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Describe a time you saw children behave badly in public: IELTS Speaking Cue Card

You should say

  • Where was it?
  • What were the children doing?
  • How do others react to it?
  • And explain how you feel about it.
Show all 151 answers

Cue 1:Where was it?

  • Begin by describing the location where you witnessed the children's behavior, making it relatable and vivid.
  • Mention any specific details about the environment that contributed to the situation.

Example

I was at a busy shopping mall in Mumbai last summer, a place filled with families and children enjoying their day out. The mall was bustling with activity, and the atmosphere was lively, with music playing and people chatting.

Cue 2:What were the children doing?

  • Clearly explain the actions of the children that you considered to be bad behavior.
  • Provide specific examples of what they did that stood out to you.

Example

While I was waiting for my friend near a toy store, I noticed a group of three children, probably around 7 to 10 years old. They were running around, shouting loudly, and even knocking over some displays. At one point, one of them threw a toy at another child, which was quite alarming.

Cue 3:How do others react to it?

  • Describe the reactions of the adults and other children around the situation.
  • Mention if anyone intervened or if people just ignored the behavior.

Example

The adults around seemed quite shocked. Some parents looked at their children with concern, while others just shook their heads in disapproval. A store employee approached the group and asked them to calm down, but the children just laughed and continued their antics.

Cue 4:And explain how you feel about it.

  • Share your personal feelings about the situation, whether you found it amusing, concerning, or frustrating.
  • Reflect on what this behavior might indicate about parenting or social norms.

Example

I felt a mix of frustration and concern. It was troubling to see such behavior in public, as it reflects a lack of discipline. I wondered if the parents were aware of how their children were acting. I believe that children need guidance on how to behave in public spaces.

Conclusion

    Example

    In conclusion, witnessing children behave badly in public can be quite unsettling. It serves as a reminder of the importance of teaching children proper behavior and respect for others in shared spaces. Such experiences highlight the role of parents and society in shaping children's conduct.

    Following this structure will ensure you cover all the essential points while providing a clear and engaging response to the cue card topic.

    Tips to answer this Cue Card

    1: Vague Descriptions

    Using vague language can make your answer unclear. Candidates often fail to provide specific details about the situation, which can lead to a lack of engagement from the examiner.

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    Tip

    Include specific details about the location, actions of the children, and the reactions of others to create a vivid picture.

    2: Neglecting Personal Feelings

    Not expressing your personal feelings about the situation can make your response less engaging. Candidates often forget to share their emotional reactions, which are important for a complete answer.

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    Tip

    Reflect on how the behavior affected you and share your feelings to add depth to your response.

    Ignoring Others' Reactions

    Failing to mention how others reacted can leave your answer incomplete. Candidates sometimes focus only on the children and miss the broader context of the situation.

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    Tip

    Describe how bystanders or parents reacted to the children's behavior to provide a fuller picture of the event.

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    All Answers

    Here are all the answers by real-users practicing speaking for IELTS Cue Cards on our IELTS Prep App.

    Band >7

    One incident that I still remember happened at a library combined with a cafe near my house. A few months ago, I had gone there on a Sunday afternoon to read and enjoy coffee. A family with two children, probably about 8-7 years old, came in and sat at the table next to mine. At first, they seemed fine, but within few minutes, the kids started running around the library, shouting, and even grabbing the sugar packets from other tables and the counter. At one point, one of them accidentally knocked over a waiter also, carrying a tray of drinks, and the glasses smashed on the floor, like the drinks were all over the floor. But what surprised me more, the parents didn't step in immediately. They were scrolling on their phones, barely noticing the chaos happening, the staff looked visibly stressed, and a few customers were clearly annoyed. But eventually, the manager came and asked them to control their children, and then they finally calmed down. But the whole scene made me realize that how important it is for the parents to guide their children's behavior in the public space. Kids will be kids, of course, but the parents should have that responsibility and should build a difference between the playful energy and complete lack of the boundaries.

