Parenting nowadays seems to amount to tablets, television, and a toddler who will throw a fit if they can’t access the first two in this list.

On the one hand, raising a child can be a challenging task. You must teach them how to exist in the world as a human, because even the most obvious things that are innate to you must be translated using a lot of facial expressions, treats as rewards, and smiles (even when you don’t want to give them one).

Something that has become increasingly popular in the parenting sphere is the use of screens to remedy their child’s tantrums or to simply keep their constant need for interaction at bay. Parents have very binary opinions on the matter of children’s usage of tech, and here lies the issue in the story you’re about to read.

If you give a child a screen when they’re misbehaving, you are rewarding them for not-great behavior. The grandma on the family trip in this story explains this to her child and their spouse because their toddler screams and cries whenever she is without a screen in front of her. Another couple on the trip agrees and is effectively excluded from the plans for the rest of the journey. Now, they’re out nearly 10k with no expectation of reimbursement. Scroll to read.