DVD players on airplanes

[jodifla]

I don't understand. You know your kids. If your kids will be "bratty" to the point of annoying other passengers unless they're allowed to annoy other passengers with a DVD player then don't fly. Other passengers may want to read or sleep.

I understand good kids may be restless and I don't have an issue if the parents appropriately tell the kids to stop annoying other passengers. My issue is with parent who know their kids will be annoying other passengers but think they are solving the problem by allowing their kids to use a DVD player without headphones. I go with the third option, DON'T FLY WITH YOUR KIDS.

I could give you another option: DON'T FLY if you don't want to be part of the human race, which includes children all of types, some of whom can't or are too young to tolerate headphones.

So what if you want to read or sleep? Why does that trump a child who wants to entertain themselves by watching a movie at low volume.

 

[tjmw2727]

My dd's always use headphones so I am not going to comment on the should or shouldn't. They actually like them because they cut out the engine noise and passenger noise so they can hear the movie/music better.

For anyone looking for headphones for a preschooler/toddler, Fisher Price makes an inexpensive cd player that comes with child size headphones. My sil got one for my nephew and she really likes the headphones for the dvd as well. The headphones are lightweight and seem to fit him well, you can also control the volume so they can't turn it up too loud and hurt their ears.

TJ

 

[brymolmom]

OK - now, really - those of you who commented that you should not fly if you might have a child who will distract/annoy other passengers...honestly - do you have any children?

My two (3 and 4) are usually very well behaved, but - come one - I have to believe that every young child (and some older ones) have 'melt downs' every now and again. Whether it be from being too tired, too overstimulated, too excited for the trip, not feeling well, etc.

And there is NO WAY to predict when this will occur. Your angel might have behaved like an angel for 6 months and then WHAM - right in the middle of your 3 hour flight - meltdown comes your way.

That being said - I started this same debate a year ago before we flew with (then) 2 year old dd who was resistant to headphones. We opted to go with 'the DVD player will only play sound through the headphones' theory. in other words - we never showed them that it plays sound without it - so their options on the flight were to either to wear them or to watch without sound. It worked for us (at least for that trip ).

But, i see no problem with a parent who is really TRYING to do what is best for other passengers and happens to be having real difficulty getting a child to settle down (for whatever reason) - playing a LOW volume DVD for that child. IMO - it is much better than hearing that child cry/scream/complain the whole time.

And, really, we've ALL sat near to someone on a plane MUCH RUDER than that - with LOUD, OBNOXIOUS talking - drinking, drunken behavior, etc. So this won't top the list of rude things to do on a plane for me.

Really - if those pp's DO have children, are you HONESTLY going to tell me that they never once acted up or misbehaved at a very inopportune time?? WOW- you should write a book if that's the case - I want to know how to achieve that!

 

[dzone1]

Personally,
I've used them before for flights to Orlando and they have been a great way to keep the young ones occupied. Secondly, I'm a little suprised by some of your comments on this board. " I firmly told someone to turn it off" , give me a break, if I'm not mistaken 1/2 the plane is on it's way to Disneyworld with plenty of kids on board. Now I would not turn the player up loud to distract others but give me a break. Actually there was a little girl in the aisle seat next to us that enjoyed watching a movie as well.

 

[DMRick]

But, i see no problem with a parent who is really TRYING to do what is best for other passengers and happens to be having real difficulty getting a child to settle down (for whatever reason) - playing a LOW volume DVD for that child. IMO - it is much better than hearing that child cry/scream/complain the whole time. !

I think I said this same thing on the last thread...a trying parent is different. A trying parent will do their best to work on this problem before they even leave (such as getting the child used to headphones, bringing crayons, reading to the child and snacks. We've been on planes with kids with who have had major meltdowns, and we've understood..and it's obvious mom is doing the best she can. We also sat behind some kids last month, that we actually moved from. Rocking their seat, making it impossible for me to have anything on my tray, running two DVD's with two loud movies, fighting with each other, and their mom (I'd say they were 4 and 6 or so). That I found very agravating (by the way, they were told to use headphones, or please shut the DVD's down..and after mom argued for several minutes, that they wouldn't wear them, the two attendants agreed to allow them to be played with no sound). After that, we moved way to the back, but we could still hear them. That parent was not prepared. The kids had nothing to do, but the DVD. I have to say, these were the worse kids we've ever been behind. I have no problem with little ones being just little ones..but these were kids that you couldn't pay me to sit next to.
I've yet to be on a plane where a child screamed the whole time, if they weren't able to listen to a DVD player. I'd personally, rather hear neither, a screaming child or a DVD player..it's not a "if you had a choice" thing to me. I also wouldn't be happy sitting next to a loud drunk. I understand noise on a plane, but there is noise, and then again there is noise.

