Comments on: How to survive flying with other people’s kids http://www.lifehacker.com.au/2008/08/how_to_survive_flying_with_other_peoples_kids/ tips and downloads to help you at work and play Sun, 21 Mar 2010 11:48:58 +1100 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Natalie http://www.lifehacker.com.au/2008/08/how_to_survive_flying_with_other_peoples_kids/comment-page-1/#comment-12334 Natalie Thu, 06 Aug 2009 10:25:11 +0000 http://www.lifehacker.com.au/tips/2008/08/26/how_to_survive_flying_with_other_peoples_kids.html#comment-12334 I spent 12 hours from Frankfurt -> Bangkok with a lady with a crying baby. I was seated in the row in front of the exit area, so the lady thought, instead of waking my family, I will move to the area at the exit row and hold my crying kid here, every 20 minutes, so no sleep this time. 2 hours later I boarded a plane from Bangkok -> Brisbane (14 hours with a Sydney stopover) and some delightful parents (2x couples, 6 kids) thought they would let their kids 5 and under SCREAM and climb over chairs the whole way. A poor other lady was stuck on the end row of the kids and they carried on, so no sleep again. And a Dad thought he would bounce his toddler son on his knee until the child SCREAMED with delight. All well and good at home but on a full planeload, not so good. No earphones could have helped drain out those terrors. I am all for family zones on planes I spent 12 hours from Frankfurt -> Bangkok with a lady with a crying baby. I was seated in the row in front of the exit area, so the lady thought, instead of waking my family, I will move to the area at the exit row and hold my crying kid here, every 20 minutes, so no sleep this time.
2 hours later I boarded a plane from Bangkok -> Brisbane (14 hours with a Sydney stopover) and some delightful parents (2x couples, 6 kids) thought they would let their kids 5 and under SCREAM and climb over chairs the whole way. A poor other lady was stuck on the end row of the kids and they carried on, so no sleep again. And a Dad thought he would bounce his toddler son on his knee until the child SCREAMED with delight. All well and good at home but on a full planeload, not so good. No earphones could have helped drain out those terrors. I am all for family zones on planes

]]> By: Johnl http://www.lifehacker.com.au/2008/08/how_to_survive_flying_with_other_peoples_kids/comment-page-1/#comment-2681 Johnl Fri, 05 Sep 2008 15:38:42 +0000 http://www.lifehacker.com.au/tips/2008/08/26/how_to_survive_flying_with_other_peoples_kids.html#comment-2681 <p>Put the children in the hold !!!</p> Put the children in the hold !!!

]]> By: Thom http://www.lifehacker.com.au/2008/08/how_to_survive_flying_with_other_peoples_kids/comment-page-1/#comment-2680 Thom Tue, 26 Aug 2008 08:43:02 +0000 http://www.lifehacker.com.au/tips/2008/08/26/how_to_survive_flying_with_other_peoples_kids.html#comment-2680 <p>Lumping children together in one small section isn't the solution. </p> <p>Of course, if I'm travelling and there's a fractious child nearby there's a part of me that's going to wish they were further away. BUT I never wish for the child to be lumped in a group with a whole bunch of other [potentially or actually] fractious children and babies. That just compounds the problem for everybody, including the children and parents as well as those nearby - and let's be honest, on a plane someone is always going to be nearby.</p> <p>That segregation approach is particularly challenging for parents of well-behaved older children (8 to 13 range). One of my relatives was once automatically relegated to a child section on check-in because she had a 9-year-old and an 11-year-old with her. They're well-behaved, quiet kids and experienced travellers. They wouldn't have caused anyone any grief. Instead they had to endure 4 hours up the back of the plane right near three or four babies, who managed to set each other off with their crying. They had a miserable time and they didn't deserve that.</p> <p>I believe in the divide and conquer rule. Unrelated children, especially if under 5, should be seated a minimum distance AWAY from each other, so that parents only have to worry about the behaviour of their own children and so they can have a fighting chance of achieving the nirvana of a settled baby.</p> Lumping children together in one small section isn’t the solution.

Of course, if I’m travelling and there’s a fractious child nearby there’s a part of me that’s going to wish they were further away. BUT I never wish for the child to be lumped in a group with a whole bunch of other [potentially or actually] fractious children and babies. That just compounds the problem for everybody, including the children and parents as well as those nearby – and let’s be honest, on a plane someone is always going to be nearby.

That segregation approach is particularly challenging for parents of well-behaved older children (8 to 13 range). One of my relatives was once automatically relegated to a child section on check-in because she had a 9-year-old and an 11-year-old with her. They’re well-behaved, quiet kids and experienced travellers. They wouldn’t have caused anyone any grief. Instead they had to endure 4 hours up the back of the plane right near three or four babies, who managed to set each other off with their crying. They had a miserable time and they didn’t deserve that.

I believe in the divide and conquer rule. Unrelated children, especially if under 5, should be seated a minimum distance AWAY from each other, so that parents only have to worry about the behaviour of their own children and so they can have a fighting chance of achieving the nirvana of a settled baby.

]]> By: Jason http://www.lifehacker.com.au/2008/08/how_to_survive_flying_with_other_peoples_kids/comment-page-1/#comment-2679 Jason Tue, 26 Aug 2008 05:23:46 +0000 http://www.lifehacker.com.au/tips/2008/08/26/how_to_survive_flying_with_other_peoples_kids.html#comment-2679 <p>Question: any tips for parents travelling internationally with kids </p> Question: any tips for parents travelling internationally with kids

]]> By: gekkonaut http://www.lifehacker.com.au/2008/08/how_to_survive_flying_with_other_peoples_kids/comment-page-1/#comment-2678 gekkonaut Tue, 26 Aug 2008 00:41:31 +0000 http://www.lifehacker.com.au/tips/2008/08/26/how_to_survive_flying_with_other_peoples_kids.html#comment-2678 <p>Can we have less obviousness please!</p> Can we have less obviousness please!

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