This year, I’ve noticed the number of families staring at their phones while eating (including mom, dad, and kids) has increased. I’m not the only one. A restaurant chain in the United Kingdom noticed the same and, based on research, decided to offer free kids meals to the accompanying parents if they were willing to give up their phone while dining there.
Frankie and Benny’s says kids will eat for free this week if they hand their mobiles in to staff at the door. It’s an effort to promote family time, the chain says – but will it work, and should it be extended? Get in touch and let us know what you think
— Daniel Thomas (@Daniel_ThomasG) November 28, 2018
Frankie and Benny’s is an Italian-American restaurant chain with more than 250 locations in the U.K. Digital Trends reports the chain didn’t actually do this out of nowhere:
Some folks are claiming it’s a publicity stunt, others say they wouldn’t turn their mobile phone over to anyone for any reason. I highly doubt a restaurant is going to steal a patron’s mobile phone — that would ruin their publicity stunt, wouldn’t it?
As a lover of the free market, I can appreciate this incentive-based program. This isn’t ranting or whining about how disheartening it is to see families staring at their phones while eating. Instead, it offers incentives to parents (who doesn’t love a free meal?) and parents can choose to participate in a win-win scenario. If not, there’s no punitive measures here — parents just pay for everybody’s food and eat in relative silence.
As a parent who juggles work, parenting four kids, and all of their various activities, I love this even more. I admit: I’m on my phone a lot. Sometimes my kids have mentioned it, too. Often it’s for an excellent reason, but still, no one wants to feel like the person they’re hanging out with has chosen a device over them. Parents with the entire world of the Internet at their fingertips have to implement boundaries or else the pull of social media, work, or texting friends will dominate their attention.
Recently, I took my daughters out to dinner while my sons were at a birthday party. As the three of us talked about mostly little girl things, I looked over and noticed parents with their two children. Everyone was eating and no one was talking. The children both had phones propped up and playing a Netflix show. The parents too were tapping away, no conversation whatsoever.
Conversation is a vital aspect of parenting. It’s how children formulate ideas, learn how to develop critical thinking, and figure out plain manners. Some of my best memories as a child are long talks with my parents, particularly as I got older. Even now, my children are still relatively young, but my older two are starting to be more cognizant of the world around them. Conversations are starting to get more interesting. We’re leaving the age of “Go back to the bathroom and wash your hands” to “What did you think of the current events you learned about today?”
If you don’t ask your kids questions, you’ll never learn what their little minds are contemplating and you’ll never have a chance to speak into their lives. Conversations around the dinner table are also another way kids learn manners, patience, and how to make good conversation themselves. I’m always amazed at the number of adults I bump into who make poor conversation, and can’t seem to figure out how to converse in a way that doesn’t seem self-centered. Kids can escape this fate if you teach them how to converse well with children and adults alike.
Whether this is a publicity stunt or not, the fact that the restaurant chain employed this based on research I’ve experienced and witnessed tells me it’s not for nothing. I hope parents take advantage of this great deal, turn in their phone, enjoy some great conversations with their children, and in the end, head home for a fraction of the cost.
Nicole Russell (@russell_nm) is a contributor to the Washington Examiner’s Beltway Confidential blog. She is a journalist who previously worked in Republican politics in Minnesota.
