More on Flying with Kids

Lisa Belkin of the NYT, whose writing I admire greatly, has a nice post on kids on planes. Thought fellow parents might like to read.

The comments are interesting--mostly sympathetic, with a few crabs thrown in who obviously hate kids all around, so no surprise they hate them on planes, too.

The most cogent remark about the situation is from a commenter who puts it thusly:

"You don’t realize how peaceful flight travel is, even when someone else is screaming, until you fly half a dozen flights with your own kids."

It reminded me of a funny encounter I had on our last flight with the munchkin. I sat down in an aisle seat next to a business traveler, Nolan in my lap, while Brandon installed the carseat in the seat next to his. The man looked at me with such a pained expression on his face, and I said "Don't worry, the kid is going over there." He said, "Oh, good. I mean, I have nothing against kids, but I've had a very long day." I looked him straight in the eye and said, "Yeah. You and me both." Which totally shut him up.

Because let's face it--it's always easier to have to listen to a crying, upset, unhappy child than it is to be the parent that has to deal with that child. I don't care where--grocery store, bus, mall, park, wherever. You were a teething child once too, so pay your Mom back for having to deal with your infant bullshit and try not to hate too much. That is all.