    Band 7

    One incident where I saw children behaving badly in public happened at a shopping mall last year. Initially, the atmosphere was calm and relaxed, but everything changed when a group of three young children began running around uncontrollably. They were shouting loudly, knocking into displays, and even throwing small toys at each other, which created a rather chaotic scene. Their behavior became increasingly destructive, and it was clear they were completely ignoring their parents' instruction. Consequently, the people around them reacted with obvious discomfort. Some shopkeepers looked startled and quickly stepped aside to avoid getting hit, while others exchanged disapproving glances. A few parents nearby seemed visibly annoyed, especially those with younger kids who were getting frightened by the noise. The store staff appeared overwhelmed, trying to politely ask the children to stop while attempting to prevent items from falling off the shelves. In the end, the children's mother, who looked exhausted and embarrassed, managed to calm them down after several minutes of persistent scolding. The atmosphere slowly returned to normal, but the disturbance had already affected everyone's mood. Looking back, the incident made me feel a mix of sympathy and frustration. On one hand, I understood that children can be unpredictable and full of energy, but on the other hand, I felt that the behavior was excessive and that the parents could have taken earlier control before the situation escalated. In the future, I think experiences like these highlight how important it is for parents to teach children about public behavior and for society to be patient yet firm when setting boundaries. Overall, the incident was a reminder of how small actions in public spaces can significantly affect everyone around.

    Band 7

    I clearly remember an incident that happened about six months ago, when I was at a supermarket on a Saturday morning. It was very busy and I was in the checkout line. This incident involved a mother and her young son, who I guess was about five or six years old. And the mother was trying to pay for her groceries. But the child suddenly threw a massive tantrum. He started screaming at the top of his lungs, not just a little cry, but like a high-pitched furious yell. This was because he had been eyeing a chocolate bar near the till, and when his mother told him no, his reaction was immediate and extreme. The noise was so loud that several people nearby actually stopped what they were doing and turned to stare. The whole line essentially ground to a halt. What struck me was the mother's reaction. She looked incredibly embarrassed and frustrated, but she didn't yell back. She simply tried to soothe him, but it had no effect. She ended up having to essentially drag him out of the store before she could even get her changed, leaving her shopping behind. This was definitely a very uncomfortable situation to witness. While I feel sympathy for the parent who is clearly struggling, the child's lack of respect or self-control in a public setting was quite shocking to see. It made me reflect on how difficult it must be for parents to manage their children's behaviour when they are under so much public scrutiny.

    Band 7

    I would like to talk about an incident I witnessed a few months ago at a shopping mall near my town hall. It was a weekend evening, and the mall was quite crowded with families and youngsters. While I was waiting in a queue at the building center of a supermarket, I noticed a young boy, probably around 6 or 7 years old, throwing a tantrum. He was accompanied by his mother, who was trying to calm him down. The child was insisting on buying a toy car that his mother had clearly refused to purchase. Instead of accepting her decision, he began shouting loudly, stamping his feet, and even laying down on the floor. His behavior created a quite scene, and many people turned their heads to see what was happening. The mother, though visibly embarrassed, remained patient. She tried to distract him by offering him some chocolates, but he kept trying and even pushed the basket away. What struck me most was that his behavior disturbed not only his mother, but also other shoppers who were waiting in the same line. Some people looked annoyed, while others seemed sympathetic toward the mother. Personally, I felt that the child was too young to understand the concept of money and budgeting, but at the same time, I believed that the mother should have been a bit firmer in handling the situation. Children often test boundaries, and if parents give in every time, they might grow up believing that growing trend terms is the way to get what they want. This incident left a lasting impression on me because it highlighted how challenging parents can be in public space.

    Band 7

    This instance is from a few months back. I was travelling in the evening in the Delhi metro when I saw two toddlers misbehaving. They were playing around, jumping, laughing, screaming even and their parents paid no heed towards it whatsoever. After a few minutes of screaming and this repeated action, they started dancing around the pole and licking the metro pole. It was an unsightly experience and I wondered when the parents were going to stop their kids from doing this. But that never happened. The people around in the metro were just laughing or just looking, staring. Some were creeped out by it while the rest were casually, nonchalantly laughing about it like this is how kids are supposed to behave. I completely, utterly couldn't agree with a single person who was promoting or even letting go of such an act. Children need to be taught to behave in a poised manner when outside in a social place, a social gathering. They shouldn't be allowed to do these sorts of acts by their parents and it's the parent's responsibility to teach their kids social manners.

