Posts Tagged ‘parenting’
Flying With Unruly Kids – Who Should Be Punished?
Once in a while I come across an article in the mainstream press that is so controversial or polarizing that I cannot help but respond to the assertions being made. Today was one of those days. As I was reading an article entitled “Daddy Can’t Fly – Parents who shouldn’t be allowed on a plane” written by Christopher Elliott for MSNBC, I couldn’t help but laugh at the silly notion that parents or their kids should be banned from flying simply for doing things that kids do.
I mean, really, he must have had to dig pretty deep to come up with the most extreme cases of bad behavior. While kids should be disciplined and must learn to be respectful, there are just some circumstances that will be beyond the control of parents. Babies and children cry for many reasons. What if the child is sick or in pain? Do you remember when you were a kid? No, Mr. Elliott, that’s right, you were a perfect child.
I will, however, agree with him on a trend toward bad parenting. More than once, I myself have had to discipline someone else’s children on a flight. Most of the time, the parents are embarrassed, but I have encountered one or two who simply didn’t care. Yes, it does happen, but according to Mr. Elliott, you would think that this is the norm…it isn’t.
Probably the worst encounter I have ever had involving “kids” was prior to having children. We were seated in Row 2 in the first-class cabin (flying on miles as usual) and a forty-something couple was seated in front of us. It seems that coach wasn’t good enough for their darling teenaged daughters, so for half of the flight they sat on the floor with legs extended into our space. They were certainly old enough to know better as was the flight attendant. I guess rudeness isn’t limited to parents of young children, Mr. Elliott.
At the end of the day, however, the worst behavior that I’ve ever experienced hasn’t come from kids or their parents, that honor is reserved for the inconsiderate adults that perhaps should be banned from flying instead. You know who they are. They own the plane; they take over your space; they talk loudly to their seatmate for the entire flight; they drink themselves into oblivion, then proceed to disrupt the entire cabin; they smoke in the lavatory and get escorted off the plane by law enforcement once you arrive at the gate. So, Mr. Elliott, the biggest, whiniest crybabies aren’t kids, they’re adults…you know, the ones that you can’t discipline without getting punched (Mitt Romney might be able to tell you something about this).
I don’t so much mind disciplining other people’s kids, so long as the parents don’t need disciplining too. Just ask my four year-old – one evil stare from me and he turns into a little angel. Truth be told, I will take a screaming kid any day over the countless obnoxious adult seatmates that I’ve had over the years. At least I can discipline the kids.
My children are not perfect; I do care if my children misbehave and I can control my children. Mr Elliott, these parents and kids that you describe are no different than the misbehaving adults; they just happen to be a more convenient target. You know, the amazing thing about our Constitution is that it extends to kids too…go figure, I thought the only rights they had were those that we gave them as parents. Hmmm…don’t let them find out, otherwise we’ll never be able to control them.
What do you think? Let us know your thoughts on this controversial topic.
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