 

[karenTX]

1. 
   Conversations aren't always continuous for hours.
   
   Sorry but it's very rude not to use headphones. Passengers complain, the FA will probably make you turn it off. Find headphones that work or leave the DVD player home.
   
   Last flight I heard a DVD player. It was very annoying. I looked around and it was the person behind me. I told the parent to use headphones. She said they didn't have any but would turn it down. I firmly told her to turn it off.
   

1. 
   
   Maybe You're the one who should not fly if you have such any issue!
   Some of us don't have a choice but to fly.
   
   I would rather listen to a child laughing at a movie WITHOUT headphones one then some the CONTINUOUS loud talking of some of the people around me. Many (too many) people think they have to talk EXTRA loud to be heard over the engines and don't mind letting everyone around them know their business. (A certain flight home from Las Vegas comes to my mind. I learned WAY too much about the sex life of the people behind me!!) Give me hearing The Wiggles at a low volume anyday over that!!
   Not to mention the many people who get their cell phones out as soon as they can on the plane and feel the need to YELL into it to be heard. Again, ruder then a DVD without headphones.
   
   If I was the mother you spoke too, I'd MAY have turned it down but I'd make sure your chair was kicked all the rest of the way.
   I take it you either don't have kids or you had perfect little angels that sat oh-so-quietly all the time.
   
   Have a nice day!

 

[DMRick]

If I was the mother you spoke too, I'd MAY have turned it down but I'd make sure your chair was kicked all the rest of the way.

I personally wouldn't be confrontational on a flight. I'd either move, or ask the attendant if she thought it was too loud. I'd do the same thing, if I was next to an obnoxious drunk.

I hope you are kidding, and wouldn't have kicked a seat just because someone asked you to turn down your DVD.

 

[karenTX]

I hope you are kidding, and wouldn't have kicked a seat just because someone asked you to turn down your DVD.

Yes, I was being sarcastic!

I'm not rude enough to kick a chair because of that but if someone is going to tell me to turn down my child's movie then they had better turn down the volume on their conversation about the "swinging " good time they had in Vegas. I, and other parents I'm sure, don't want to have to expain certain things to our children on the way to WDW. It goes both ways.

 

[NotUrsula]

Folks, in the tight confines of coach on an aircraft, ANY continuous audible noise from your neighbors is going to get annoying after awhile. That goes for conversations, music, movies, coughing, crunching ... the list is endless.

It is simple good manners to make an effort NOT to aurally intrude on those around you. Age really doesn't come into it for me -- I'm just as annoyed by endless conversations about Vegas or college football as I am by 2 hrs. of Spongebob or 200 choruses of Jingle Bells. Keep your voice down and give it a rest after 20 minutes or so. Companionable silence is a wonderful thing. If you have a cough, take something for it. If you want to eat cruchy food, do it quickly and get it over with.

When the noise is being caused by electronic devices, the simple and correct solution is headphones. Buy them, get the right size and train kids to use them before you leave for the trip. A child too tiny to use headphones isn't old enough to care if they can't hear the dialogue, so turn it off entirely. If older kids don't want to use headphones, switch on the closed captions and let them READ the dialogue, but either way, no headphones should mean no sound.

 

[DMRick]

if someone is going to tell me to turn down my child's movie then they had better turn down the volume on their conversation about the "swinging " good time they had in Vegas. I, and other parents I'm sure, don't want to have to expain certain things to our children on the way to WDW. It goes both ways.

I agree..no one should be filling the air with noise, and adults should not be having adult conversations with young children in earsite. I just wanted to clear something up...it's not just kids with loud DVD's I would object too. Adults too, need to wear headphones.

 

[Lewisc]

Neither, the DVD player was so loud passengers 3 and 4 rows up, and on the opposite side aisle were looking around trying locate the noise.

So a passenger that objects to a loud DVD player deserves to get kicked?

I blame the mother for even considering letting their child use the DVD player without headphones. The child was neither a devil nor an angel, just a parent that didn't take the time to consider other passengers.

If I was the mother you spoke too, I'd MAY have turned it down but I'd make sure your chair was kicked all the rest of the way.
I take it you either don't have kids or you had perfect little angels that sat oh-so-quietly all the time.

Have a nice day!

 

[TheDizMom]

OK I haven't read every post but I am a firm believer that anything you bring for your kids to play with should be either quiet or used with headphones. Gameboys, PSP's, DVD players etc should always be used with headphones because it is just plain common courtesy. I understand your dilema , but I think you really need headphones. I think you can attempt to "train" them to use the headphones before the trip especially the older one. I would be willing to bet however, if the younger one simply refuses to use them he will most likely be just as entertained if he can watch it as he would be if he could hear it also. It seems to me at that age they don't really listen to what is on so much as they just watch itanyway.

