It's really funny how inevitable it is to end up being the person who says, effectively "In My Day".

Of course it is true. I went to restaurants, cafes, recitals et al and I was expected to sit and be quiet without so much as a toy or a colouring-in book. Did it make me a better child, who grew into a better adult? No idea. Does my penchant for daydreaming and drifting out of the moment stem from it? Again, no idea.

I don't mind the choices that parents make, I do tend to object to the narrative of there being no other way.

I hugely agree with this, not so much because they need to tolerate boredom, but because I think there are huge benefits to observing things/watching the world go by, to daydreaming, and to simple activities.