Triplet Toddlers

November 19, 2009

in Baby & Kid Stories

My husband, seven-year-old son and I were taking the overnight flight from Honolulu to Dallas. The only return flight we could get from Hawaii to the mainland was at night, so we figured we’d take what we could get. We were shoved into one of the very last rows of the plane, next to the lavatory and all its wonderful smells. I tried to block out the wonderful lavatory aromas wafting through the air each time someone would open or close the lavatory door.

I was just about to fall asleep when someone started kicking my seat. I looked back and saw that a two-year-old girl was doing the kicking, and her mother was sitting right there, watching her do it like it was nothing. I then glanced around and saw two other two-year-olds who looked exactly like the kicker, and I realized, to my horror, that we were surrounded by a family of two parents and their triplet toddler girls! Throughout the flight, it became glaringly obvious that the triplets’ parents had no interest in controlling them – at 3 a.m., each triplet girl was whining to switch seats with a sibling, or to run down the aisle, or screaming, “Daddy, I have to go to the baffroom!” The parents bowed to all the girls’ wishes and bumped our seats in the process. My hair even got pulled, right as I was drifting off to sleep. The parents must have helped their girls to switch seats with each other about a million times. Finally, right before we landed, the flight attendant asked the parents to control the kids.

That was the most hellacious experience I’d ever had on a plane… parents, please, if you have multiple children, lay down the law before the flight starts so that no seat switching, screaming, running, etc., will be allowed at 3 a.m.!!!

{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }

Kad December 15, 2009 at 6:37 pm

You took a redeye, were 'shoved' into above lavatory seating….

Ok. not pleasant. But they always have seats at night, and in front of the lav. Not just for you.

I do wonder though, why you were so polite. They are 2 years old! Their parents are (act like) 4 year olds! Manners ain't hard to teach, and trust me, I believe you should know it isn't always pleasant teaching your kid manners, but you know it has to be done.

Next time, turn around and ask in tones firm enough and loud enough for them to calm down.

In fairness, triplets probably exhaust the parents so much they almost enjoy relative peace once in a while, even if it comes at someone else's expense. Having said that, itching about it all night doesn't help you. FA's will usually try to help in these situations on a redeye. ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS ASK.

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Beth January 16, 2014 at 4:51 pm

Would you have rather the parents didn't bow to the girls' wishes to go to the bathroom…?

I also wonder if you said something to the parents – usually if you just alert someone that their behavior is bothering you, they stop.

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