Originally Posted by
PTravel
I'm just a little tired of "compassion" always seeming to be demanded only in one direction. I would strongly suggest that the parents of little skymonsters have a little compassion for the rest of the passengers on the plane and consider the other passengers on the plane. I have absolutely no compassion for someone who says, "I don't care who my child bothers, I paid for his seat and if he wants to run up and down the aisles, too bad!"
You know PTravel - I think that's fair! My point really wasn't "Grumpy FC Flyer Bad, Misunderstood Kid Good." Just wanted to highlight that it's easy to point the finger at somebody and make a snap judgement when we're upset without bothering to wonder why the behavior is happening. To be clear, we try really hard to be considerate of other travelers when we fly with my son. We plan ahead, board early, bring all kinds of stuff to entertain him, and supervise him continuously (in Y!) throughout the flight. And most of the time life is great. Sometimes it's not. We do the best we can, try to calm him when he has a meltdown, and try to apologize and make amends to our fellow travelers who are inconvenienced. In more than 5 years of flying with an autistic child, I've only ever had one negative experience with pax, and that person apologized before the flight was over. So you're right - parents should try and control their kids and make the flight enjoyable for everyone...as much as they can. Sometimes, even with a neuro-typical kiddo, it's not in your control anymore.
Believe me, when my son has a meltdown your frustration is a drop in the bucket compared to the frustration, fear, embarrassment, and anger going on inside my skull...