[Kiss]

I´ve been flying around a lot recently since I´m in Peru, and I´ve begun to notice more and more how easily annoyed I, and many others get, in the presence of children on airlines. Last night I wanted to strangle the annoying 4 year old in front of me who kept jumping around in his seat with no seatbelt, even though we were just about to land, shouting loudly and pissing everyone off. I know I should be mad at the parents but its the children who annoy me most, even though I know they aren´t really aware of their surroundings.

So what I was wondering were two things: firstly, your worst experiences with kids on planes and also should children be allowed on planes at certain times/only be in a certain part of the plane?

I talked to a guy who had a similar experience, being on the same flight, and we both agreed that it is unfair on every party - firstly we can´t assume all children will be a pain in the arse, neither can we assume the parents are going to be half-asses who won´t bother to discipline their children. We, however, did agree that there should be more done in the case where, as we both witnessed, a child or children scream their heads off or talk/shout loudly in disturbing passengers especially on long flights. We also thought that stewards should be more aware of noisy children instead of dismissing them and not telling their parents how distracting they are to the rest of the flight.

I don´t personally fly enough to be able to fully complain about this issue but it drives me crazy when it happens - even when I have my ipod. I do think there should be a priotised area of the plane where children should be - the problem with that though is that it could create one super-loud part of the plane which might be worse than better.

What do you think? What were your worst in-flight experiences with children on board and do you think there should be something done about especially noisy and annoying children who distract passengers?

[A.J10]

I have a younger sister with the mental age of a 6 year old that has to go to anger management. I get this every damn day.

As for the planes... Threaten to lock them in the cargo hold? Animals go in there so why not small children

To be fair, if your the parent often there's not much you can do about it. You can shout at your kids, but with some kids they just cry, shout back, or get more grumpy. Nature or nurture doesn't matter, it's not gonna help on a plane unless the parent can give them what they want (and often they just want to be upset).

Might I ask what the child was shouting? Was it just talking in that loud annoying voice all small children have whilst excited or was it being a pain to get something or becuase it couldn't get it's own way?

[ckingalt]

There is not much you or the airline can do about unruly children. Sometimes it is the parents fault and sometimes it is not. Business class does not allow passengers below a certain age, but the ticket prices are extortionate. Get yourself a quality noise reduction earphones. They are worth their weight in gold.

[g_star_raw_1989]

My worst experience with children is actually when I was a child myself. I must have 11/12 and we were flying to Toronto and some ****ing Danish kid stole my Gameboy.

[Kiss]

(Original post by A.J10)
Might I ask what the child was shouting? Was it just talking in that loud annoying voice all small children have whilst excited or was it being a pain to get something or becuase it couldn't get it's own way?

A lot of different things for about the whole hour - one moment it was screaming as though it had been hit, the next it was laughing loudly, then next it was just gurgling and talking/shouting loudly and crawling all over the seat. Parents did **** all and the mother even had the cheek to put her seat back all the way in spite of clearly seeing I had very long legs.

(Original post by g_star_raw_1989)
My worst experience with children is actually when I was a child myself. I must have 11/12 and we were flying to Toronto and some ****ing Danish kid stole my Gameboy.

Did you get it back??

[Snagprophet]

People should be fined for not disciplining their children.

[flown_muse]

I hate kids in general, and there is nothing I hate more than being in a small enclosed space with children.

Ironically enough, my experience was on the flight back from Peru. Lima to Amsterdam, roughly 16 hour flight. There was a very small child there, who was either a baby, or just tiny for his age. And for the whole flight, he would not stop screaming, crying, throwing up etc. I can understand if the plane is landing or taking off, maybe the kid was in pain because of the pressure, but 16 hours?!? I just don't understand why very small children are brought by adults onto planes.

Mind you, the older ones are worse.

[sarahoo]

I love how people keep saying parents aren't responsible for a kid's actions and there is little they can do while on a plane to calm a child, but honestly, if a kid is 2+, it would be well behaved if it was raised to be. A coddled, spoiled child that knows it can throw fits and get whatever it wants will yes, scream until it gets whatever it wants, which may not be accessible on a plane, but that doesn't mean it's not the parent's fault for raising the child badly. A well-raised child also doesn't need to be physically reprimanded to act well--patience and reason go a long way when they are continually used around children.