    Band 7

    Well, I would love to share an experience that I faced when I was in the 3rd year of my college and this incident took place close to my college where a few students of my college itself were bothering a dog, they were basically hurting him and holding his ears and pulling it away and they were just bothering him a lot and I was shook at the crowd's reaction, I mean they were really unbothered, the dog was screaming out of pain but nobody seemed to bother, everybody just neglected it and I felt immensely hurt, I tend to feed animals, strays a lot and I can never see anyone, be it animals or humans go through anything so I stepped in and I got the dog out of there but yeah that is something that I still remember and I still feel bad about.

    Band 7

    Last year I went out of town to attend my cousin's wedding. Marriages or weddings are generally a happy affair. However, this one quickly escalated to a very tense situation because of some kids who initially were making fun of the balloon seller. They were trying to get some balloons for free. But when the poor man insisted to get his earnings, they started belittling him. Even some adults, instead of disciplining the kids or teaching them what is right and wrong, they started hurling abuses at the poor balloon seller. The man was just trying to earn his daily wages and feed his family. Initially, I thought not to interfere. However, the situation quickly became so much tense that they started abusing the balloon seller without any of his fault. Seeing the situation, I decided to step up and told them to respect the dignity of each and every life and not abuse someone just because somebody is below their stature. Making sure that the balloon seller is properly paid, I taught those kids to apologize and gave them advice for which maybe they will remember for life that every person, regardless of what they are earning or what they are doing, whether they are rich or poor, has the equal opportunity and deserves respect from even a little kid as well as from the adults. I was actually amazed that the adults were encouraging this behavior. To cut the long story short, I think that wedding I will forever remember.

    Band 7

    A time when I saw children behave badly in public was in late summer last year. The weather was pleasant and I decided to make the most of it by going down at the park with a book. As I looked up a few moments later from my bench I saw a deeply disturbing scene. A few older children were bullying a young kid during a football game. The child seemed timid and scared of the big guys and wasn't playing as well as them. They started shoving the younger child around and hurling abuses at him. I was taken aback by the scene and decided to intervene. I taught the older bullies a lesson on how to treat younger kids and help foster a more welcoming environment for all. I also went up to nearby parents and coaches and talked about the different ways in which we could inculcate a more welcoming space for all children and for children to not learn abusive language while talking to younger, more vulnerable kids.

    Band 7

    Last year, I saw the park turning into a dumping ground because the children were behaving badly. They were throwing food containers, plastic bottles and even heaps of litter. So I couldn't just ignore it because these were already near the trail that leads to the forest and it was degrading the environment. However, the other person, they didn't take it seriously. They were just ignoring the things. So I teamed up with neighbors I am close with and I kicked off a community cleanup drive to just clean the park. After spending some time and I think we started every Sunday and we started as cleaning, then I offered to sign a petition letter by asking the others in the neighborhood to sign it so that we could pass it to the municipal corporation. As a result, municipal corporation took some steps and put up proper dustbin signs. So as a result, now the parks look much cleaner now.

    Band 7

    One incident I clearly remember happened in a shopping mall a few months ago. I was there with a friend, just window shopping and enjoying our evening. While we were passing by a toy store, a young child, probably around 5-6 years old, crying out loudly. At first we thought it was just a normal tantrum, but it quickly escalated. The child began screaming, throwing toys around and even hitting his mother when she refused to buy him a particular toy. He lay down on the floor, kicking and yelling, while the mother looked helpless and embarrassed. People nearby were clearly disturbed. Some parents were trying to take their children away from the scene, while others just stood there awkwardly. A few even whispered comments like that child needs discipline, or parents these days are too soft. It was a bit uncomfortable for everyone. Personally, I felt sympathetic for the mother. It's easy to judge from the outside, but handling a child's meltdown in public is really difficult. At the same time, I also felt that the child needed clearer boundaries and guidance. Public behavior is something children need to be taught over time and how parents respond in such moments plays a huge role in that. Overall, the situation made me realize how important patience, consistency and communication are in parenting, especially in helping children understand how to behave in social settings.
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