Do you listen to your kids/teens music in the car

[Chilln]

Currently a bit of a family debate. We had a very long drive today, myself and my 3 teenagers. I listened to my music the entire drive all 3 said it’s very unfair and we should take turns. I’m under the opinion that I’m driving, they have earphones if they don’t want to listen and it’s my car.
DD said that she feels like it’s nice to share the music we like and earphones don’t make a difference as in the car you can usually hear whatever is on the speakers over the earphones.
Not a deep conversation, no one is actually upset, just curious as to if you think I was unreasonable to only put my music on?

Yes, very unreasonable.

To this day, the songs of The Shins bring me back to the days when I schlepped DD1 and her mates on the swim team to crack of dawn swim practice, and I wonder where the years went.

I heard a lot of decent music I wouldn't otherwise have a clue about, and my DCs and I learned to love and appreciate one another in new ways when I turned the tuning knob over to them on long trips and even on short trips.

We take it in turns to choose tunes (though I do get more turns than the kids haha). I do veto the very worst of their choices but otherwise I embrace it. It's quite fun hearing each others choices and I'm amazed that my 10yr old often asks for golden oldies I didn't know she knew!

Yes, of course take turns.

It should be 'family car, family music'. Make it fun for everyone.

Kids choose playlists in our car, mainly. But they normally pop a few tunes in that they know I will like too. I like hearing their stuff. Sometimes I choose a radio station that I like. I think it’s nice to share music. They’re both really in to music and I want to show them I enjoy it too.

I never had shared music as a kid. It was always my parents choice and I’d just play my stuff in my room. Seems a shame to miss the opportunity for enjoying music together and listening together. But maybe if I really didn’t like their music taste then I would feel similar to you!!

Depends.

if I’m tired and need “keep me awake music” then I pick something upbeat.

otherwise turns.

We always took it in turns. I enjoyed listening to the stuff my DDs were listening to. They are adults now and we still share music we like ( and often music i am not keen on - I'm talking about you, Taylor Swift).

I don’t mind some of their music but one of my DC listen almost exclusively to remixes and house music and it just does my head in! Another likes a lot of pop music that all sounds the same but at least isn’t so bad.

Sometimes we take turns and sometimes I decide - especially on a long journey you need to prioritise being comfortable and safe and after a while their music starts to grate so I have to pull rank and its drivers choice again.

We take it in turns. Although I do feel we seem to listen to Taylor Swift more than the fair share!

I have playlists with a mixture of all our choices, my DD loves musical theatre and my DS likes a wide range of stuff so it’s an eclectic mix. I love hearing what they’re into most of the time.

I wouldn’t mind some Taylor swift actually, my DD is obsessed with house/EDM music, the whole car would be a rave if she had her way! DS loves some pop music which I can tolerate better but it opens the door to DDs music which just gives me a headache!

Maybe for the next drive I’ll just have to accept it for a little bit.

Nope. Otherwise there are fights.

Driver controls the music choices here.
They were so excited when they were learning to drive, and were very quick to point out they get to choose the music now!

No way. They get what they're given and I don't care whether they like it (they don't).

Depends. They can choose the music but I get veto on whether it stays on or not so they know to pick things I might like. I quite like a lot of “modern” stuff though although I draw the line at anything with unnecessary swearing.

Yes we take it in turns. I admit to preferring my eldest’s taste (lots of rock and pop punk) whereas DD’s are into k-pop and my 7yo has an obsession with k-pop demon hunters still so must have listened to that soundtrack 10000x. My 5yo really loves Spiders by Lola Young. He’s non verbal but will always ask for that song in the car!

We pick there, they pick on way back. Stops moaning about our choices. Now some of their choices are from our era and at the very least we can answer some music quiz questions about their bands.

I used to think if I’m driving then I’ll listen to my music. Kids have their headphones! However DH will often let the kids plug their phones in, and eldest DSD will sing along and everyone has to listen! No one else is allowed to sing! Which is very annoying especially for a long journey even for a short journey as I’d rather just enjoy the music!

So we now compromise and have their radio station on until it starts getting repetitive then we change it.

We all love to sing, so headphones for the kids often don’t work, and we all end up having to listen to the same stuff anyway. I would draw the line at stuff you can’t sing to though ie:house!

Listening to my kids music on drives is a big way that we bond, I have learned a lot about them and also have found some new favourite songs from allowing my kids access to my Spotify in the car.

No, they're in headphones. DD would never share what she listens to. DS will have one ear off so he can hear me.
I have radio 1 or podcasts on.

We have a playlist on my phone that all members can add songs too in this house everyone understands there might be songs they don’t like but fairs fair.

So we jump from Taylor swift, juice wrld, my chemical romance, billie E, Kendrick Lamar, imagine dragons and so on. Even get a bit on Bon jovi on there. Always a nice suprise when a child adds a song and it’s old and they are shocked you know it 😂

I find it nice I hear music I might never of heard like the radio but without bloody adds.

I used to hate being in the car as a child and having to listen to only cliffe Richard and Tom jones.

Taking turns is much nicer than having everyone in their own little world.

My eldest is 17 and often asks to put some music on. I don’t usually have any on by default as I’m more of an audiobook person and obviously I can’t subject others to that. He’s mostly into metal, rock and Emo, a lot of which is right up my street, so it’s interesting to hear new stuff. If I suggest a band that he might like, he’s open minded and will have a listen, so he has added quite a few of my favourites to his playlist, eg Muse, Radiohead, Depeche Mode, The Cure. A couple of years ago, he was into rap and hip hop, which is completely alien to me, but I did let him play it in the car. Kneecap are from Belfast, the city where I grew up, and I want to like them, especially as they often sing in Irish, but bloody hell🤣 He doesn’t seem to like them so much these days. DS2 prefers no music in the car and enjoys a chat. I just go with the flow. I think everyone should get a say.

Drivers chooses in our car, but teen DD wouldn't want to share her music anyway, she won't even tell us who her favourite bands are, and DS is happy with whatever music is on so I usually put on Absolute 90s or Absolute 00s (short journeys I just leave it on local radio which is classic rock and pop which is nice too). OH always listens to incredibly boring audiobooks when he's driving, which the rest of us just tune out.

Growing up if dad was in the car we could only listen to what he wanted to listen to, which was Radio 4, the Bible on tape (terrible memories of very long journeys listening to that) and The Hobbit on tape (that was much better). If dad wasn't in the car then mum would put on music from a tape but it was invariably Christian praise music. I do enjoy making them both listen to my music when they visit and I'm driving, and one day I expect my children will make me listen to theirs when they drive me. Its the circle of [car music] life.

The Bible on tape 😱.