this post was submitted on 17 Aug 2023
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When I bring my whole family somewhere I almost always book the farthest back on the plane I can. There doesn't have to be specific sections... just people with common courtesy.
but one thing I'm noticing as a common theme in these threads is that there's an innate blame on the children/parents. Kids oftentimes CANNOT pop their ears due to how narrow their Eustachian tubes are. https://kidshealth.org/en/parents/flying-ears.html There can be cases where the baby's ears actually tear if the Eustachian tubes are blocked due to a cold or something of that nature.
The better answer is to just educate them in a friendly manner. If you do it tactfully then maybe junior will simmer down and everyone can move on without this passive aggressiveness we see in the photo. Giving the kid a bottle (if they're that young) is often all that needs to happen to work the tubes open a little bit to relieve the pain.
Now... if you're a parent... and have a colicky little one... skip the plane if you can. You know your kid. If they're not going to take to the plane well, then you're just being a dick to everyone around you.
So in other words: putting a sick young child on a plane is a health and safety risk for the child
Anecdotally my spouse and I know this; our kids are just extremely energetic. We aren't simply uneducated on how ears work, and getting unsolicited tips from childless people while already busy with our kids is just another stressor.
Call me a dick if you want, but sometimes flying noisily is the only practical option. No we're not going to drive cross country to grandma's funeral.
Well... considering I have 2 kids. You can put your bullshit "tips from childless people" garbage argument away. The source of the information is irrelevant if the information is true regardless.
Regardless that doesn't negate the overall "common courtesy" theme of my post.
I apologize if my reply came across as an attack against you personally. I thought you were suggesting that anyone reading your post (not just you) should go up to stressed out parents and explain how ears work.
While other parents do sometimes chime in with unsolicited tips during stressful situations, they seem to (usually) be more aware of whether or not their actual information is relevant, and not just a distraction.
Then maybe you shouldn't go. It's a funeral and they're children. When my uncle died when I was young, my grandmother made me look at his dead body and it was terrible. I wish I had never gone to that fucking funeral. Nothing about it brought me any sort of closure and the only real memories I still have from going are purely negative.
Children have no place in funerals.
Ok, then replace "funeral" with any family function you need to attend. Should your kids miss school on Friday and Monday to drive to and from a weekend wedding?
Yes.
It's already parents vs childfree in this thread, and I have to admit it's a bit entertaining, but do we really want to bring the fuckcars people into this as well?
I don't think you'll find many parents willing to make that sacrifice for courtesy.
It'd be fun, though. Road trips were always more enjoyable than sitting on a fucking plane for hours when I was a kid.
Yeah, I don't care either way on this "kids vs no kids" on a plane, but I used to love road trips SO much. It let me see many new cool things that I wouldn't have otherwise.
Kids exist in the world. Get over it. You're the adult in the situation.
You missed the point on purpose, right?