Toddler tossed off plane for temper tantrum

[Mavrikmind]

I think the airline was wrong. The way they handled the sitation showed a typical corperate stance on parents and children. Most companies couldn't care less if your kid is sick or getting into trouble at school. What they care about is how much work you do for them. In this case the attitude showed it self.
to respond a little to keeping your children in check. Jacquie is right, sometimes your methods of controling your child just won't work. especially when they get tired or hungry. **it happens, you roll with it. In my situation all I have to do give a certain look to my son, he knows then that the boom is about to lower and he straitens himself out. Of course that doesn't work at all times

 

[michel]

A 3 year old girl and her family were kicked off an AirTran plane because the little girl had a temper tantrum.
http://www.telegram.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070121/COLUMN01/701210459/1008/NEWS02?page1

The airline has the right to kick off anyone they choose, but do you think they acted appropriately?

I think they were right to do so - if for no other reason than for the child's own good. A child of that age, reacting as she did, would have taken ages to calm down.

It seems a bit "over the top", but I think the airline was right - I would, however, have been a lot more tactful about the way they were told.

My son Andrew, who was 10 at the time, had a panic attack (he was feeling sick at the time), when we were over the Atlantic, on our way to Maine.

We were sitting next to an emergency exit door, and he suddenly started trying to open the door "I want some fresh air!! I want to sit on the wing", he said:cover:
Guess he's got that sensible gene from his Dad....

 

[Djamila]

Oh my God, Michel. LOL If that happened today, your son would've probably been beaten to death by terrified passengers!

 

[SoyLeche]

It seems a bit "over the top", but I think the airline was right - I would, however, have been a lot more tactful about the way they were told.

Without having been there I can't say whether making them leave the plane was a good idea or not. I do think that not letting them get on another plane for 24 hours was wrong. They should have gotten them onto the next flight to wherever they were going (as well as any connecting flights they would need) - with the understanding that the parents find a way to calm the kid down next time.

 

[MysticSang'ha]

Without having been there I can't say whether making them leave the plane was a good idea or not. I do think that not letting them get on another plane for 24 hours was wrong. They should have gotten them onto the next flight to wherever they were going (as well as any connecting flights they would need) - with the understanding that the parents find a way to calm the kid down next time.

My son Tyler started a tantrum around the age of 2 while the plane was taxiing toward the runway. The flight attendants, who were walking up and down the aisles making sure that the passengers were safe for take-off, stopped by and asked what they could do to help a few times before bringing him some coloring pages to occupy him and to get his mind off whatever was bothering him. A couple across the aisle nodded their heads in understanding for us. This is the type of situation that, I believe, most often happens and is entirely appropriate. Nothing I was doing was calming him down at the time.



The only time I'd encountered annoyance was when our daughter Dana was an infant who seemed bothered by the change in cabin pressure on the descent one trip. She cried (but wasn't screaming), and it took around 5-10 minutes before I could situate us for her to nurse in order to alleviate the discomfort. Once she began to calm down and fall asleep, I had looked up to see an elderly woman shake her head in disgust toward us, and then turn back to her book.


Oh well, can't make everyone happy all the time. LOL I couldn't tell if she was disgusted because of Dana's crying or if I was nursing her in public. Who knows......she just might have been disgusted at my choice in clothing that day. Maybe I didn't match or something.



Peace,
Mystic

 

[RevOxley_501]

was the dirty look because you nursed on a plane or because the kid cried?

im sorry but i just want to shake hands and hug any woman that still breast feeds---i get so sick of seeing kids malnourished with expensive fomulas

 

[lunamoth]

The only time I'd encountered annoyance was when our daughter Dana was an infant who seemed bothered by the change in cabin pressure on the descent one trip. She cried (but wasn't screaming), and it took around 5-10 minutes before I could situate us for her to nurse in order to alleviate the discomfort. Once she began to calm down and fall asleep, I had looked up to see an elderly woman shake her head in disgust toward us, and then turn back to her book.

