Toddler Creates Turbulence

October 24, 2007

in Baby & Kid Stories

I was on a cruise for 7 days, and the last night we all decided to stay up all night and see the ship come in to port and watch the sun rise. When I finally got on the plane, expecting to sleep all the way home, the toddler behind me had different ideas. He banged his plastic keys on the fold down tray all the way home. His mom did nothing to stop him, whatsoever. I was never so tired in my life!!!

{ 19 comments… read them below or add one }

Scott July 16, 2008 at 11:43 am

It's an airplane, not a hotel room.

while napping is a great way to pass a flight, don't blame him for your decision to not get any sleep the night before.

(and I had an almost identical experience, except on a 15 hour flight. so i know EXACTLY what you went through, but I didn't blame the screaming child for my decision to party the whole night before.)

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GenXer July 16, 2008 at 1:26 pm

Seriously though, imagine if an adult was doing the same thing on a flight–banging some object against the tray for hours. They would definitely be spoken to!

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Rachel April 2, 2009 at 9:58 am

The child might have been much younger than you think. Whether a baby or a toddler, you can't compare the behavior to an adult because they don't have the cognitive development.

A toddler won't understand "please don't bang your toy because the person in front of you has a hangover since they don't know how to behave responsibly"

Next time bring earplugs or get rest.

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Please April 2, 2009 at 10:08 am

Please stop making excuses for parents lacking basic childrearing skills. I can't believe that some of you think it's OK for the child to proceed without interference from the parent. Sure, the child CAN understand if the parent does his/her job to stop or distract the child. That's what the growing years are all about.

Yes, we were all children once but we were not all misbehaving children. Believe it or not, most parents implemented some sort of discipline. We sorely need that now.

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Anonymous April 2, 2009 at 10:49 am

Banging a toy on a tray is NOT misbehaving. If you want misbehaving take the keys away and see what happens. It is their TOY! Much like your book or your IPOD is for you. God people, grow up a little.

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Whiney kid April 2, 2009 at 2:17 pm

Stop making excuses for these parents. If you cant make the kids behave stay out of public until you can. As far as sleeping on the plane it realy is not a hotel so it is kinda your fault. I have been from DFW to Alaska 2 times and DFW to Hawaii 2 times. I snore when I sleep so I do not nap so I will not bother other passengers by snoring. Maybe parents should keep the children up all night before a flight and POOF…plane takes off and the kids go down. Problem solved.

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Amber May 19, 2016 at 4:04 pm

You have no kids, it's completely clear in your delusional thought that keeping kids up all night before a flight would actually result in sleeping on the flight. Doesn't work like that the only way to ensure sleeping is drugging them, which is wrong.

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Anonymous April 2, 2009 at 3:21 pm

"Maybe parents should keep the children up all night before a flight and POOF…plane takes off and the kids go down. Problem solved."

WRONG. All that would result in is an over-stimulated, over-tired child who is so PAST THE POINT of being able to fall asleep that you'd have an even bigger monster on your hands. Sometimes it works to get a kid to sleep once you hit the plane… sometimes it doesn't.

I flew with our 9-month-old daughter over Christmas. We were told by dozens of people that she was so well behaved. We had ALL KINDS of distractions/food/etc for her. We gave her plenty of sleep ahead of time and then let her RUN LIKE CRAZY in the terminal before we boarded. She slept the first hour and the last hour of our 3 hour flight… and then the first 1.5 hours of our second 3 hour flight. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. Let me tell you–I was a nervous wreck and didn't sleep much myself because I was TERRIFIED of cranky, ridiculous ADULTS who are so selfish they equate any poor behavior with bad parenting or a bratty disposition. Seriously, kids don't understand why they are being contained and hushed for such a long period of time. But as long as you see SOME effort from the parents, cut 'em a break.

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ls April 2, 2009 at 4:13 pm

If you were THAT tired, you would have slept through it.

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Susie April 2, 2009 at 7:09 pm

Wow…talk about personal responsibility! Now it is the toddler's fault that you didn't sleep the night before and were exhausted? Got news for you…you made that decision all on your own! Wonder how well you would've slept if the child were tantruming rather than playing.

Darned if you do, darned if you don't…

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Collin April 2, 2009 at 7:20 pm

Don't be a dumbass, dude. You probably did a little more than 'stay up to watch the sunrise', okay?? Just because you smoked some dope, drank some tequila and got laid, doesn't mean it's the kids' fault.

Next time, down a bottle of Jack and go nighty-night.

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Anon April 3, 2009 at 2:08 pm

I have a question for the OP; why didn't the parent just put up the tray table? Taking the child's plastic key ring would result in tantrum, certainly, but did the child need to bang it on something? Why not try to distract the child with another toy or activity that was less invasive of the other passengers privacy?

I have a 3 yr old nephew. I have no children of my own and will not be having any by choice. I can't image trying to fly with my nephew for any length of time, but I commiserate with parents who *must* fly with small children. Cross country or long distances in the car with a toddler/infant would be incredibly more exhausting and aggravating for the parents. A 5-7 hr flight vs 4 day road trip is obviously preferable. And it may upset and inconvenience some people (I personally cringe when I see toddlers board my flight and sit near me), but still, at most it's an inconvenience of a few hours, and when I remind myself of that, it makes it easier.

Most people I've traveled with are pretty vigilant about entertaining their kids in flight. I recently flew cross country and a set of 8 month old twins and 5 toddlers were on the packed flight. They were all good as gold, and amazingly, the twins slept practically the entire flight and never once cried. One toddler pitched a fit half way home, but was quickly stopped when his parents offered him a snack.

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Anon April 4, 2009 at 6:28 am

I paid as much for my childrens tickets as you do for yours. So while I do birng TONS of stuff to entertain them and do my best to keep them under control, they will inevitebly behave like children. If you don't like it maybe you should drive.

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Reasoning_Doubt December 29, 2013 at 10:28 pm

Learn to parent. Your lifestyle choice (breeding) should not be inflicted upon the rest of us.

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Jen April 5, 2009 at 7:40 am

Wow. After reading the comments on so many of these posts, I am amazed at the number of know-it-alls and judgmental jerks who toss in their two cents. No, I don't mean all of you, but there are quite a few… not to mention the perverts I've seen.

I think "grow up" is good advice.

As for the poor baby who wouldn't stop pounding on the tray… Mommy should have done something to distract him, but I don't know the child or their situation, so I'll just end my commentary there.

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Paul May 5, 2009 at 1:51 am

I paid as much for my childrens tickets as you do for yours. So while I do birng TONS of stuff to entertain them and do my best to keep them under control, they will inevitebly behave like children. If you don't like it maybe you should drive.

Wow Anon Get a life. Most people don't want your BRAT on the plane so, do as all a favor and stay off the plane.

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Deborah C June 11, 2009 at 2:11 pm

I find it hilarious and pathetic that some people think that, just because they're flying, they're entitled to be treated as royalty. Hello, people!!! Everywhere we go, everything we do, there are inconveniences.It's called LIFE. Toddlers CAN'T sit up straight like dummies during a flight, but YOU, poster, are old enough to understand that a toddler is… a toddler!!! The responsibility for your actions. If you knew you would be on a flight in a few hours,why did you party all night long? Don't blame the child.

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College Kid November 3, 2010 at 10:53 am

beat your children. always

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Amber May 19, 2016 at 4:06 pm

If the flight was a late flight or overnight one, I'd have sympathy for you. An early day flight or mid-day flight you have a reasonable expectation that most people are up and making noise during the flight. Stop whining.

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