Three types of plane passengers can make a flight a nightmare experience: the entitled Karen/Chad, the belligerent drunk, and the toddler who throws a tantrum the entire time. While the third one isn’t directly to blame, their parents or legal guardians are likely the ones to take the heat, and understandably so.
This is what happened during a long-haul flight, when a mom couldn’t control her toddler’s fits. Weirdly enough, a woman on the same flight commended her for having “patience” with her young tot.
However, another passenger saw it the exact opposite way and instead gave the mom a disapproving side-eye, causing a brief yet uncomfortable interaction.
No passenger wants to be seated near a child throwing tantrums during a long-haul flight
Image credits: wirestock (not the actual photo)
This was an experience for a passenger while on the way to Europe
Image credits: BLACKDAY (not the actual photo)
The author wrote a few follow-ups to their post
Image source: taFlight
Parents must be aware of the four common tantrum triggers on a plane
Image credits: Marco Aurélio Conde (not the actual photo)
It’s one thing to assume that a child is uncomfortable during a flight, but it’s another thing to know exactly what sets them off to cause a fit. According to research by Asda Money, the likelihood of their kid causing a disruption has made 63% of parents apprehensive about plane travel with their young children.
Asda’s findings also revealed that children are more likely to have a tantrum within 27 minutes and 48 seconds of the flight's start, with each episode lasting an average of 15 minutes and 6 seconds.
Oxford University mathematician Dr. Tom Crawford specified four typical triggers in an interview with the New York Post: sleepiness, hunger, boredom, and noise.
Many parents fall into the trap of giving their children a gadget to keep them occupied. However, when the device fails and the child returns to throwing tantrums, they’re back to square one.
Dr. Crawford says parents must have a score of “10” in the four primary tantrum triggers. According to him, one way to do that is by having them take a nap for at least 37 minutes, then engaging them in a more hands-on activity, such as drawing, to help pass the time.
“On top of this, they will need to set aside 19 minutes to enjoy snacks,” Dr. Crawford said, adding that reading or music can preoccupy kids for 14 minutes.
According to Dr. Crawford, having that perfect score of ten can delay a tantrum for 129 minutes.
Passengers seated next to crying children are urged to exercise patience
Image credits: Andrej Lišakov (not the actual photo)
Unfortunately, there isn’t much the airline or the flight crew can do to stop the disruption. A few anonymous flight attendants spoke with Business Insider, stating that all they can do is advise the parent to try to calm their child down.
If the flight isn’t full, some airlines may offer a seat change. Otherwise, the passenger may be provided an extra set of earplugs or a free drink.
That is why flight attendants encourage passengers to be patient.
"Babies cry — it's a part of life. And sometimes there's nothing you can do about it. Give those mamas and papas a break,” one of them said, while also encouraging putting on earphones, listening to music, or watching a movie.
While the author’s frustrations were understandable, giving the mom an eye roll didn’t help the situation either. Fortunately, the problem didn’t escalate into an ugly scene.
Many readers sided with the author
Some felt everyone involved was at fault
However, some called out the author for being a "big attention-seeking baby"
Other commenters shared similar experiences
