Parents, PLEASE sit with your kids on your flights!!!

[Jillpie]

JerJan, couldn't have said it better myself.

AmyJo, your arrangement sounds fine, my point was with the parents that just completely IGNORED their kids while they made us miserable the entire 3 hours. As long as you have no intention of watching the tv the whole time and making sure the kids are behaving, I'm sure everything will be great.

DebbieB, that was the best advice I've ever heard. I HAVE to remember that when we book for next June, thank you!!!!!

 

[shoes99]

We fly the EWR to MCO route frequently, so we get a lot of kickers and tray table pullers. Our worst experience,,,,we were sitting in front of young couple with a 3 or 4 yo. They constantly tried to entertain the child by talking, singing, reading a book out loud, and finally the last straw, they set up the 3 snack tables and played race car with matchbox cars.. When I asked them to stop shaking the tray tables that were attached to the seats, they looked at me like I was doing something wrong. I know you have to have a lot of patience when the flight is full of kids, but in this case the parents were very annoying.
PS: I now remember all the words to "the itsy bitsy spider........."

 

[KATIESMOMMY]

We fly the EWR to MCO route frequently, so we get a lot of kickers and tray table pullers. Our worst experience,,,,we were sitting in front of young couple with a 3 or 4 yo. They constantly tried to entertain the child by talking, singing, reading a book out loud, and finally the last straw, they set up the 3 snack tables and played race car with matchbox cars.. When I asked them to stop shaking the tray tables that were attached to the seats, they looked at me like I was doing something wrong. I know you have to have a lot of patience when the flight is full of kids, but in this case the parents were very annoying.
PS: I now remember all the words to "the itsy bitsy spider........."

Out of curiousity --would it have been better to let the child cry or scream or for Mommy to sing the itsy bitsy spider or talk or read? Maybe I just don't understand but, to me it sounds like they were trying to save having everyone hear just how much of a "brat" the child could be!

Guess maybe I should never fly as I might get in trouble for reading to my child...............

Maybe we should all just check our children with our luggage?

 

[nibab4]

KATIESMOMMY,
If you reread the post she had asked them to stop shaking the tray. This to me would be as annoying as a someone kicking or pushing my seat, I've had adults do this as well. I've seen plenty of people entertain their children without everyone in the plane overhearing them. People that make sure everyone around them hears their conversation bug the heck out of me. I'm not interested in your stories. I understand if your seated the seat right next to me it's difficult, It's the ones that are a few rows away

I also have children and we always sit with them.

J

 

[delilah]

A bit off topic, and doesn't sound like it is the situation in this case, but one of the things that steams me most is when the airline will assign seats that are not together to a family with kids, even when the family has taken pains to try to assure that the seats are together. I don't know how many times we've shown up at the counter only to find that the seats we reserved together five months earlier are now spread out all over the airplane. The response I get from the person at the counter is that the flight is full, that they cannot change the seats, and that I will have to negotiate with other passengers to find seats that are next to each other. Arrggghhh!!!

This has happened to us, also. It is so very annoying. I have never been successful, either, getting somebody to change with us. Usually, though, we have two seats together, which is a bit easier. But, my son always wants to sit between us, and I usually need to continually reinforce that he can't run up to daddy's row to visit.

 

[dudspizza]

Parents need to remember this rule of thumb. Your children can be the center of your universe, but they should not be the center of everyone elses universe too!!

You do not have a right to let your children bother other people. They should not be standing on the seat in a plane or restaurant staring at people. They should not be running around the airplane or restaurant playing. Children can, and should be, taught to sit and entertain themselves. Parents can help entertain them, but not if it bothers others. The arguement that the child would have been screaming instead is ridiculous. Parents can find ways to keep their child quiet, without having to annoy everyone else in the process. That example above is a prime example of parents putting their child as their center of the universe and not caring about anyone else's universe.

There are tons of ways to keep your children entertained, quietly. Coloring, portable dvd player, cd player with music, hand held games with headphones, etc....

In the end, no one has a right to disrupt anyone else's trip. If people use common sense, we all would get along a lot better.

My 2¢.

