Noise on trains

[Flower884]

Why do parents think it’s ok to let their child listen to a children’s programme loud on a train with no earphones?

I’ve experienced this a few times now on trains and planes. They seem oblivious to the noise.

Another lady has just asked the mum to turn it down as she’s trying to work. The mums response - well my child can’t hear it!

Tablets with noise and without headphones is very unreasonable.

Tablets with headphones/without noise, fine. "Sit still and quiet for four and a half hours" is not something most small children are very good at and I honestly could not care less what their parents do to make it happen as long as it's not illegal or abusive. "Oh just do colouring and play I Spy!" Yeah, that takes up twenty minutes, you have over four hours to go...

@hoik unfortunately with children everything is a learning experience. They are constantly taking everything in and learning how to behave and get what they want. If a parent gives the iPad when a child screams or runs around, then the child learns that if they scream they get a iPad.

@GoldenOmber I regularly travel for hours with a child. I just bring lots for them to do including children’s earphones. Yes after twenty minutes colouring and I spy might be done but then you just do something else.

Because they are selfish bastards who think the electronic babysitter And their child’s birthday use of it is more important than anyone else around them.

Think this sums it up perfectly:

So what’s the issue the parenting or the noise?
As per my real life example my child would be a lot More noisy and disruptive on the odd occasion without a tablet. I fully appreciate the noise shouldn’t be up high though.
As for judging the parenting you have seen a snipet if a persons day and made a sweeping generalisation.
This thread has shown that parents are judged every which way unless their children are born perfectly silent and well behaved.

As for your example of switching scenarios around, I experience dickhead adult behaviour day in day out- public transport and public places would be great if it weren’t for the public.
It’s children and parents that seem to get the bulk of hostility and judging sadly!

@onlyfoolsnmothers so when adults around you are being noisy you don’t like it. So why do you think it’s ok for children to disrupt other people?

The issue is the noise not the parenting. If someone is a bad parent it’s a shame but it’s not my business. But t noise affects everyone around them.

I haven’t made a sweeping generalisation though. I said in that particular moment the mum was being selfish.

There is currently a screaming child near me and I’m not bothered in the slightest. I’m not judging the parent. I have sympathy or them.

Paper and pens always worked for mine. Its so unbelievably selfish to subject everyone else to peppa feckin pig. Toddlers can wear headphones

The main thing I've been disrupted by on trains in the U.K. during the past couple of years is parents / carers playing music or videos to young children on phones or tablets without using headphones.

The issue is the noise not the parenting
There is currently a screaming child near me and I’m not bothered in the slightest

Contradicting statements

Fact is I know my child best and if I choose to resort to a screen for 20mins to get through a testing journey, knowing that it’s less disruptive than the alternative, that’s fine.

I don’t think it’s ok for strangers to vastly disrupt others but this thread has become a general debate about screens. I think it is possible to have a screen on such a low volume it doesn’t cause anyone else issue.

I dont agree

All these posters whinging about toddlers watching a cartoon...do teenagers playing music out their phones annoy you too? If so, I bet you wouldn't dare confront them.

Oh i do

@OnlyFoolsnMothers but it’s not contradicting statements. A crying child I can cope with. That’s normal noise but pose from a kids tv program can be avoided.

Noise not pose

Yes after twenty minutes colouring and I spy might be done but then you just do something else.

Like a tablet?

DH sometimes works away and sometimes needs to take the car with him, now and again we go visit and will get the coach or the train. My DC bring their tablets because if I'm doing a 4+ hour coach or train journey I am not spending the duration of it playing I-Spy, colouring in, or Lego. Furthermore I am not toting around colouring books and pens x4, Lego x4, toys x4, games x4. On our last trip the three older DC had tablet, headphones, a snack and sweets each in a small bag while in my bag I had a tin of Dobble, my own tablet and headphones (youngest DC shares them), snack for me and youngest, nappies and wipes, money, phone. Along with a suitcase of clothes it was more than enough to be carrying. Added in is the fact that youngest will usually fall asleep on my knee which means the 'electronic babysitter' () needs to pick up the slack for a bit. My boys get stressed out so need headphones on, tablet on, and head down time, they're quite happy being ignored for an hour or two. Oldest DD likes to read on her tablet.

Anyone who thinks its selfish or neglectful is welcome to take over for a few hours.

There is also a man having a FaceTime conversation with someone. That’s also irritating and selfish. He has headphones round his neck which he is not using.

I don't see why peppa pig on low is any more annoying than a self important business man with a booming voice or a group of giggling teenage girls? You're in public...you'll hear stuff.

Hoik - as long as theyre wearing headphones all good

People cant mute their conversations, peppa pig can be

@hoik yes a tablet is one of the options with headphones. I agree tablets are fine with headphones. You are trying to argue with me but I’m agreeing that tablets are fine with headphones

People talking is normal noise. Kids tv isn’t necessary and can be prevented.

I'm really not trying to argue with you.

My point is that parents can't win. Sit them in front of a tablet and you're not trying hard enough. Bring activities with you but they don't want to do them or they exhaust their enjoyment of them then you should do something else. That brings us back around to a tablet which you then get judged for using.

It all seems a bit of a vicious circle.

There's a parent on my train every single morning with their toddler blaring peppa pig on a device. Then the toddler kicks the side of the carriage wall constantly. I've now hit the point I try to make sure I'm in a different car to them as the child is just allowed to run riot while the parent sits insipidly by ignoring it all and drinking coffee.

Incidentally - it's a father who's the idiot parent in this case.

I'm not anti-device - my kids have iPads and take them with them for travel, but the rule is headphones or on silent in public and it always has been.

I also hate people (and actually it's not usually teenagers in this case) blaring out video clips from their phone speakers (usually 30 something men that indulge in this one on my commutes), and I always get amused by the laptop territory battles over the train tables where the passengers on opposite sides spend their time trying to recline their tablet lid as far back as possible to gain as much table as they can, and then the person on the opposite side retaliates... all without either of them actually interacting or making eye contact for mile after mile.

Incredibly selfish behaviour. I hope you said something too .