Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Flexible and made to last.

Meet the Other Phone.
Flexible and made to last.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To judge the woman on the bus

309 replies

IDoughnutKnow · 29/03/2023 19:11

She was on the bus this afternoon with two children - aged around 3 and 6. The 6yo was jumping around, doing the whole 'look at meeee' thing, standing up, messing around. The younger child had been bribed into submission with a massive doughnut. The mother (and I know she was the mother, as the older child kept addressing her as Mum) spent the entire 30 minute journey on her phone. I could see Facebook, then Instagram, then she was just scrolling around watching videos. Every now and then she would get pissed off and tell the child to sit down and behave and stop bothering the other passengers - when it was evident to anyone with half a brain that she needed to get off her bloody phone and talk to the child.

WABU to judge her hard?

OP posts:
Rosebel · 31/03/2023 08:09

Sillybanana · 30/03/2023 20:45

No you are definitely NOT being unreasonable. I hate this kind of thing and you see it more and more. Snapshot my arse.

Anyone who thinks the mum always ignores their child doesn't know much about children.
If mum always ignored her then the child wouldn't be jumping around or constantly asking questions because the child would know there's no point.
Only a child who does normally get attention would behave like that because at that moment they aren't getting attention and know behaving like that normally gets mum's attention back on them.
So no it doesn't mean the child is always ignored at home.

SylvieB74 · 31/03/2023 12:19

Rosebel · 31/03/2023 08:09

Anyone who thinks the mum always ignores their child doesn't know much about children.
If mum always ignored her then the child wouldn't be jumping around or constantly asking questions because the child would know there's no point.
Only a child who does normally get attention would behave like that because at that moment they aren't getting attention and know behaving like that normally gets mum's attention back on them.
So no it doesn't mean the child is always ignored at home.

Show quote history

Yeah exactly! Best answer, Rosebel knows stuff 🙂

Mybumlooksbig · 31/03/2023 12:26

She's probably knackered

T1Dmama · 31/03/2023 15:54

SweetSakura · 29/03/2023 19:24

I mean, judge away if it makes you feel better about yourself, but you have no idea what kind of day she's.had/what kind of struggles she might be dealing with

This.

NotTerfNorCis · 31/03/2023 16:09

Some of these comments are insane. Of course she shouldn't have been letting her kid run riot on the bus. Kids need to learn how to behave appropriately in public, and consider others.

ellyeth · 31/03/2023 19:45

I tend to agree with the OP. I find it upsetting to see little children being completely ignored while Mum or Dad are preoccupied with their phones. Or, even worse, a phone is stuck in front of a very young child to keep them quiet.

Of course all parents aren't engaged with their children all the time, but the idea that many parents put on a performance so that they appear as caring and attentive to onlookers is a very cynical one. No doubt there are people who do that but there are also parents who genuinely want to talk to their children and who generally don't completely ignore them.

The OP is only putting forward an opinion. It's not as if she confronted the person or made comments in her hearing. Assuming she is generally judgmental and petty is, in itself, very judgmental.

Stewball01 · 19/04/2023 00:24

I'm sorry. I'm 78 and can't stand children like that who have no discipline in their lives.

Crumpetdisappointment · 19/04/2023 04:17

why can't you stand the children?
it is not their fault they have no discipline @Stewball01

ReneBumsWombats · 19/04/2023 07:06

Stewball01 · 19/04/2023 00:24

I'm sorry. I'm 78 and can't stand children like that who have no discipline in their lives.

What's your age got to do with it? And why isn't your disapproval directed at the people responsible for discipline?

New posts on this thread. Refresh page