Duds

 

[esk]

When DS turned 18 mos and I was flying alone with him for the holidays, we quickly decided that $200 invested in a portable DVD player is priceless. Keeps him quiet, contained and interested for the 2-3 hour trip. The only dicey parts are the 10 minutes between when you have to switch off portable electronics and you land, but then we occupy that with a snack and some juice.

DS is now 4, and you get what you pay for; we're on our second $200 DVD player but again, worth every penny. We don't let him watch TV or movies at home (one hour of Disney on Sat and Sun mornings) so it is a real treat for him; he can't decide between Nemo, Pooh, Aladdin, Lion King, etc.

 

[tessqt]

I'm sorry for your plane ride from **ll!!! I do not fly very often, but when I have with my kids I have plenty of things to entertain them. We will be traveling to WDW in Nov and I'm already starting to gather items for entertainment.

It does sound like the parents do not care and nothing anyone said would have changed it.

 

[dudspizza]

When DS turned 18 mos and I was flying alone with him for the holidays, we quickly decided that $200 invested in a portable DVD player is priceless. Keeps him quiet, contained and interested for the 2-3 hour trip. The only dicey parts are the 10 minutes between when you have to switch off portable electronics and you land, but then we occupy that with a snack and some juice.

DS is now 4, and you get what you pay for; we're on our second $200 DVD player but again, worth every penny. We don't let him watch TV or movies at home (one hour of Disney on Sat and Sun mornings) so it is a real treat for him; he can't decide between Nemo, Pooh, Aladdin, Lion King, etc.

Our new laptop has a dvd player in it.... so we will trying it this trip. Our kids are 8 and 6, but they still love the idea of watching a movie on the flight.

Duds

 

[Alice Sr.]

Parents need to remember this rule of thumb. Your children can be the center of your universe, but they should not be the center of everyone elses universe too!!

My 2¢.

Duds

I would just add, it seems like a lot of parents are oblivious that they are in a public place; if you are out in public don't act as if you're in your living room. I hope we aren't giving any 1st time flyers as new parents nightmares. I have never really had a bad experience (knock on wood) but I sure can imagine how madding it would be.

 

[Alice Sr.]

I try to book the row in front of the exit row, I know kids will not be sitting in that row and I don't have to worry about the kicking and banging on the tray. Those seats don't recline but that doesn't bother me.

Excellent advise, never thought of that. Thanks.

 

[inkkognito]

This reminded me of one of my husband's experiences when he was flying solo on Southwest. Normally people stress about not being able to sit near their kids. He was in a row with a child alone, with mom in the window seat across the aisle. He offered to switch so she could be next to her child, and she said no. He said, "I really wouldn't mind" and she got really nasty with him and said, "NO! I want to sit here!" Do people like that ever consider what would happen to their child in an emergency? I'm sure my husband would have tried to help if he could, but it's not his responsibility to help someone else's child that they have abandoned to sit in its own.
Barb

 

[goofy4tink]

I have to say that there are some children that can fly nicely. My nephews now 16 and 19, have been flying since they were born. They fly between CA and Japan all the time and then back and forth to the east coast to visit us. My dd now almost 12, has been flying since she was 4. Her first flight was from Boston to Seattle. That's a hugely long first flight!!! But, all these kids know how to behave and what is expected of them. They lug their own carry-ons, they amuse themselves on the flight, without impacted other people. It's up to us, the parents, to make it known to our children what is acceptable behavior, no matter where they are...on a plane, bus or just walking around in the mall. Just another part of parenting. It is not the 'villages' job to raise these kids. I don't feel comfortable disciplining someone else's child. Not my job. I raise my child, you raise yours. But please try to instill some common sense and good manners in your child. They will then be welcomed anyplace they go!!

 

[DisKim]

The last time we flew to Orlando, we had three boys in front of us ranging in age from about 11 down to 6 or 7. They made me appreciate my DD8 and DS4. As a parent myself, I know that kids are not made to behave well all the time. That being said, these kids were screaming and beating each other up the entire trip. Their parents sat across the aisle from the kids and had their headphones on watching tv the whole time. My 4-year-old couldn't understand why I wasn't disciplining the kids in front of us. He doesn't understand that parents are supposed to take care of their own children.

 

[zdad]

I sure hope that flying into Tampa will greatly reduce the kid factor on the plane. I would think that there are fewer (not none, but fewer) WDW travellers on a Tampa flight.

