Mothers who don't make their kids use headphones on trains

I was on a long journey on a train when a man had terrible tourettes, I felt so sorry for him. He was so loud and kept apologising but some people were being rude to him.

Some people are so unkind.

When I mentioned being on a 2 HR train journey that turned into five and a half with a grumpy almost two year old, train packed so I couldn't move and running out of snacks and it was past lunch time the three ladies sitting at our table unanimously voted to let him watch Bluey. It was first class.

This is generally true, but I was once in the first class carriage and a family were being quite loud, having loud phone calls on speaker phone and the guard did go and remind them they were in first class and to keep it down...!

Not just kids. A woman on our train told this young guy to turn his down last week. Good for her, but his reaction wasn’t great. That said she had her full make up bag out doing her make up on train which can be another annoyance.

When I got bored on long journeys as a kid I got told to look out the window. Which I did. Misbehaving, running riot etc would NOT have been acceptable to my parents.

Exactly, and yet some on here are claiming screens are the only way they can possibly get their kid to behave on a journey. It's laughable.

I recall 3 dinosaur models and a Playmobil figure had a great adventure on a train ride with us. I also recall that DS was at the walking holding an adults hand stage for a Eurostar journey. He wasn't talking much then, so this was quiet walking. A posh bloke commented, 'here they come again' at one point. Sigh.

When our DC was small we read The Twits together aloud (but not loudly) on a train back from the Lakes. When we'd finished, the lady in the seat in front of me (we were not at a table) said how much she'd enjoyed us reading.

Never been very fond of using tech on trains, we are more of a book/kindle, look at the view family. Occasional Top Trumps, bit of Lego, drawing.

If there are kids on the train, it is hard for them to be completely quiet and using headphones with devices is probably the closest to quiet that's achievable.

On the whole, what makes a noisy or annoying traveller varies. On a packed 5 hour train from Penzance to Paddington we were in a carriage with a man constantly on his phone talking. It was not on speaker, but he had a voice that addressed the carriage. I had a big fat book and wasn't listening and yet his level of intrusive was such that I could tell that these were conversations I'd avoid having loudly in public. He was some sort of sports booker or promoter. So names, ages, weights, heights, opinions. We were not even that near him.

I travel first class for work a lot and have never encountered anyone playing phones out loud in a first class carriage - adults or children. When I'm paying for myself and go standard, phones are blasting out tiktok, YouTube, games and tv shows and it's adults, teens and kids doing it. There's no announcement in First asking people not to do it - they just don't! It's so much nicer.

I think it's worse in restaurants than on public transport and I can't understand why anyone thinks it's ok to whip out an iPad and play Peppa Pig or whatever at the table for all the other diners to endure.

I agree the listening to music without headphones is anti social and annoying. Though when I've seen it it's often been adult men. The worst is when several people have different things blaring out from their phones. I think part of the problem is that many phones no longer have headphone jacks, still not an excuse though.

No you didn't. It was only in the title, the actual post was completely void of any description.

I remember being sent to walk the length of the train (not run!) On the London to Glasgow route to get rid of some energy. When older to pick my mum up a cup of tea from the buffet car.

Definitely no screaming or kicking seats.

I don't ever remember running riot on trains. My parents actually interacted with me

Run riot, according to some on here. 🙄

I never did that as a child when I was bored. Because I knew I wasn't allowed to.

Why are there kids today that can't cope without screens? What did their equivalent do in the past when there were no screens?

yip, like banging the back of seats!!

Absolutely! I think a little bit of boredom is actually good for most kids. Encourages them to use their imagination.

It should be banned outright.

I actually find this thread a bit terrifying. What have we come to that people are justifying any level of volume being ok on a device without headphones? Outside of ND needs, or an unexpected disaster with a train being delayed by 5187142 hours and you were expecting it to be 30 mins.
My DC is 7. I am by no means mum of the year. But they have never had an iPad, and have very limited screen time. A train journey or restaurant I’ll pack a backpack with games, colouring, activities, play I-spy and generally interact.
A long (3+ hour car journey or long haul flight) they can borrow a iPad with headphones. They don’t love headphones and never have, especially as a toddler. No problem, they can do a different activity. The choice is for them, but no headphones no iPad.
Also there’s nothing wrong with a child being bored. It encourages them to use their imagination. We had a 45 minute game the other week with Mr Fork playing with Mrs Spoon.

Can't stand it! When I'm travelling to work on a morning its usually adults not using headphones, it's the most annoying thing ever listening to multiple short videos as loud as their phone can go!

I usually feel more annoyed by adults not using headphones because they should definitely know better, & if they can’t tolerate them for any reason they should be capable of waiting to make a noise until they’re off the train, bus etc.

But why do games even need music or sound effects? The first thing I usually do when downloading a new game is turn them off.

I find this so hard because I agree, it's not good and they should wear headphones. We have headphones. We have several headphones options. My eldest can't tolerate them but also can't tolerate sitting doing nothing. We try to limit him for any screens on public transport to games he can play with volume at zero especially now he can read the instructions written etc. however transporting him can be a trial due to his conditions so if we're running out of steam there are a few videos or games he will sit still for but they need volume. I limit him to barely audible volume if he can't tolerate headphones. We're currently working on him tolerating in ear ear buds just now which is going better but it's been a work in progress and I've definitely been that mum with a kid on a bus in a buggy listening to cocomelon. Because without it there was a point he'd have injured one or both of us in a meltdown.

My youngest child on the other hand rarely requires any screens at all, she'll happily content herself with a couple of Sylvanian families figures and a chat. Has always gotten in her buggy and despite the normal toddler tantrums has never had anything approaching a meltdown. So if I'd only ever had her I'd judge me too.

Judge away because there's no point saying not to. I will say I have had all the criticism when I'm out with my son due to his 'behaviour' and so many bits of unwanted advice when my God I've been through every parenting strategy and he has both physical and developmental disabilities that mean it's always high level difficult. My youngest, constant compliments on her behaviour, on what a good job I'm doing, on what a delight she is and I'm over here with life one asy mode barely having to intervene, the child could raise herself.

@Encrochat i think I was on the same train as you! And I agree, it was nuts how much noise there was from kids using devices without headphones