Originally Posted by
Kevin AA
Keeping your kids isolated from society will PREVENT them from growing up, resulting in "child-like" adults who cannot function independently. Sad.
SLOOOWWW down, Dr. Laura.
Government requires a license, often training to drive, own a firearm (in most states), get married - same should be to have kids. Parents should exercise good judgement, properly prepare when taking kids out in to public.
Kids typically cry for a reason; on airplanes, it is because of ear pain. It is irresponsible for a parent to take a kid up 40k feet, sitting in a cramped space for more than 1 hour without consulting with their doctor, making the necessary preparations.
We raised 2 kids, waited until they were a few years old before dragging them on to airplanes. They would often sit by themselves in coach, we would sit in first; kids considered it a privilege to sit by themselves, had plenty of things to keep them busy during the flight, FAs knew where we were in the event of an issue - NEVER HAPPENED.
When going out to a sit-down restaurant with waiter service, where patience would be required, we would play a word search game as a family, to keep the kids busy until the food arrived, to assure they would not bother anyone else enjoying their meal. Other patrons would often stop by the table to complement our kid's behavior, and in some cases, thank us for being considerate.
There are PLENTY of opportunities to socialize kids at casual and fast food restaurants. If I am paying hundreds of dollars for an enjoyable meal with friends, loved ones or a business discussion, it is not unreasonable to expect some level of decorum - which includes screaming kids.
Same goes for premium cabins on an airplane. Families with barf-prone, stinky diapered young ones should be seated in the VERY back of the bus.
Save your "you were a kid once" speeches - access to airplanes and restaurants are a privilege, not a right, where one should not infringe on the services your neighbor has paid for.