It has almost become a norm to hear not one but many toddlers’ cries on an economy flight anywhere in the world. Short-haul budget flights or long-haul international flights, no attendant nor parent seem to be able to appease the needy toddlers on board.
Just a disclaimer that (i) it is not an elitist viewpoint looking down on economy class seats; (ii) I respect parents and know that it is no easy job taking care of toddlers; (iii) it is not a plea to stop more children from boarding flights. This is really just an honest observation, and I believe babies and toddlers are just not suitable to be taking the plane.
Air pressure discomfort
If adults can’t even handle the air pressure which cause blocked ears, I don’t think we can expect toddlers to think that it is normal, furthermore, they can’t even express their discomforts in words! It’s not a coincidence that during take-off, landing and of course during turbulence, constant crying at these points are just commonplace.
Where’s the entertainment?
We can agree that children or toddlers can never stay put on their seats for more than 10 minutes. They love running around freely in their playgrounds or at home, so we cannot expect them to miraculously be quiet for any duration that forces them to be fixed in the same position…
While adults can have their blockbuster movie fix, we might not find the right one for our toddlers. And let’s admit it, sometimes we get so fascinated that we forget about our children! Now who is to blame for them throwing tantrums?
I’ve always wondered if kids actually enjoy being inside the aircraft, or is it just adults imposing their likings and thoughts on their children. Especially at such a young age, how do we know if this is something that they really fancy?
The Considerate Mother
Plane passengers stunned by mum’s ‘next-level parenting’
Not too long ago, a viral post regarding a mother and her crying baby surfaced on Facebook, where the mother was handing out small gifts to her seat neighbours to ask for their leniency if her baby made too much noise and would be cause huge discomfort to the others. On one hand it was a really kind and considerate move, on the other hand, I wonder if it would have been easier if she could have avoided taking the baby onboard.
Concluding the statement, as a single person and a flight enthusiast, I hope parents can think twice about bringing their kids on flights.