Context: My kids go to a gymnastics class once a week. There’s a waiting area for parents with chairs and small tables where there’s usually room to set up with a laptop to catch up on work or personal stuff.
My kids used to attend two separate classes an hour each, so we were there for about 2-2.5 hours, two kids in an earlier class, the elder one in a later one. When not in class, they would do their homework or play with other kids quietly on the floor (the class is physically demanding, so they would just unwind).
The problem is with free-range kids roaming the area with zero parental oversight. They’re siblings of kids who go to a class, but don’t go to the class themselves, so they have plenty of energy, while their parents engage in gossip and shoo their kids away.
I don’t even mind the screaming or the running, but I can’t stand kids who stand next to me or behind me and ogle the screen.
So the question is as in the title: Is there something I could put on that would stop them from looking at my screen or at least make them think twice before looking?
It obviously can’t be something that’s illegal to display publicly. I don’t want to display weird or creepy stuff which would give the parents a valid cause for complaint, either, because 1) even though their kids are literally ogling what I do, they could argue some could see it by accident; 2) I’d be viewed as the weird/creepy dude by others.
Edit: It needs to be something I would legitimately watch for myself, not putting it on specifically for the kids.
As an example, jumpscares are a bad idea because: 1) it’s obvious I’m showing them to get kids to bugger off; 2) they would work on some kids, but others would enjoy them; 3) rather than take accountability for their kids’ actions and teaching them to mind their own business and not be nosy, those parents would label me the weird guy that likes to scare children.
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Buy a privacy screen attachment.
Watch the kids practice and get better? Leave your laptop at home.
Some course you want to learn. How to use A.I., Basic Investing Information, Canadas Worst Driver, How It’s Made, etc.
How it’s made is a fantastic show to burn time on
Jaws? But if you’re playing something, you’re not working anyway.
Adapt to using phonr or ipad
I don’t get it, how will you work on your laptop while playing a movie?
Use your words. “Hey buddy, I’m working right now and it is rude to look over someone’s shoulder and look at their work, go play.”
Kids won’t learn if they’re never taught. Since they’re bothering you, teach them not to.
Church
Lol. Such an image doesn’t exist.
You’re trying to fix the symptom, but the root is that you’re using a screen in a public place. People are going to look, both adults and children – the kids are just not as subtle about it. Work somewhere else or suck it up.
Anything weird will get their attention
Sticking to actual work or spreadsheets and being boring seems like a better plan
Anything weird will get their attention
Sticking to actual work or spreadsheets and being boring seems like a better plan
Text. In cursive.
Anything black and white. I know when I was a kid that immediately made me not want to watch
This entire post screams of something silly AI generated. It’s really an absurd scenario, making a mountain out of a molehill simply for online engagement.
Put one of those lenses on the screen that you can only see if youre directly looking at it. From the sides it looks like a black screen.
Bring a book or pencil, paper, and a calculator instead.
edit: It is probable you have already considered this.
That’s funny, I found myself in this exact same situation. I will work on my laptop during my daughter’s tumbling class. I normally keep a spreadsheet open, one that doesn’t include any sort of sensitive information or PHI that only I am privy to, and when I get an email or whatnot I will handle whatever it may be and then click back to the spreadsheet. Kids don’t care about a big white screen with lots of random numbers. They will stop and see almost anything else tho. Just put yourself in the mind of the kid, boring adult stuff like excel documents are not fun.
I read sometime back there was a sound tone that was only hearable by the young, when we get older we lose the range, find that range and have it play in the background. You won’t hear it and they will find it annoying. Even more annoying si when they ask “Can you hear that?” And you say, innocently “no”.