To think people should control their children?

The OP did not say they were screaming or running around. She didn’t suggest they were making much of any kind of noise.
I suggested that screaming and running or cartoons on loud speaker would have been much worse than playing with their toys on the floor.
Very few things are more irritating than being forced to listen to someone else’s phone.

I think everyone’s standard of behaviour has plummeted tbh. I use the tube regularly and am often aware of adults drinking beer, playing music out loud, putting feet on seats, shouting down their phone when there’s clearly no signal. When I have DS with me there’s almost always a conversation about why X behaviour is not acceptable when he tries to copy grown adults also doing it on the train!

So in short, children probably should behave better in public but adults should too, and lots are setting a shitty example 😂 I’m not really going to worry about a child clearly just wanting to play like a child, when there’s far more anti-social behaviour to be annoyed over by people who should actually know how to behave like adults.

Re-read the OP - theres no mention of screaming, you've totally imagined that.

Watching peppa pig would surely be more irritating? Listening to that pink prick through a phone speaker vs a child playing with a toy truck... I know what id prefer.

Adults have become less tolerant too. It wouldn’t bother me if a small child used my arm as a road or track on a busy train, as long as they’re not screaming.
Some children are badly behaved but not in this case.

You don't know what situation they were in.

Maybe for their particular children, this was being good. Maybe they were completely disengaged due to something else happening in their lives. Maybe this wasn't the battle they wanted to pick. Maybe they were feckless, lazy parents who had no regard for other transport users.

I think jumping to the final one is a bit harsh. Even though other people's children are often a bit annoying.

This seems like normal kid behaviour rather than out of control children, although yes the parents should have told him off for using the ladys arm as a road, did she mind? Some people don't, if a kid did that briefly I wouldn't be fussed (repeatedly or prolonged/overly roughly I'd tell the kid off myself). I've seen some truly out of control children who's parents don't parent and this doesn't sound like that to me.

People moan when kids are on tablets, they moan when they play with toys

can’t please everyone. I imagine the adults had a hectic day out with them and needed some time in their heads

Pp is suggesting anything is better than using a phone.

and I have no idea what the last part of your comment means.

I wouldn’t let my child use another persons arm as a track, I can see why that would be annoying, but I think playing with a toy on a train is completely fine. I’d rather see that than see a quiet child on a tablet

I personally would not want my arm/ sleeve used as a road if the toy truck in question had been pushed along the dirty floor of a train carriage though.

Two children playing quietly on a train? Heavens, whatever next!

So the parents brought a toy to keep their child occupied. They played on an unoccupied floor space. Were not jumping off the seats, running up and down, shouting or screaming. Yes they shouldn't have used someone's arm to play on. But overall were under control.
I feel as a society we are moving back to the children should be seen and not heard ways. To me children play, have fun, see the joy in everyday life.

What are you talking about? OP has not said anything about screaming and running around.

(If your 4yo is happy to read a book quietly at 5-6pm after a full day at nursery/school, then you don't know what a "nightmare" child is).

It doesn't sound like they were screaming or running around, though.

If they were ‘controlled’ by bangles to a phone you’d judge that too wouldn’t you? They weren’t doing any harm.

Eh no. That’s a low bar for acceptable behaviour. Children screaming and running around in cafes and on trains is not better than letting them watch a bit of Peppa or having them look out the window. Or bring a book to read.

Not delightful when in OP’s case, paying adults are standing while children pose a tripping hazard and take up 2 seats.

I have a nightmare 4yo but I actually try to parent him in public.

Oh no children playing with toys. Disgusting!

Unfortunately too many parents find their mobile phones much more interesting then their kids.

Having a truck that's been all round the floor of a train driven across your arm is absolutely disgusting.

But no criticising other people's children on MN. I guess people identify with parents that can't be bothered too much.

Is this the weekly 'kids today' thread?

Lucky you.

Every day is Funday on the MTA.

I can't get over you're complaining about kids playing with toy trucks on the subway. Although here, getting down on the floor could be a health hazard.

I agree, have seen a fair few cases of lax and poor parenting and I mean the type where they just don't look, notice or care. If challenged you will get a vulgar mouthful, so sad.

One particular time a Mum of 3 daughters was with her Mum on holiday. She disappeared from her sunbed for hours to hook up with a bloke and left her DM to look after the kids, who fell asleep for hours every day.

Fortunately (for them) they had made friends with our DC so we, as 2 couples, supervised them all. It seemed to be the case they assumed we would look out for them. It was stressful, we felt responsible and had to tell the youngest to be careful, same age as our DC who we didn't let out of our sight!

When we went to go off and do other things it was awful, waking GM up to say we're going then see her fall back asleep. When we saw the Mum and told her when we saw her on the night she was so pissed hanging off the arm of the hotel agonis giggling.

Just don't understand how anyone couldn't care less about the safety of their kids. Xx

They were just playing with a toy truck ?!
get a grip. Children have a right to exist and play. They weren’t hurting anyone.

When mine were toddlers on public transport, usually at rush hour, I tended to weigh up whether other people would prefer my child to scream and cry the whole journey or push a truck around on the floor. Other people must have been more compassionate in those days as we got a lot of smiles and conversation. There isn't much choice when you have to get home and rely on public transport. You control young children by occupying them with toys like this, and trying to avoid them throwing a tantrum in a small crowded space rather than tying them to a seat. When you do this every day it's pretty exhausting and if I manage to sit down in that situation I'd be on my phone catching up with emails and admin too. Might not get another chance that day.

I was expecting violence or chaos!

I don't understand what's really wrong here: They were all sat in seats two opposite two (london overground, the seats were opposite over the middle aisle) and the bit of floor not occupied by people or bags was being used to push toy truck back and forth between them. Kids kept getting up too leaving seats unoccupied barring their bags for minutes at a time (busy train, no spare seats).

This sounds annoying but very brief: Saw one poor lady get her arm used as a road briefly for the truck.

AIBU to think the standard of parenting as plummeted lately? Especially in public? People have said this every generation since the dawn of time, but the example you give just seems like a minor episode of children existing?

I dunno, I think the whole "poor parenting, control your children" narrative is partly a result of some parents not doing so, and partly fuelled by an increasing intolerance of people being people in public places.