This makes me think about both of our trips home from China with our newly adopted daughters. If you ever happen to find yourself on a flight from Guang Zhou or Hong Kong to LA, there's a really good chance you will be on board with a dozen or more families with 1-year old babies being brought home. These little girls have been through a lot in the two weeks prior to boarding the plane for the long flight home! Not to mention that the parents are often first-time parents and have only been united with their children for about 10 days...and are all tired and a bit stressed. I consider those long flights home my 'labor.'

Thank goodness for understanding flight attendants and co-passengers. It sounds easy to say 'let them suck on a bottle duirng take off and landing,' but if the baby does not want to...there's not really a way to convince them that it's in their best interest to relieve the ear pressure!

 

[cturne]

It's quite obvious in this thread who's a parent and who isn't..........
Peace,
Mystic

My thoughts exactly! :yes:

 

[RevOxley_501]

It's quite obvious in this thread who's a parent and who isn't..........
Peace,
Mystic

am i that obvious???:foot:

 

[SoyLeche]

My son Tyler started a tantrum around the age of 2 while the plane was taxiing toward the runway. The flight attendants, who were walking up and down the aisles making sure that the passengers were safe for take-off, stopped by and asked what they could do to help a few times before bringing him some coloring pages to occupy him and to get his mind off whatever was bothering him. A couple across the aisle nodded their heads in understanding for us. This is the type of situation that, I believe, most often happens and is entirely appropriate. Nothing I was doing was calming him down at the time.



The only time I'd encountered annoyance was when our daughter Dana was an infant who seemed bothered by the change in cabin pressure on the descent one trip. She cried (but wasn't screaming), and it took around 5-10 minutes before I could situate us for her to nurse in order to alleviate the discomfort. Once she began to calm down and fall asleep, I had looked up to see an elderly woman shake her head in disgust toward us, and then turn back to her book.


Oh well, can't make everyone happy all the time. LOL I couldn't tell if she was disgusted because of Dana's crying or if I was nursing her in public. Who knows......she just might have been disgusted at my choice in clothing that day. Maybe I didn't match or something.



Peace,
Mystic

My son has been on a plane many times (we've taken 3 trips from Virginia to Utah since he's been around). For the most part, he has been pretty good on the flights. On the flight out for Christmas the last leg of the trip didn't take off until after his bedtime, and he doesn't go to sleep very well when there are interesting things to look at. Needless to say, he was very tired halfway through the flight, and got pretty fussy. We did everything we could to distract and comfort him, and were eventually able to get him to sleep. I didn't notice anyone looking annoyed, but, quite frankly - I don't care if they were. We were doing everything we could, and it was much more uncomfortable for us than it was for them.

On another flight the flight attendant stood by our seats for a while stroking his hair while I was trying to calm him. He liked that a lot. James has a thing for flight attendants and waitresses

 

[MysticSang'ha]

was the dirty look because you nursed on a plane or because the kid cried?

I could assume one or the other, I think, since I'd received mixed reactions when dealing with a crying baby by nursing in public...........some have shown support for breastfeeding while some obviously took it to be like I was trying to flash somebody. LOL Then there's just coming across a crying child - this thread alone shows how some have differing levels of tolerance for it. You included, Rev.

im sorry but i just want to shake hands and hug any woman that still breast feeds---i get so sick of seeing kids malnourished with expensive fomulas

My decision to breastfeed was a personal one, and one that I'd replicate again to the exact detail if I were to do it again. It doesn't work that way for every mother-child relationship, though. I've just found from experience that parenting philosophies are as varied as there are children in this world, and that in some situations.........like an adopted child, for instance............I'm grateful that formulas are available for nourishment. It's much better than giving the kid straight cow's milk, you know.



So, I guess if we met, you'd hug me and then slap me for nursing but having children who had tantrums every now and then. :foot: LOL


Just kidding.



