Taking a 4 month old on a flight

overly delicate childhaters

😆

Nicely put mogrim

Can we then ban chair kickers, coughers, loved up couples, people who get up and down all the time, window openers and heavy drinkers from flights?

I’m quite looking forward to taking the new arrival when it comes to see the MIL in Thailand. I will especially enjoy it knowing that I could be sat beside someone who is going to get irritated at the slightest noise she makes.

Bit of a tangent – but I wonder if parenting has seen a change in standards over recent years. I say this as we had a conversation about this over Christmas. We were in a restaurant and the table next to us had kids. Between ordering and being served the kids ran riot around the restaurant (not a glorified pub or fast food joint; a proper restaurant) playing hide seek/ chase. At one point one of them (about 6 or 7) decided to try and hide under our table. I think I might actually have told him to f*** off. All the while the parents chatted oblivious. All very anecdotal but I seem to see more and more kids behaving in a way that I simply would not have got away with. Part of bringing up kids is educating them how to behave outside of the home. Not that relevant to the baby on a plane debate but maybe another indicator of how “modern” parents are increasingly less concerned about the impact their brood has on those around them.

They operate within the ‘me, me, me’ bubble. The walls are opaque and they cannot see out and observe the impact of their/their offsprings behaviour.

You were lucky they didn’t turn on you and accuse you of being a See You Next Tuesday for daring to be so intolerant. Little Johnny is adorable after all.

Between ordering and being served the kids ran riot around the restaurant

Probably the parents had been one of those aeroplane things and seen that in other countries kids are not expected to be seen and not heard like constipated Brits are used to.

DrJ. Funny you should say that. Go to Europe (France/Italy say) and the kids join in the family meal and behave like humans. No txting, no sulky teenage antics at 5 years old etc. Just good old family life. It’s a pleasure to be around.

OK DrJ – would YOU be prepared to play hide and seek around a restaurant? If not, why should a child think it’s ok? If you tried to hide under my table I would have punched the crap out of you! There is a BIG difference between “being seen but not heard” and acting in manner that is appropriate to the environment – this was an “grown up” adult environment and children entering such should be taught by their parents to act accordingly. I spent lots of time in such places at a similar age acting normally and have very happy memories of them and certainly didn’t feel oppressed.

Probably the parents had been one of those aeroplane things and seen that in other countries kids are not expected to be seen and not heard like constipated Brits are used to.

Thread’s moved on, so I’m back.

In very child-friendly Spain kids are allowed to make a certain amount of noise, but wouldn’t usually run around a restaurant – and certainly not start hiding under someone else’s table.

If my kid wants to run around and play hide and seek in restaurant she gets proper told off. I would say she receives a right rollocking but that’s not necessary because she pretty much behaves herself 🙂

I wouldn’t say it’s any worse now than it ever was. This is why people years ago imagined the class divisions. Perhaps in the 50s everyone was straining to put on a good show, but that wasn’t healthy 🙂

If I was being bothered by kids like that I’d have a word with the parents.

I have a horrible feeling I might have started all this off (I misunderstood toys’ original point – though he didn’t really make it all that clear) – ironic really given in my first post I mentioned taking our 18mo to the Canaries!

Toddlers are a nightmare, and things only really get easier when they’re about 4-5 years old.

Depends – IME our almost 4yo was a lot more trouble than his little brother (though not a pain to anybody else on the flight – little one also gets away with more as he’s a lot cuter!)