When you're a kid, sitting at a table at a restaurant can seem boring as hell and, with all that energy coursing through your veins, it's easy to get restless.
That's why some pubs and establishments have kiddie playgrounds to give them somewhere to run around while the parents knock back a few cold ones.
However, one pub in Melbourne is switching things up and keeping up with the times by ditching the classic playground and instead opting for iPads.
The Sandringham Hotel aka The Sandy had reportedly received noise complaints about kids enjoying the playground (um, kind of the whole point of a playground but okay) and introduced the small tablets.
It's no secret that kids are taking to technology much faster than the rest of us, but the decision has prompted concern amongst customers who reckon the pub should encourage active play rather than sedentary play.
One person wrote: "Loved the refreshed menu and interior, the food was lovely and really impressed me after eating here about a year ago.
"Only disappointment was the kids playground being replaced by 10 tablets/iPads on a long table - like come on guys this is the opposite what we should be teaching our kids. Please consider adding a small play area for the younger kids."
Another added: "I am all about a renovation but unfortunately not a fan of this one. The kids play area (such a drawcard for young families) has been railroaded in favour of an iPad corner for the kids, actually a horrifying idea if you think about it!"
Between 2002 and 2012, there were 55,000 hospital admissions for kids who injured themselves on play equipment. Installing iPads could dramatically reduce instances like this.
Interestingly, a Sydney pub has done the direct opposite of The Sandy by banning iPads and iPhones at the dinner table, hoping it will encourage parents to talk to their kids.
Attila Yilmaz, the owner of Pazar Food Collective in Canterbury, took it a step further by banning colouring books, board games and building blocks to ensure the restaurant doesn't end up in a mess.
But if you thought that was brutal, spare a thought for the restaurants around the world who are actually banning kids altogether. Some have taken the bold step to ensure no one under a certain age can dine with them because they can be unruly, loud, destructive and rude.
Some people have praised it for being a step in the right direction and others think it's discrimination.
Featured Image Credit: PATopics: Technology, Australia