Flying With Kids
As I’m sure most parents have now heard, Southwest Airlines flight attendants kicked a cranky two-year old child off their plane last week. Mother and son were flying together from Amarillo, Texas to San Jose, California, and the toddler started shouting and crying before the plane took off.
Pamela Root’s 2-year-old son was screaming for the Southwest Airlines plane to “Go! Plane! Go!”
“I want Daddy!” Adam shouted. Over and over again.
Despite her embarrassment, the stay-at-home San Jose mom remained confident that once the plane took off and she fed him, Adam would calm down and take a nap–just as he had on the half-dozen other plane rides with Mom.
The flight crew wasn’t willing to find out.
Many parents have expressed outrage over this. But, I’m a little surprised at this mother. She couldn’t give the kid a few small snacks to keep him quiet before takeoff? He’s hungry, in a strange space, and screaming, and she decides not to give him anything. Huh? I’m assuming they were not the only two passengers on the plane. Did the mother not care at all about anyone else around them? I’m not saying the airline should have kicked them off the flight, but come on, lady. When it was obvious her son wasn’t calming down, her common sense should have kicked in. Giving him something small may have distracted him and prevented the whole episode. Instead, she was asked to de-plane and then had to spend additional funds for an unexpected night in Texas.
Traveling with kids is exhausting and challenging. I have taken many flights with my two small girls and most have gone well. However, I’ve had others that were a bit rough. On every single flight, though, I have done absolutely everything in my power to keep my kids entertained and quiet. That included snacks and treats I wouldn’t normally let them have, more videos than they normally watch in one day, schlepping books and toys, and breaking out my own entertainment repertoire that involved everything short of standing on my head. It’s not always perfect, but I gave it my all.
Yes, it is our right as parents to bring our children with us on trips. But, it’s also our responsibility to minimize any disruption to the other passengers. It seems pretty rude to expect everyone else on board to wait it out while the parent does nothing.
Let’s hear what you think. How do you keep your kids happy during travels?
Flying With Kids | Entertainment Said,
November 2, 2009 @ 7:06 pm
[...] reading here: Flying With Kids Uncategorized [...]
Corrie Said,
November 2, 2009 @ 7:14 pm
First of all, THANK YOU. As a person without children until very recently, you’re the type of parent who I LOVE to fly with (I’m guessing you’d never ever let your kid kick my seat!)
I’ve been lucky enough that the two times I’ve flown with my five month old have been easy, and he’s slept. When I do have to travel with him when he’s older, I’m going to follow my mom’s rules (which are very close to yours) – bring a “surprise” to keep him occupied, bring snacks, and expect the same level of behavior you’d get if they were at the grocery store or at a restaurant.
I think how you travel with children, and what types of behavior you accept have a lot to do with what types of behavior you tolerate in non-traveling public as well. I think a lot of the people who let their kids kick the back of the seat in front of them, or let them run up and down the aisles, are the same people who let their children run amok in Target, or tolerate general misbehavior in public.
SkepParent » Blog Archive » SkepParent Bits Said,
November 2, 2009 @ 7:42 pm
[...] Flying with Kids – Interesting post asking how other parents fly/travel with kids in light of a mom who recently got booted from a Southwest Airlines flight for a tantrumy kid. [...]
Colin Summers Said,
November 2, 2009 @ 8:09 pm
I have done many, many cross-continental flights with my two boys, often solo. At one point I felt that if you had one of them in diapers it should be considered an Olympic event. One memorable return flight (with only the older one) from Toronto to Los Angeles saw him standing on his head in his seat, squealing (loudly), mostly with delight, and waving his feet.
Yes, I had tried *everything* to distract him, entertain him, plied him with snacks and toys and so on. Until he made it home to mom, and pooped in his own toilet, nothing was going to calm his mania. In general he’s a good traveller, so I was caught a little unawares for that particular episode.
The younger one has always been harder. I will cop to having dosed him on occasion with Tylenol before he was able to walk. That made the redeye possible. I spent one Los Angeles to NYC flight almost entirely on my feet, walking to keep him asleep. Awake meant yowls of displeasure.
molly Said,
November 2, 2009 @ 9:41 pm
jetblue has TV. that’s all it takes.
Jeff Ollie Said,
November 2, 2009 @ 10:07 pm
I’m reminded of Bill Cosby’s classic sketch:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fs0cYJUqJys
Perceval Said,
November 3, 2009 @ 12:26 am
Now, failsafe ways to calm down an overexcited toddler? I don’t know the child, but as a frequent flyer myself, I would say you’re being overly optimistic. There are so many factors here – initial delay (ever tried to keep toddlers amused and happy while their flight was delayed for an hour?), unexpected need for rest (many kids don’t nap like clockwork).
Restrictions on the amount of stuff one woman cancarry while dealing with a toddler.
She may have been unable to get him in resting position because kids need to face forward during takeoff. Cramped space seriously restricts what you can do w kids on a plane.
As for the commenter who wanted to do it like jodi, we’ll talk again once you’ve flown a couple of times with a toddler.