 

[jodifla]

Neither, the DVD player was so loud passengers 3 and 4 rows up, and on the opposite side aisle were looking around trying locate the noise.

So a passenger that objects to a loud DVD player deserves to get kicked?

I blame the mother for even considering letting their child use the DVD player without headphones. The child was neither a devil nor an angel, just a parent that didn't take the time to consider other passengers.

I'm not sure why you think you are in charge on the plane.

Common courtesy works all ways.

 

[dzone1]

It just came to me, LewisSC is really Grumpy from the 7 Dwarfs!!!

 

[las3888]

Wow...I am just surprised at the responses on this thread. I posted a similar question maybe 6-10 mos ago (cant' remember) and people were much more agreeable. I was worried because DS wasn't a great flier however he did really well when the DVD player was on. We did have a complaint on one of our flights when DS was maybe around 10 mos. He would not have used headphones at that point whatsoever, so we were trying very hard to keep the volume low, but enough to keep him entertained. I really feel that it was a choice of: hear this kid cry and be fussy and irritating, or deal with Elmo. C'mon, folks!

Anyways, I didn't think he would, but DS staretd to use earphones successfully on flights from maybe 12 months and onwards. I am sure some kids won't, but he did fine with them. They are definitely worth a shot. My opinion: try the headphones...if they won't wear them, turn the DVD player on as low as possible but enough to keep them entertained. That's the best you can do.

Good luck!

 

[jodifla]

Wow...I am just surprised at the responses on this thread. I posted a similar question maybe 6-10 mos ago (cant' remember) and people were much more agreeable. I was worried because DS wasn't a great flier however he did really well when the DVD player was on. We did have a complaint on one of our flights when DS was maybe around 10 mos. He would not have used headphones at that point whatsoever, so we were trying very hard to keep the volume low, but enough to keep him entertained. I really feel that it was a choice of: hear this kid cry and be fussy and irritating, or deal with Elmo. C'mon, folks!

Anyways, I didn't think he would, but DS staretd to use earphones successfully on flights from maybe 12 months and onwards. I am sure some kids won't, but he did fine with them. They are definitely worth a shot. My opinion: try the headphones...if they won't wear them, turn the DVD player on as low as possible but enough to keep them entertained. That's the best you can do.

Good luck!

yours is absolutely a reasonable approach, and one most people would take. however, this subject always seems to dissolve into "don't fly with kids" vitriol from certain posters. And this, on the DISboards.

 

[Pinnie]

May be a moot point. On a recent flight from I was on from BNA to DTW, passengers were told by the FA's that all DVD players had to be used with headphones.

pinnie

 

[DMRick]

yours is absolutely a reasonable approach, and one most people would take. however, this subject always seems to dissolve into "don't fly with kids" vitriol from certain posters. And this, on the DISboards.

I don't think that is it at all. There is no one I'd like to fly with, who doesn't take other's into consideration...be it a child, a mother or a drunk. I just don't understand all those who say, hey, listen to my DVD or hear my child scream. Like those are the only two choices, and they aren't. I've flown with plenty of parents who spend the entire time on the plane entertaining their children. Is it tiring for the parents? I'm sure it is. It always was when our grands were younger and we flew together. Yes, there are times when even that doesn't work, but then no one expects children to always be quite. Sometimes kids have meltdowns..vacations are tough for them.

When we were in Dublin last year, we noticed that on the train, there were signs saying, this is a quiet car...you must use headphones on all appliances. There was no if's or but's. Everyone on that car, children and adults had their ipods and DVD's, but with headphones. They were told they had to use the headphones in order to use their equipment, and so they did. This is children and adults. I'm betting if your child thinks the only way to listen to a DVD is with headphones, it won't be long until he'll wear headphones.

 

[thebrain]

Thank you for all of the input. Based upon some of the responses, especially those who are encouraging parents to stay off of airplanes with children, I think we may just leave the DVD player at home. You can never make everyone happy - as evidenced by just the posts to my question - and I don't want to CREATE more problems by having one child with headphones and the other one without.

My siblings and I all survived many flights without DVD players, and I think my kids will adjust as well.

Personally, even before I had kids, I have never had a problem with a crying child on an airplane, but I have had issues with intoxicated people, people who reek of too much perfume, body odor or cigarette smoke, and with those people generally obnoxious. I'll try to remember that we all have our individual quirks like that.

Thanks again.

 

[DMRick]

Thank you for all of the input. Based upon some of the responses, especially those who are encouraging parents to stay off of airplanes with children, .

Were there many responses suggesting parents stay off of airplanes with children? I just went and reread the entire thread..I see only one or two that you may have taken that way..but many many more posts with people just responding and giving ideas about using a DVD on a plane. I'm certainly not suggesting people not go on airplanes with children. I thought we were talking about using a DVD with or without headphones.