I think you can entertain a young child with a DVD or a game - provided he
has a headset (and does not remove it while it is on - leaking music).
On our cruise we saw a child in the theater playing a game console with
headset on. No problem to anyone around him.
We were amused however - he was totally absorbed in game - but never looked
up at stage at all with singers and dancers. You would have thought he would
have given it at least a minute of time!
Amusing a child with a device is better than having an unruly kid running
around or screaming!
No reason a child can't be trained to use headset with volume, etc. - or
told how to ask parent for help (quietly) during dinner - and then can be
brought in using this. Child can be easily trained at home.
Note for DVDs - you can clean them with common glass cleaner to get off
those sticky fingerprints from kids inserting them while eating!
To make this post somehow related to the group - you could also traiin the
kid on VP and give him a computer to play while eating....
It would probably be best for child to eat something first, then put on the
device though - eating and watching might be difficult? messy on equipment?
Or feed kid at home first I suppose and he'll watch movie (and maybe doze
off) while adults converse over meal?
Note - I have cats, not kids, but common sense should prevail here.
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