Peace,
Mystic

 

[MysticSang'ha]

This makes me think about both of our trips home from China with our newly adopted daughters. If you ever happen to find yourself on a flight from Guang Zhou or Hong Kong to LA, there's a really good chance you will be on board with a dozen or more families with 1-year old babies being brought home. These little girls have been through a lot in the two weeks prior to boarding the plane for the long flight home! Not to mention that the parents are often first-time parents and have only been united with their children for about 10 days...and are all tired and a bit stressed. I consider those long flights home my 'labor.'

I would feel that way, too, if I were you. I didn't know you'd adopted from China.......and to adopt more than one at a time! :bow:



A few friends of the family had made the decision to adopt from abroad. I can only have the utmost respect for them and for other families like yours.

Thank goodness for understanding flight attendants and co-passengers. It sounds easy to say 'let them suck on a bottle duirng take off and landing,' but if the baby does not want to...there's not really a way to convince them that it's in their best interest to relieve the ear pressure!

Why didn't you just smack them on the the side of the head? Didn't you know? It works miracles!



Or maybe you should have purchased a pet carrier, instead, and shut them in it when they acted up.




Peace,
Mystic

 

[Booko]

Hardly! I have never resented my parents for occasionally hitting me.... it needed to be done. This may sound crude, but young children should be treated like dogs. Show then who is the boss, and make sure there are consequences.

I resented my parents for hitting me, espeicially the part where if I dared ask why I got hit some more. :areyoucra I responded by "accidentally on purpose" being clumsy and things would get broken.

I agree in part that methods that work with toddlers and those that work with dogs are quite similar. And if you think smacking dogs is necessary to train them, then you're quite mistaken.

(My father raised bird dogs -- the interesting thing is the dogs wouldn't get smacked -- but we would.)

I've never hit my kids. They behave well in public and elsewhere. If they didn't, believe me, the kind of friends I have -- they'd tell me. I don't care for yes-friends. And strangers tell me also, so they have no reason to say it if it ain't so. They're not angels, but they're decent kids.

 

[Booko]

Smacking is not the only form of discipline, if it can indeed be called discipline. But I digress, receiving a smack does not work for all children. I know this to be true because it didn't work for me.

Smacking a child who's already overstimulated and in pain only adds the overstimulation and pain.

Yeah...that makes sense.

One thing I wondered about from reading the story is just how "in your face" the stewardess was getting. I know from experience when Ellen would have a meltdown that sometimes there would be some very well meaning soul who was in her face trying to help, but it only made matters worse. If people would just back off and let me deal with it and *stop putting in added stimuli* I could get her calmed down in a couple of minutes. *sigh*

As for the seatbelt thing, if that's what they were primarily concerned about and is all that was delaying takeoff, I'd be perfectly willing to just put the kid in the seatbelt. Of course, the passengers would have a good time listening for probably a good half hour afterwards as opposed to a couple of minutes, but darn -- they would be so *on time*.

And for those of you who seem to have zero tolerance for kids being "allowed" to be in public where you are -- oh, I'm sure if I called your mom's they'd tell me you were always just perfect little angels in public and never ever made a squeak.

Give me a freakin' break, people.

 

[MysticSang'ha]

This incident reminds me of the time when my son went ballistic in a local grocery store. Our routine that usually helps him cope due to his autism spectrum disorder was doing nothing, and I just left the cart with him and his sister, having to drag him to the car. I was stuck trying to drag a large child throwing his arms around at the door while trying to open it. Tyler needed to get out of the store and to calm down, and quick. Well, I had a heck of a time opening the door since they weren't automatic.



One man behind me had the nerve to say, "Lady, would you hurry it up?"



People are funny. :yes:



Peace,
Mystic

 

[lunamoth]

I would feel that way, too, if I were you. I didn't know you'd adopted from China.......and to adopt more than one at a time! :bow:

Two girls...two trips to China about 2.5 years apart.

A few friends of the family had made the decision to adopt from abroad. I can only have the utmost respect for them and for other families like yours.

Well, we feel like we are blessed. It's a wonderful way to have a family.

Why didn't you just smack them on the the side of the head? Didn't you know? It works miracles!