Colin Goudie Said,
November 3, 2009 @ 2:57 am
One world. Lollypops. Works wonders
Kela Said,
November 3, 2009 @ 7:17 am
I have flown on about 10 flights with my now 20 month old son. Before he was walking and having opinions of his own it was easy. I would nurse him, he would go to sleep and stay that way through most of the flight. Once he started crawling/walking and wanting to do stuff his way it became harder.
The last flight we were on the flight attendants would not let us have any of his toys, snacks or drink out during while we were sitting on the runway (for over an hour) waiting to take off. With nothing to use to keep him entertained and having to keep him in my lap facing forward, he was understandable upset and whiny. Since the flight attendants had taken away all of my options to entertain him I would have been angry if they kicked me off the flight because his was cranky and screaming.
Jodi Said,
November 3, 2009 @ 7:19 am
I’m not saying I have all the answers, and I have had some rough flights with my girls. (In fact, a few times when I’ve taken them alone, I got off the plane and said, “Never again!”) And, I have resorted to Benedryl a few times in order to get them to sleep (when it was nap or night time). I know that is frowned upon, but kids are notorious for not wanting to sleep on planes. And, the Benedryl is reported to help with pressure issues in the ears. (I don’t have facts on that, just word of mouth and experience. If anyone knows of the real facts, please share.)
My husband and I do *not* allow the girls to kick the back of seats. Sometimes it happens and we apologize to our fellow travelers. But, this is something we try to curtail.
I think the most important thing is that the other passengers and flight crew feel like you’re doing everything in your power to calm your child down. Maybe we can tune our kids out, but we can’t expect other people to do the same.
Jodi Said,
November 3, 2009 @ 7:30 am
In fact, I should share my worst flight experience. Flying from NYC to Ohio (about an hour and a half), I learned the hard way that my oldest daughter gets airsick. She had been watching a DVD while I was entertaining her little sister. Poor thing threw up everywhere. Thanks to the change of clothing I packed, a really wonderful flight attendant, and some passengers who could watch my youngest daughter, the experience was over in no time. But, that’s one I’ll never forget!
And, no more DVD or TV watching on our flights. Makes for some looooong trips.
Julie Said,
November 3, 2009 @ 7:58 am
Ha ha…seems like a hot button issue. Everybody has a story.
Our pediatrician recommended Benedryl for flights. I don’t know if it helps with the ear pressure thing. She was mostly all about it helping with the sleep thing.
But as it turns out, our son conks out immediately on planes without any help from meds, which is awesome. We’ve never dosed him. I think planes are where he actually sleeps the best! Our last flight was amazing. We got to watch a movie. My husband and I got to chat.
I’m running the risk of having things thrown at me here, I realize. Life’s not a picnic for us; we just got lucky with planes. I think if I could somehow set up a flight simulator in my son’s room, our nights would be gravy as well.
Corrie Said,
November 3, 2009 @ 2:26 pm
My most recent flight with the boy, I did give him Benedryl *and* Tylenol on the advice of his pediatrician. Benadryl for the fluid in his ears and Tylenol for the pain (of having fluid in his ears). We both had a URI and had to fly home from the east coast due to work obligations on my part. He slept like a lamb with no screaming or crying. Sadly, they gave me nothing for my sinus infection, and was told I couldn’t take anything that works for me because I was breastfeeding, and *I* was the one crying like a baby by the time we landed.
Rebecca Said,
November 4, 2009 @ 2:31 pm
Tell me more about this Benedryl… I’m about to take a red eye from LA to Boston with my 19 month old. Should I ask my pediatrician?
Years ago, when I was a naive college student, I saw a parent giving her three kids some sort of medicine (probably Benedryl) before a cross country flight. I was SHOCKED that a PARENT would use MEDICATION to make their children SLEEP just for everyone’s CONVENIENCE. I got all shouty. Used the anecdote for years as an example of terrible parenting.
Now I have a child. I will totally dose her.
I think of it this way: is it better for her to be up all night? Is it better for her to have the stress and anxiety of me being all hush-hush-hush stop-stop-stop and up in her grill while I’m exhausted too?
The Nerd Said,
November 4, 2009 @ 9:13 pm
Two words: transatlantic flight. There is NOTHING that can be done to keep a child quiet during that whole thing, and when the first hour is just sitting waiting for clearance, may the good FSM have mercy on us all! The flight home we tried to shut him up with a whole bag of little sugar drops. Those kept him quiet, except that again, the flight is HOURS long, and there are only so many drops. Attempts to ration them out resulted in very loud demands for more. The only way we survived was a seasoned grandmother in the seat behind us who offered to take him for a few hours. As our child is very fond of strangers, we were happy to accept her relief.
Helen Said,
November 6, 2009 @ 2:11 pm
I would definitely try any sedative (even benedryl) as a dry run before using it on a flight.
My SIL is a paediatrician and gave her son phenegan on a trans pacific (Australia to the US) flight without having previously tried it. He was one of the 1 in 100 children who gets hysterical night terrors on it….