Mine are teenagers now, and hope they will behave themselves, but they will still be sitting with a parent. I can't imagine leaving a young child to sit without a parent on a flight. UGH

 

[bytheblood]

My daughter is very good on the plane as well. She talks to Daddy and I, plays her Gameboy, listens to her portable CD player, reads and really is very considerate of other passengers. She is 7.

 

[iluvepcot]

I am reminded of two stories. First let me say that they are no way defending any parent that does not at least try to take control of thier children.

First I was on a flight some years ago, before I had my own children. I sat in front of a child that was loud and kicking my seat the entire time. And although I shifted and was upset, I stopped short of saying anything. When the flight was over it was clear the child behind was handicapped in some way and the parents were not able to control her.

The second story was told by our priest. He was on a flight accorss country and was upset to be seated in front of two children who were loud and hyperactive. The children kept leanning over the seat trying to talk to him. He wanted to read and was not very receptive. He found out some time into the flight that they were on this flight to take the body of thier father home for buriel.

Again, not an excuse for any parent but I try to remind myself of these two stories any time I see untolerable behavior anywhere. You never know what is going on with the other person.

 

[ncbyrne]

A bit off topic, and doesn't sound like it is the situation in this case, but one of the things that steams me most is when the airline will assign seats that are not together to a family with kids, even when the family has taken pains to try to assure that the seats are together. I don't know how many times we've shown up at the counter only to find that the seats we reserved together five months earlier are now spread out all over the airplane. The response I get from the person at the counter is that the flight is full, that they cannot change the seats, and that I will have to negotiate with other passengers to find seats that are next to each other. Arrggghhh!!!

We have never had this happen on Delta or Song, but it definitely happens on Continental! Last year I went to WDW with DD and DGS (6 + 10) booked 331 days out and chosen our seats online at that time. I checked several times during that year, and the screen always showed those same exact seats. We get to the airport and they have us sitting in 4 separated seats, rows apart! I could hardly believe it. The FAs were very helpful and got other families to switch seats and rearranged everyone so that I could sit with one child and my DD with the other, but no where near each other on the flight. It is this very reason that I will NOT fly with Continental with the kids again.

 

[dvc guy]

As a parent of 2 now 12 & 9 it is the adults who need to monitor the children. We have been flying with the kids since they were 9 months old. Fact is flying with small children is no fun, you have to keep them busy the whole time. No time to read or sleep. I have spent more time then I care to remember telling the kids don't kick the seat in front of you, don't play with the tray table.
Portable DVD players go along way keeping them busy.
Remember it takes a village, but ever village has its idot

 

[grlzmom]

I am mom to seven little frequent flyers (15, 13, 10, 8, 3, 2, 2) and dh and I have always made a conscious effort to promote "airplane manners".

When the children are infants/toddlers, of course it is a little harder to ensure quietness when often children that age are unpredictable.

However, we have never taught them that the airplane experience is a big adventure. It is simply like a car ride, a means of getting from one point to another, with safety put first. In the car we use quiet voices and behave ourselves not to distract mommy or daddy from driving, we don't eat or drink. We buckle up and take naps. Same thing on the plane.

We also don't overstimulate them. We encourage them to wear themselves out in the airport but once on the plane, we don't even give them snacks (exception long flights) or goody bags. A two hour flight to us just was the equivalent of a two hour car ride and one can sit buckled and rest for that long. It is much easier to feed them before and after then to deal with it on the plane. They also use the restroom before getting on the plane.

Yes, crayons, etc. for the young ones, but we just never made a big deal out of the plane ride and haven't had any issues. We also ALWAYS ensure that our older girls (teenagers) who sit alone (because we have to sit with all the little ones) sit in the row in front of us in case our younger ones do kick or squirm.

Also, we take shoes off the babies/toddler when getting on the plane in case there is a kick it lessens the impact

I am in complete agreement that repetitive kicking, etc. is not ok. And, parents should definately sit with their child whenever possible.

However, I would hope that if my kiddo did kick, etc. someone would give me the chance first to correct the behavior before reporting it to the FA

I also think that "airplane manners" applies to adults and kids!!