Is this accepted now? Young children and electronics on public transport.

[AnneGrommit]

The last few times I've been on a train (not in quiet coach) and quite often on the bus I've had my peace disturbed by toddlers with phones/tablets either playing noisy games on them or watching programmes. When I've asked parents to rein them in I've been invariably met with either passive aggressive remarks about not liking children (I have three myself) or outright hostility and a statement along the lines of "it keeps them quiet". No, it doesn't. It stops them from pestering you but it's far from quiet. AIBU or is this an accepted "thing" now? Because it's fucking annoying.

This is a right old misery of a thread! Mumsnet seems to be full of miseries who object to the world going on around them. In the last few days on here I've seen someone objecting to someone else eating a satsuma on public transport, this thread, and the craziest of all, someone suggesting it was completely normal to call the actual police and complain about a next door neighbour walking up and down their own stairs several times at 1130pm

My kids are only allowed on tablets/dvds on long journeys (plane / train) but only with headphones on. It defeats the object of keeping them quiet if I have to listen to kiddy crap! I hate peppa pig at the best of times but somewhere I can't escape arghhh.

Where has the tolerance gone in our society?

Are we supposed to be tolerant of everything now? Where is the tolerance for people who don't want to hear your tv show in a restaurant? No, you're not tolerant of anyone else, you just want them to be tolerant of you, because you're so special.

*their lives

It doesn't bother me, but that's pretty because I tune out children's TV these days, and my DDs like playing them on both their iPad and on the telly.

I wouldn't let them have their iPad on in a waiting room or on a train, or anywhere public where the noise would be annoying. It stays at home or in the car.

I do my best to stop my DDs from disturbing other passengers on a train or bus. Mostly we travel by car so this doesn't happen.

Although I will say that adults on mobile phones (mostly men) can also be loud and annoying. The loud dial tone, and then a loud voice saying, 'Hello, I'm on the train...'

Where has the tolerance gone in our society?

Erm, I have tolerance for people wanting peace and quiet on train journeys and not wanting my child making unnecessary noise to spoil that for them. In the same way that I was brought up, I raise my child to be considerate of other people and to use him manners, which includes not having sounds on when playing games.

Mistress

Sorry, slight derail, but just wanted to say that the satsuma thread was ancient. One of the numerous zombie threads commented on yesterday for some reason .

No, you're not tolerant of anyone else, you just want them to be tolerant of you, because you're so special

I'm actually a complete technophobe with not one single video-playing app on my brick phone, and I've never had a tablet so... not guilty. But I honest to god don't walk around expecting a blissful, ever-pleasing experience of interacting with the public where no-one ever annoys me and nothing ever makes my teeth itch. I just deal with it. I believe this is called... tolerance?

I think people need to learn some resilience.

I would be worried if something as minor as a child listening to a tablet made me so angry. It's not forever, it's just for the duration of the bus journey, train journey, etc.

Being slightly irritated for 20 minutes is not the end of the world, and certainly shouldn't be enough of a reason to be rude to a stranger.

'If a adult is pissed off about something that it is within their power to eliminate, but instead they chose to bitch and moan about it whilst hoiking up their judgy-pants'

The attitudes on this thread are really quite something. I know that describing parents as 'entitled' has become a cliché but there's no other way to (politely) describe someone who thinks that the whole world must change their behaviour in order to accommodate their little darling's 'need' to be glued to a noisy tablet in a public place. Those of you who suggested ear plugs, noise cancelling headphones etc need to have a word with yourselves. As Deanna said, it is quite simply not ok to be playing noise out of a device in public. I can't really believe that this needs to be explained to adults. Its all 'my bubble, my rules' for some of you.

And yes, chatting and laughing is to be expected in public, and its way less annoying than tinny electronic noise, but at the same time keep it down and think of the other people around you.

And RatRoly, stop being so bloody childish and obnoxious

Are we tolerant of kids putting their feet on the seats as well now? How about running around and shouting? Pulling people's hair, eating smelly food, how about drunks vomiting on the train? Shouting racist abuse?

