Do you allow your kids to bring toys/electronics to family gatherings?

[Momit]

Funny, I would think the question would be "how old will your kid have to be when you let them be the sullen teen in the corner on a device?" In all seriousness, our kids aren't allowed to take devices to events, especially family gatherings where there are people there who love them and are more than happy to talk to them, play with them, listen to their non-stop chatter about life.

This, exactly.

[doberbrat]

no electronics or books. Be social or be quietly bored. ESPECIALLY if there are other children there.

[123LuckyMom]

My kids are younger, so maybe I'll change my mind when they're older, but we don't bring devices to social gatherings, especially to family gatherings, and when I was young, I was not allowed to bring a book. In our family, we consider playing on a device or reading instead of interacting to be rude. Devices or reading at the table-- rude! In DH's family it's common for the kids to be playing on devices even at the table in a restaurant or at a family meal. They don't have a problem with it. It's definitely one of those different families-different rules situations.


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[abh5e8]

No books or electronics. But we love to play card games or board games with family.

[smilequeen]

Yes. My kids can bring their devices, books, and/or toys. There are not many kids in either family and I don't expect them to spend hours mingling with adults. I don't really care if other adults think that's rude. My oldest son is very introverted and very shy. I'm not going to torture him just so a bunch of adults don't judge him as rude. He's not rude. He's incredibly sweet. He's me at that age, and I know what it's like. If there are other kids around, they'll play with them. They have to make some conversation with adults, but not for hours.

[georgiegirl]

No. My kids do being electronics when they travel (via plane) to see my family, but they never play them when family is around. They are not allowed to bring electronics to social functions either.


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[belovedgandp]

No electronics at functions - holiday dinners, wedding receptions, funerals, family reunions, 50th anniversary dinners, first communion/baptism open houses - are all times for the family to interact. If there's a screen they are not interacting.

I have three kids from 6 to 12. Depending on the hosting location and length of the event, we will bring activities the kids like. But they are interactive games. One of my favorite Thanksgiving dinner memories involves my oldest at 5 teaching his cousins who were 15 and 17 at the time how to play a card game.

For family reunions at the park, we've brought our slacklines, chalk and playground balls. I don't expect the kids to hang out and converse with all my aunts and uncles who are 70 to 88 for hours, but they do need to say hi and smile while answering the same questions (age, grade, sports) in an age appropriate manner. Sometimes my kids are the only children in attendance (I'm local for a lot of funerals) but at others there are tons of younger relatives to play with.

[AngB]

My kids don't have any cousins and see my family at least once or twice a week, most weeks, so we let them. For extended family stuff, maybe. It just depends.

[essnce629]

Hmm, we don't have much extended family and my kids only have one cousin who is their age. We do get together with my mom's side of the family for major holidays and I don't allow them to bring electronics. My grandma keeps a massive bin of Legos at her house so they always play with that. DS2 always packs a backpack of games, origami stuff, coloring stuff, etc whenever we go anywhere. We had a big formal 90th birthday party for my grandma 1.5 years ago and DS2 just had has backpack of stuff to keep him occupied.

[KrisM]

They don't bring them to parties with family. But if we are visiting for a week, yes they do. Even if we go up north with my brother's family for 3 nights, they do as there isn't much to do at night and we all end up reading or something. Yes, they play games, socialize, etc, but there is only so much of that to do. If we are just visiting for 2-3 hours, they can play, talk, etc.