# Screens as a tool (meals, cars, restaurants, meltdowns)

**Is it okay to use screens at meals, in the car or to calm a meltdown?**

Whether you use screens to get through hard moments, such as meals out, car trips or meltdowns. The AAP's "Calm" question asks whether a screen is becoming the main way a child settles.

In short: Parents choose between 4 main approaches: Never; Travel and exceptional situations; Restaurants and long drives, not home meals; Whenever it helps. Evidence: your call. No outcome evidence picks a winner. Preference, culture, money and logistics decide. Best settled: toddler.

- Area: Screens, phones and digital life
- Evidence: Your call
- Best settled: Toddler
- First published: 2026-10-03
- Last updated: 2026-10-05
- Page: https://www.raisingyourchild.com/topics/screens-phones-and-digital-life--screens-as-a-tool-meals-cars-restaurants-meltdowns

## Screens as a tool: what are the options?

1. **Never**: You never hand over a screen to keep the child quiet.
2. **Travel and exceptional situations**: You use a screen on flights and in unusual situations.
3. **Restaurants and long drives, not home meals**: You use a screen when eating out or on long car trips, but not at meals at home.
4. **Whenever it helps**: You use a screen any time it makes things easier.

## Screens as a tool: what does the evidence say?

**Your call.** No outcome evidence picks a winner. Preference, culture, money and logistics decide.

The "Calm" C flags media as the main soothing strategy

Sources:

- [Healio](https://www.healio.com/news/pediatrics/20240510/video-the-5-cs-of-media-use-for-children)

## What else is worth knowing?

A screen reliably quiets a child, which makes it tempting in restaurants, cars and tantrums. Pediatric advice is to avoid using screens as the main way to calm a child. Most families allow some exceptions and differ on which.

## Questions to ask each other

- When would we hand over a screen without guilt?
- What do we want our child to do instead when upset?
- What are the places where screens are never allowed?

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General information, not medical advice. Two parents can each answer this and compare: https://www.raisingyourchild.com/explore?cat=screens-phones-and-digital-life&topic=screens-phones-and-digital-life--screens-as-a-tool-meals-cars-restaurants-meltdowns