming, and to simple activities.

I would bet 90%+ of the time, kids would end up observing all the adults looking at their devices...which help keep the adults entertained and distracted for every waking second of their day.

Honestly, having an experience of something as a kid gives you absolutely no insight into what it's like to be a parent. Not to mention that every child is drastically different and will react very differently to the same situation.

Exactly the same deal here. She can crush hours on a plane, but it’s a n-times a year thing, not a habit.