So I've heard.

Or maybe you should have purchased a pet carrier, instead, and shut them in it when they acted up.

Do they make sound-proof pet carriers?! Heck, I would not even transport my dog in the cargo hold of a plane.


Seriously though, I found those plane trips home very very difficult. We landed in LA all out of sorts after the long trip over the Pacific, then we had a 10-hour layover in LA so we could catch a red-eye to New York! I spent most of that 10 hours crying and on the way home from the first trip, about two hours before finally getting into NY, I told my husband that I couldn't do it again. That if we wanted a second child we'd have to find another way to do it. But, just like in child-birth, after a year of motherhood, you forget the pain and just see the joy. Obviously I went back on what I said and we did it again.

 

[Ðanisty]

When I was 3 if I acted like a fool in public, I got smacked. Parents these days don't smack their kids due to being sued, which is why they can do anything they want. Smacking kids when it becomes necessary is what keeps them in line during times like this.

I have to agree. I was never allowed to behave like that.

I think the airline was wrong. The way they handled the sitation showed a typical corperate stance on parents and children. Most companies couldn't care less if your kid is sick or getting into trouble at school. What they care about is how much work you do for them.

Interesting because this is certainly the opposite of all my experiences. The places I've worked are plenty understanding when parents have to take time off and deal with stuff, but those of us who don't have kids are expected to never have to take time off for anything.

 

[MysticSang'ha]

Seriously though, I found those plane trips home very very difficult. We landed in LA all out of sorts after the long trip over the Pacific, then we had a 10-hour layover in LA so we could catch a red-eye to New York! I spent most of that 10 hours crying and on the way home from the first trip, about two hours before finally getting into NY, I told my husband that I couldn't do it again. That if we wanted a second child we'd have to find another way to do it. But, just like in child-birth, after a year of motherhood, you forget the pain and just see the joy. Obviously I went back on what I said and we did it again.

I actually forgot about the pain of childbirth and the recovery six months after our first was born. Kind of had to, I was pregnant again.



I think anyone in your position would have a tough time on the plane. I can't imagine being in your position and having a flight attendant deal with it like in the article..........I'd probably be thrown off for jamming a bottle in her ear. LOL



Peace,
Mystic

 

[mostly harmless]

im sorry but i just want to shake hands and hug any woman that still breast feeds---i get so sick of seeing kids malnourished with expensive fomulas

How do you figure that formula feeding leaves kids malnourished? Granted, there are extra benefits to breastfeeding, but formula is not the crap it used to be twenty years ago.

Some people (like myself) can't breastfeed their children. I couldn't produce enough milk for my daughter to survive on. Not only was she formula fed (Carnation Good Start) but she was, and still is the healthiest kid I have ever known. She is now a 7 y/o second grader who works at a 4th grade level. She has always been way ahead of her class, and not from any pushing or shoving on my part...her teachers and I have an agreement to let her roll at her own pace since there is no gifted programs in our town. Did I mention she was formula fed?

You seem to be very opinionated, but somethings should be left alone so you don't end up with your foot in your mouth 'cause you decided to sound off on something you obviously know little about. I see kids who are formula fed every day. They sure as heck don't look or act malnourished. Neither are they dumb, bumbling little dolts because Mommy didn't breastfeed them.

 

[Booko]

was the dirty look because you nursed on a plane or because the kid cried?

Probably the nursing. One of my very good friends was an extended nurser, and I was her guard dog when one of the kids needed to be fed. My friend was quite discreet and you couldn't see anything, and none of the *men* noticed (except the odd married man in the know), but you'd get stupid stuff from women sometimes.

My approach was to quietly say to people being stupid that if they had a problem with the way God designed babies to be fed, perhaps they should take it up with the designer? 99% of the time that send them scuttling away embarassed.

im sorry but i just want to shake hands and hug any woman that still breast feeds---i get so sick of seeing kids malnourished with expensive fomulas

Or made even more allergic to dairy, like my kids.