Southwest apologizes to mom kicked off from flight

[Pippin69]

I understand it's hard to keep a small child quite. But from the story, and I could be wrong they are giving very little details, it doesn't sound like the mother did anything but assume he'd to quiet down after a while. Couldn't she have tried something to distract him? A cookie, toy, hug, etc.? I'm not saying it would work 100%, but this article makes her sound horribly self-entitled.

[WhoAmI]

On the subway last week, there was a mother with three little kids sitting behind me. She was kneeling in her seat, facing them, and whipping them up into a frenzy. They were shrieking. She kept beaming and saying: "These are their happy screams. You should hear their angry screams." As proud as could be that they were shrieking. The car was full of angry commuters. Stupid cow.

[Shinola]

How about:



We don't give our child candy often, but when we travel I keep these on hand.

[MrsDark]

Yeah and then you run into some crazed copter-mom that equates giving sugar to her little angel to a form of child abuse.

[LynnieD]

I have never flown w/my 2 kids......because I frankly don't want to deal w/any of this bullshit. And by bullshit, let me explain: the 'first time' stuff for kids (ie; fear/excitement), the fact I have no clue how they will react/behave, the fact that once we are in the air--I have very little control over the situation (say what you want here, but its true, at least its very different than being in a store where you could simply LEAVE if the child was acting up) and having to deal with everyone else and their expectations--meaning other passengers and flight crew.

I won't be one of these Moms. But I can at least sympathize.

I can also sympathize with other passengers. Been there. NUMEROUS TIMES.

[MrsDark]

But that's just it, as a smart mom who thinks about more than just herself you realize ahead of time exactly the shit traveling with a toddler could entail (for you and everyone else) and make your decision accordingly. I'm sure if you decided to take the chance, you'd be armed to the teeth with everything you needed to try and diffuse a meltdown.

This broad seems like she just needed to fly somewhere and didn't give planning it out (the fact that she was gonna have a two year old with her in an enclosed tube in the air where there was no escape) beyond that a thought until she was in the moment and it was too late.

[czb]

i'm like lynnie. i'm afraid to fly with the spawn right now - they are 15 months - since i don't know how they'll behave. i'm not convinced that even if i'm really well prepared and have treats and toys that they will behave badly and will make the flight terrible for everyone.

[stella blue]

Originally Posted by MrsDark

But that's just it, as a smart mom who thinks about more than just herself you realize ahead of time exactly the shit traveling with a toddler could entail (for you and everyone else) and make your decision accordingly. I'm sure if you decided to take the chance, you'd be armed to the teeth with everything you needed to try and diffuse a meltdown.

This broad seems like she just needed to fly somewhere and didn't give planning it out (the fact that she was gonna have a two year old with her in an enclosed tube in the air where there was no escape) beyond that a thought until she was in the moment and it was too late.

She didn't even have enough diapers to last one extra day. Damn right she didn't have a plan.

[LynnieD]

Originally Posted by czb

i'm like lynnie. i'm afraid to fly with the spawn right now - they are 15 months - since i don't know how they'll behave. i'm not convinced that even if i'm really well prepared and have treats and toys that they will behave badly and will make the flight terrible for everyone.

EXACTLY!!! Even despite your BEST attempts, they could STILL act up and you would have little to no recourse--and you would look like a jackass and a total bitch/horrible parent. And you TRIED!!! I can see it from both sides honestly.

I don't know if the chick in this article tried, or what she did to attempt to try to keep the kid in check, but at the end of the day----and any parent would tell you this--you CANNOT CONTROL YOUR CHILDS EVERY SINGLE MOOD AND MOVE. You can't!!!! There, I said it.

[MrsDark]

Sippy cups or bottles, boob if applicable (wearing easy access clothing along with a nice comfy drape so you can be discreet) gum, candy (suckers), toys to keep them occupied, and if you have absolutely no shame (like me) benadryl, robitussin, etc. (whatever works) to conk them out, tested ahead of time naturally.

[WhoAmI]

And please, don't read books to them on the flight. Nobody else wants to be forced to listen to you read a book over and over. I was trapped in front of some parents who were doing this on a flight, encouraging delighted squeals, babbles, and long-winded responses from the little brats, and I wanted to put my fist down the parent's throat after a half hour or so of this drivel.

[LynnieD]

^^I agree MrsDark, and hey, I'm not above drugging mine if I have to. Trust me, I would.

Yet a 2 yr old, is probably not breast feeding or takes a bottle. A sippy cup, yep. But they could throw that thing across the plane in a matter of seconds.

It's just not as easy as it may SEEM is my point, and I'm not directing that to anyone at all in particular, just a general statement.

I went to Vegas over a year ago w/my husband, no kids. We did not sit together (frequent flier miles and all) and I had the good fortune of sitting next to an 8 month old and his parents. He screamed, literally the entire time---no joke. Me, having 2 kids, was like, hey---it happens. And I can handle it since I have lived it (maybe not on a plane, but every single day in my house). I wasn't upset, I wasn't pissed off, did I love it--no, but: THEY DID EVERYTHING THEY COULD TO SHUT HIM UP. Trust me on this. IT HAPPENS.

[MrsDark]

Originally Posted by LynnieD

But they could throw that thing across the plane in a matter of seconds.

That's why you buy one of those clippy things and tether to them anything that can be thrown. Binkies, bottles, sippy cups.

How I'd fix that throwing problem for good: Tether with a bungy cord. So anything hurled by them in a fit comes back to pop them in the face.

[Beeyotch]

Originally Posted by LynnieD

^^I agree MrsDark, and hey, I'm not above drugging mine if I have to. Trust me, I would.

Yet a 2 yr old, is probably not breast feeding or takes a bottle. A sippy cup, yep. But they could throw that thing across the plane in a matter of seconds.

It's just not as easy as it may SEEM is my point, and I'm not directing that to anyone at all in particular, just a general statement.

I went to Vegas over a year ago w/my husband, no kids. We did not sit together (frequent flier miles and all) and I had the good fortune of sitting next to an 8 month old and his parents. He screamed, literally the entire time---no joke. Me, having 2 kids, was like, hey---it happens. And I can handle it since I have lived it (maybe not on a plane, but every single day in my house). I wasn't upset, I wasn't pissed off, did I love it--no, but: THEY DID EVERYTHING THEY COULD TO SHUT HIM UP. Trust me on this. IT HAPPENS.

I and most people with common sense know it's not as easy as it seems to control a kid. But the parent making a concerted effort to deal with the kid as a consideration to other passengers makes all the difference. I really appreciate that and will not throw dirty looks in that parent's direction, as much as I may hate kids.

[msdeb]

my 15 yr old daughter and i flew to Idaho in April, and i packed enough shit to keep her occupied for a flight to THailand. Be prepared. (of course, all she gave a crap about was her Ipod)