I mean, they are just living their lives, aren't they? Everyone is different and its all just trifling inconveniences, you should be more tolerant of EVERYTHING.

YANBU. I don't understand why people think it is ok to inflict their choice of viewing (or their child's choice) on everyone nearby. We had this in a restaurant at the weekend. We deliberately went out with our three DC to get away from screens, films, tv programmes, etc. The table immediately behind us put a loud episode of Peppa Pig on a tablet to keep their son quiet whilst they had coffee. It frustrated me as they could have used headphones at least if they didn't want to talk or play with him. We didn't say anything but tried to ignore it but it wasn't easy as it was loud.

I'm yet to meet a toddler who can sit quietly on a bus/train/plane or in a waiting room/cafe for more than 5 minutes!

you should have met MINE then.... He's flown all over the world, up to 11 hours on a plane, eaten in some of the most amazing restaurants and hotels, all without a single device.

I know he is himself amazing, nothing to do with me, but we did chat about things quietly and he just took it all in. Toddlers* don't need devices, they need attention and boundaries. It's perfectly easy to explain that people don't want to hear noises, and in some spaces, they have to be quiet. Yes it's work, it takes an effort but sadly a LOT of parents can't be arsed to take the time or make the effort to show their children how to behave.

Swimming lessons: 2 diabolically posh twitmums sit there braying about crap having sent darlings tristan and jasper along to the other end of the seating area where they take up parent seats and blare their racket. Drives me doolally! it's 30 mins!

*NT, SN the exception as it should be.

Good point though that one SN child's comforting noise could be another SN child's trigger. I dare say that's where compromise comes in.

ProofBy1nduction I absolutely agree with you.

Being slightly irritated for 20 minutes is not the end of the world, and certainly shouldn't be enough of a reason to be rude to a stranger Eh? But being inconsiderate of people around you isn't rude?

We've tried headphones, but ds won't keep them on. He does have the sound down very quiet though if he does have the iPad. Mind you we don't talk down his AAC device, so I should imagine someone one day will get the arse about an electronic voice saying, 'Where is my putty?' on repeat!

My 3yr old does get the phone/ tablet on journeys or when waiting places. BUT only on silent or with headphones.

It's sooo irritating having pings and the vague sound of some cartoon just behind your ear. There's no need to have sound on.

So YANBU, some very entitled people who think they the right to be as annoying as they like with no consideration for others.

I just anticipate it now and move away from children if they sit near me. I don't have the energy to ask them to stop to be fair.

DeannaTroika - racist abuse, vomiting on trains, pulling peoples hair are definitely not examples of a trifling inconvenience.
Having to listen to the faint background noise from a child on a tablet for 20 mins is .

YANBU. I think we haven't worked out all the social conventions for use of these devices in public. I very much hope that the pendulum will swing toward an awareness that the sound of electronic noise is irritating to many people. But it is possible that playing games/watching videos with the volume turned up will become normalised as acceptable public behaviour (though I very much hope not).

Recently on a long journey by public transport I was treated to an electronic version of "Daddy finger, daddy finger, where are you? Here I am, here I am, how do you do?" For approximately three hours. It was beyond annoying.

Thank you MissDollyMix.

'Toddlers* don't need devices, they need attention and boundaries. It's perfectly easy to explain that people don't want to hear noises, and in some spaces, they have to be quiet. Yes it's work, it takes an effort but sadly a LOT of parents can't be arsed to take the time or make the effort to show their children how to behave.'

Completely agree Hissy

'Where has the tolerance gone in our society?'

The irony of this! Its almost a thing of beauty

I used to be a waitress and there was nothing more annoying than a family with children sitting with loud phones/tablets at the table and kicking off when they had to be taken away for the food to arrive.
When my brother and I were younger we'd happily sit chatting with each other and everyone else in places like restaurants, buses, trains etc but it seems parents have lost the ability to do this these days.