Give your child a screen and the rest of us peace

[OlympicsFanGirl]

Second long train journey this weekend and yet again a whole carriage having to put up with loud, noisy, whining kids.

It's grating and it's constant and there are hours to go.

Parents just don't seem bothered.

Rest of the carriage now sharing looks, rolling eyes and sighing.

Just give them tablets and headphones and the rest of us some peace and quiet.

Because you're literally the one complaining so obviously you're the one with the problem! But you've got a tablet and headphones so use them? 🤷

I think long train journeys are one of the only places screen's in public are acceptable tbh

What about your child who is next to you will you ignore her/him for the rest of your journey. Don't you communicate with your child?

Children chatting, laughing or crying for a reason don't bother me at all. Children screaming, shouting and jumping on the seats need sorting out but that is down to poor parenting, too many parents glued to their phones and ignoring their children and refusing to teach their child how to use public transport.

Exactly this.

If a child is crying because they're hungry, feed them. It's not hard. But people let their kids run wild

Surely screens in public (I'm not talking about theatres or cinemas)

... are all acceptable if the volume is redirected through headphones?

Or are you suggesting audible screens are ok on trains @OnAndOnAndonAgain ?!

That's a good idea.

I fully agree @Getonwitit

The biggest issue sadly is that a lot of people on here don't want to parent. Hands down, they can't be 'arsed' or whatever the phrase is.

They then glare at you if you dare to uphold any societal convention that other people's journey matters as much as their "D"Cs.

@SoOriginal

I did. 😳

Problem currently abated though as parents have supplied screens to the kids after 2.5 hours of feral hell.

Have they given the screens to them with headphones? Or have they let them have the volume up so others can hear?

If the latter, then I would be saying something - to me that's still unacceptable in society.

@Charlottescobweb

She's doing fine 😀 happy and well behaved.

Although the feral kids were annoying her too until the parents finally dealt with them

Thanks for asking.

I am from a generation and a place when we were kids (we were three siblings) and were on a bus, car or train we spend the journey singing rhymes and playing I spy. We were loud as hell I suppose.

We were stuck for 50 minutes in train not moving - last leg of a long journey UK holiday - in quiet carriage.

Last stop before load of day trippers got on young to middle age mixed groups- and there was a birthday - got on seemed to know each other - all drinking - the noise was unbelievable - they were polite but so loud couldn't hear announcements and noise just crept up and up - it got so it was painful. We got up in vestibule early - and then they started singing happy birthday.

DD2 teen who struggles with noise kept saying Mum it's the quiet carriage.

So I get the sentiment - but it would these days have to be enforced I think.

Where did I say they should be used without headphones

And in other public places like restaurants etc if the child is bored or bothering other people you can take them outside

You can't do that on a train

Yep, great idea. And when they all turn into screen zombies addicted to technology and unable to socialise or communicate properly, what do we do then exactly?

Neither of my children have tablets. I prefer them to interact with the real world like I was taught to.

The irony in your post is giving the kids screens is much more likely to cause this behaviour in the times they don't have them. We work very hard on teaching the kids how to behave in public/ sit nicely/ look out the window/ chat/ play dominoes if its a long journey and we have a table. They won't be silent but they won't be loud or misbehaving.

What you are describing here is antisocial behaviour, it won't really be fixed by giving them something antisocial to stare at. At most it's just kicking that behaviour further down the road.

Thought you meant sleeping tablets...

There are actually loads of kids in this carriage who are all behaving nicely.

Chatting, giggling, playing cards, eating snacks, watching screens.

Lots of parents capable to parenting nice, well behaved and considerate children.

Most parents are actually decent.

But some are fucking awful

Oooo there's an idea 🤪🤣

I honestly prefer sitting by families on trains, where the dad is present. I can take any kids noise but no scared sitting next to random bloke

So the parents were playing with the kids but they were still too noisy for you. Maybe don't use public transport if you don't want to share with children. Seems children won't be allowed anywhere soon (if MN ran the country).
You'd hate a journey with my DS. He has SEN and will engage with a screen for 10 minutes on a good day. So he may well be making noises (he doesn't actually talk), flapping his arms about and trying to run around.
We don't use public transport though because people like you make it clear we're not welcome unless we have mute children who don't move.

Parents can't win on here 😂 if you give your child a screen in public you're lazy, if you don't people moan that they aren't quiet. I get some kids are just left to scream and shout but it does sometimes feel like you'll be judged either way.

They were

Jumping up and down on the seats
Kicking chairs
Screeching and whining constantly
Running up and down the aisle

Not asking for muteness just to not to make everyone else miserable

I don’t mind kids being noisy as long as the parents are trying to keep them occupied. Disturbing others (kicking seats / repetitive shouting etc ) is not on. I agree that adults can be just as bad. I travelled down to London from Manchester and was seated next to two young couples. Their conversation was so loud and inappropriate. Talk of ‘beef curtains’ and ‘fanny sucking’ to name just a couple of topics was not appreciated! It’s so hard to say something though as you don’t know what response you will get. So… maybe screen time for some adults would also be appreciated!

Do parents not carry story books with them any more? Or make up stories, play I spy, carry small games with them? Screens didn’t exist when my kids were small and bc of dad’s job and family 4 hours away we travelled for hours. Mum and dad were the entertainment.