Should parents bring their young kids on a flight with them? That’s the question that one Reddit user posed after her brother blew up at her for wanting to bring her 3-year-old son on an overseas vacation.
Her child, she explained in the AITA forum, is a great traveler but hasn’t been on a plane yet. “I was casually discussing this future vacation with my family over dinner when suddenly my older (37M) brother interrupts and ask why the f*ck I would bring a toddler on a plane,” she wrote. “Before I even get a chance to answer, he starts going on a rant about how children don’t belong on flights and that I would be a selfish a**hole and ruin everyone’s experience.”
Already, this sounds like an extreme reaction. The Reddit user explained to her brother that she’s not going to leave her son behind while she travels and she also wants to give him the chance to experience a new place. The brother responded by getting so upset that he left dinner early.
“I understand that children and flights can be a disaster scenario, but I think with careful planning and being super attentive, I can minimize the amount of time he will be disruptive on the flight,” she wrote.
The post sparked a heated conversation between Reddit users, many of whom expressed frustration over the bad rap young kids get on planes. The unanimous response was also that the brother completely overreacted to this news. “My youngest’s first flight ever was 9 hrs at right around 3.5 years old. She was perfect. A year later we took a 15 hr flight. Also amazing behaviour,” one person wrote. “I hate when people act like all kids are loud or bratty.”
Another added: “Adult can even b[e]have worse like putting their stinky feet through the seats. The child isn’t a baby anymore. He will sleep, watch some movie, draw stuff or play with OP. Not every toddler is a screaming-machine. At my last flight i hag some bigger kid sit behind me that always kicked my seat. 13 hours. The toddler behind my SO was a little angel.”
One user made the point that planes are not normally designed to be luxury experiences for their passengers. “Kids definitely belongs on planes. Planes are not meant to be a fun place. It’s a mean to get to a destination. It’s not a party. It’s not a relaxing spa experience. As long as you do everything you can to keep your kid entertained, you are not an a**hole.”
The user followed up by offering a helpful suggestion — bring colorful tape. It’s easy to remove, fun to play with and keeps kids distracted. Another person suggested snacks for when the plane departs and when it lands. Someone else threw in a reminder about kids’ headphones for music and/or movie entertainment.
Traveling with kids can be super challenging but we like the thoughtful suggestions for making the plane ride easier for them, you, and everyone else on board.
Even when you’re famous, Mom Guilt is a thing, as these celebrity moms show.
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