<p><img alt=”” class=”floatLeft” height=”158″ src=”http://www.childfreechic.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/kids_airplane.jpg” width=”210″/></p>
<p>No, I do not have kids.<br/>
Yes, I do plan on having some.</p>
<p>I think taking kids on planes is awesome. It’s an experience that all children should have. It means they’re seeing more of the world than their home or daycare, and I feel in the long run that they’ll be better people for it.</p>
<p>I also realize kids are difficult to control. That’s acceptable. It’s not the three hours of screaming or the weeklong pain in my neck that follows sitting in front of your child on an aircraft. Really, I am OK with that; I was a problem child myself… I get it.</p>
<p>What you can control, however, is how you handle yourself. You were well aware that your kid kicked my seat every five seconds (I heard you reprimanding him). Not apologizing during or following the flight is not the right way to go about things; it makes me hate you something special and write a blog post to let the world know how much you suck.</p>
<p>Parents, if your kid is a disruption on a plane, it is your duty to get them under control OR apologize to those around you. This is not negotiable. Do not fill up my comments with flavors of “Oh, you don’t get it.” I do get it. I paid just as much money as you to sit on this flight, and I was hoping it’d be quiet and enjoyable, because, quite possibly, I’ve just been through one of the most difficult experiences of my life and I haven’t slept much in several days due to it. You’ve taken that hoped-for from me. I’m not going to shout at you, tell a stewardess, change seats (unless it’s an empty flight), ask for a refund, or other such silliness… I just want you to recognize that my flight was made uncomfortable by you. When I make people uncomfortable, I tend to apologize. Not much to it. I think it makes them feel better about whatever situation we’re faced with. I learned this concept in preschool. While it took me many years to truly grasp it, I’ve got a solid grip now that I’m of child-creating age.</p>
<p>Side Note: There is an age limit to this free pass. On the 2nd flight of my trip, I had a 14 year old butch girl who thought she was the next Jack Black sitting next to me. Loud, nonstop jabber, shouting to friends multiple rows away (was on a church trip), singing out loud (emphasis on loud). It was abysmal. I had left my headphones in my baggage, which was gate-checked so I ended up spending the entire flight with my finger in my ear. Her mother was sitting in the row in front of her… I think I’ll define the upper limit of your kid being able to act however they want at six.</p>
<p>Yeah, flying last week sucked. Yeah, my neck still hurts.</p>
<p><a href=”http://www.cnn.com/2009/TRAVEL/06/29/kids.on.planes/index.html”>5 Fixes For Unruly Young Passengers<br/>
</a><a href=”http://travelwithkids.about.com/library/howto/htplanerides.htm”>How To Survive Plane Rides With Kids</a> (for parents)<br/>
<a href=”http://www.microsoft.com/business/en-us/resources/finance/business-travel/kids-on-planes-5-survival-tips.aspx?fbid=Fb6uDeTyLW-“>5 Survival Tips</a> (for passengers)<a href=”http://www.cnn.com/2009/TRAVEL/06/29/kids.on.planes/index.html”><br type=”_moz”/>
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