to say something to these parents

[morningtoncrescent62]

I'm on a train, on a journey of several hours. Two hours in, and the family across from me are driving me nuts. Both parents are staring at their phones. DS (6-ish) is keeping up a constant, and very loud, stream of 'Dad, guess what?', 'Mum, watch me do this' and so forth. Neither parent is responding at all, not even looking up from their phones. They seem to have learned to edit out their child completely, but I haven't, and I can't concentrate on anything. WIBU to say something, and if so, how do I put it? I don't think I'd be bothered by a child/parent conversation, it's the constant stream of 'hey mum', 'hey dad' at full volume which is annoying. Moving seats isn't an option as the train is full and if I leave this (pre-booked) seat I might not find anywhere else.

[treaclesoda]

I'm ignoring my DC in the old fashioned way - using a laptop

[pandarific]

You need to perfect your STFU death glare for the parents. Tends to get the point across nicely when you hold the stare five seconds too long, then put on your headphones.

Inconsiderate arseholes are the worst.

[SusanAndBinkyRideForth]

Treaclesoda and yes DD is 4...

I'm ignoring mine by being in a totally different room while DH does bathtime and gets wittered at. By both DDs.

[FirstWeTakeManhattan]

Old schoolishly, I ignore my DC whilst reading a book.

And whilst eating Caramac buttons behind the fridge door. Lots of ignoring then.

It's normal OP. Don't judge, they're probably just knackered and each waiting for the other one to reply.

[TinklyLittleLaugh]

Mine is watching Finding Nemo on the sofa next to me. I'd stop mumsnetting if he wanted to tell me anything. I really hate seeing kids being ignored by self centred parents.

[lorelei9]

Id teach the kid to sing his "hey mum, hey dad" to the tune of Chemical Brithers Hey Girl, Hey Boy. And show him the video. He be less bored and the train can sing along and your point is made!

[hazeyjane]

I was going to post something,but forgot what it was.....

Caramac Buttons ?????

Tell me more!

[imwithspud]

YABU. It's public transport, next time take the quiet carriage.

[NickiFury]

Anyone gave me a STFU glare, they'd be asked WTF they were looking at?

They're talking now OP, maybe they just slumped on the train after a weekend of intense "interaction". I am a bit like that, but I am a single parent so it's all on me. My children are well trained to leave Mum alone for a good 15 minutes after I have lumped them and all the baggage onto the train found seats etc. To be fair if they were always like this wouldn't he not even be bothering to try to talk to them? As he'd know he wouldn't get a response.

[FuckYouJamieOliver]

I too only saw caramac buttons Hazey

I wonder where you buy these jewels

[Doubledaff]

gottaget they are random people if you don't know them though. Oh I can just imagine you're one of the dicks performance parenting on the train .

I'd rather you thought I was a twat than have such a judgemental arse like me tbh. I hope one of those useless parents puts you straight one of these days but I bet money on the fact you would just tut and glare passive aggressively and wouldn't actually say anything to them.

[SharkSkinThing]

Yes, more about the caramac buttons, please, first.

OP - sorry, you are BU, and have the luxury of long train journey on your own. Enjoy it, I would.

[FirstWeTakeManhattan]

Haahahaa. I so casually chucked out Caramac Buttons knowing it's power.

Tesco has them, on offer at the moment. Never seen them before, but several bags now live in my fridge.

I don't think they taste quite the same as the bars but I'm soldiering on.

This isn't a derail. It's a public service broadcast.

[imwithspud]

Caramac Buttons, Tesco - noted.

[SharkSkinThing]

first gets my vote for best performance parenting posting EVER.

[Oysterbabe]

I'm not ignoring DD while posting this. I'm watching her with half an eye, praying that she drops off. Praying. Eyelids flickering but could still go either way. Within the next few minutes she'll sleep or scream.

[merseyside]

I'm great at filtering out the kids.

I'm that annoying parent who doesn't even notice they're making a noise until it reaches unbearable levels, then I'm all apologetic.

Sorry world.

[wannabestressfree]

OMG caramac buttons!

[JosephBrodsky]

What treacle and someone else said. My formidably articulate three year old is capable of saying 'Hey Mum, look at this!' roughly every twenty seconds for every waking hour for days at a time. Whether I respond 'Not now, sweetheart', 'Urrrm' (because it's 5 am) or 'Of course, petal, show me exactly how your Buzz Lightyear works/that you know all the words to 'A Spoonful of Sugar Helps the Medicine Go Down'/that you can stand on your head'. I usually provide cartoons and headphones on a tablet for train journeys so I can work, but I am then no doubt being judged for 'ignoring' my screen-fixated offspring.

[Lweji]

Next time book the quiet carriage.

[FixItUpChappie]

These parents are assholes because their kid is talking too much? If he's anything like our kids he's probably said "mum look" or "hey dad" nonstop for the past....year or more. Maybe their just tired FFS.

[JuxtapositionRecords]

Performance parenting - in this case would be (instead of ignoring said children) "Neddy, let's practise your latest learnings on Italian proverbs and then discuss your thoughts on the Napoleonic Wars from the book you have been reading", said very loudly for every passenger to hear.

[kawliga]

Some children just aren't interested in sitting quietly & listening to a story or colouring

I find it funny when people say this. Some parents have no choice but to be in places with their dc where the dc had bloody well be interested in sitting down quietly and reading or colouring. I never gave my dd a choice as to whether she is interested in this or not. I trained her to bloody well do it when necessary (planes and commuter trains). People tell me what a good child she is but she isn't 'good' she just got a mother who gave her no options about her manners.

I'm a single parent and when childcare fails and needs must I take my dd in to work, sit her in a corner, with colouring in or a book or stickering, some snacks (not messy and nothing that will spill) and instructions not to make a sound. My colleagues think she's just naturally as good as gold, they tell me how lucky I am, that's because they don't realize what a reign of terror I run in my household. She is 8 now, so she can read quietly for hours, but I have done this with her since she was a baby. She has always known that sometimes she has to be quiet. The whole 'mummy mummy mummy' thing would not have worked for me at all, with nobody else for back up. I dealt with that by saying 'don't call me, just tell me what you need'. Yup, she's totally a Victorian child.

We do have times for being wild and free, but not on trains.

[FixItUpChappie]

I don't think a child persistently talking in a normal tone of voice is being "wild and free" - annoying possibly (to his parents), but hardly a hippy convention.