Anyway, I hate being on planes with children. There is very little reason, in my mind, you should be flying with a baby, or even a toddler, and kids above toddler age should be well raised or verbally reprimanded and made to mind on a plane, but parents these days have no idea how to raise children, are way too lenient, and also many seem to feel like they're blessed with the most amazing and special children on the planet who should be allowed to do whatever they want at any time, and everyone else be damned, so basically, yeah, planes need a special section for kids, and hopefully it will be soundproofed.

[flown_muse]

(Original post by sarahoo)
I love how people keep saying parents aren't responsible for a kid's actions and there is little they can do while on a plane to calm a child, but honestly, if a kid is 2+, it would be well behaved if it was raised to be. A coddled, spoiled child that knows it can throw fits and get whatever it wants will yes, scream until it gets whatever it wants, which may not be accessible on a plane, but that doesn't mean it's not the parent's fault for raising the child badly. A well-raised child also doesn't need to be physically reprimanded to act well--patience and reason go a long way when they are continually used around children.

Anyway, I hate being on planes with children. There is very little reason, in my mind, you should be flying with a baby, or even a toddler, and kids above toddler age should be well raised or verbally reprimanded and made to mind on a plane, but parents these days have no idea how to raise children, are way too lenient, and also many seem to feel like they're blessed with the most amazing and special children on the planet who should be allowed to do whatever they want at any time, and everyone else be damned, so basically, yeah, planes need a special section for kids, and hopefully it will be soundproofed.

Exactly, exactly, exactly. +rep for saying so eloquently what I was thinking.

[OU Student]

Never been on a plane; but have had issues with children on trains. Was sat in the quiet coach and you have to be well, quiet. Someone brought their child on and the child wouldn't stop screaming and shouting. The parent did nothing.

[simibean]

We all used to act like that when we were children on planes.
Buy tickets for where children are not likely to sit.

I personally don't mind kids on planes

[sr90]

I would happily pay extra for a child-free flight. I'm sure a lot of people would.

[donuticus]

The sooner we return to the Victorian notion that children should be seen and not heard the better.

Parents seem to think that because their children are important to them ergo thy must be important to me.

Nothing could be farther from the truth.

[la-penseur]

Oh my! Children on planes really drive me up the wall! I was coming home on a flight last week in the early hours of the morning, absolutely knackered, while some little girl continued to sing at the top her voice 'SORRY FOR PARTY ROCKIN' the WHOLE WAY home. Her parents and all thought it was so cute and I was like no. Just no.

[NellyNoodles]

I think the main problem is boredom. It's hard enough getting young children to stay still and quiet for an hour let alone 10. The worst flight I've been on was a 6 hour one and there was no film, no music, nothing. Children were a NIGHTMARE. Parents may get them a colouring book or whatever but most children have an attention span of like, 15 minutes at the most. However, the best flight I have been on was a Virgin Atlantic one for 8 hours. Every seat had their own TV with loads of different channels. There was a childrens channel with loads of cartoons and films for different ages. The only noise there was from little children then was when they were talking with Dora the Explorer which was more cute than annoying!

So, I don't think it's so much the parents fault for not teaching them to be quiet or not keeping them amused. I think the airline could do more to amuse passengers.

[flown_muse]

(Original post by simibean)
We all used to act like that when we were children on planes.
Buy tickets for where children are not likely to sit.

I personally don't mind kids on planes

That's the stupidest thing I've ever heard. How do we know where children are going to sit?

And I certainly didn't act like that, speak for yourself.

[mespannerhanz]

I had a similar experience last week, although it was only coming back from Spain, so not a long flight, but when you've been up since 2am, having had 2 hours sleep, you don't appreciate noisy children! How about a child supplement, so children under the age of about 6 have to pay a lot more money. yes it wouldn't be popular, but would no doubt reduce the number of children flying.

I think the simplest option would be to create a child zone on the plane, so they all sit together, and cause as much noise as they like, but limited effect on others. I guess the problem with that would be you could have children who are quiet, but have to sit in that area, and so parents have to put up with the noise.

Sedation?

[Kiss]

(Original post by ckingalt)
There is not much you or the airline can do about unruly children. Sometimes it is the parents fault and sometimes it is not. Business class does not allow passengers below a certain age, but the ticket prices are extortionate. Get yourself a quality noise reduction earphones. They are worth their weight in gold.

Unfortunately for me my earphones have broke and I can't find any places which sell them where I am. I'm sure they'll have some at the airport in Lima but if not then I only have a book for 15 hour flight back which is useless at passing the time in if there's a little tarquin next to you screaming it's head off.

[Bellissima]

never caused me major problems to be honest. yes children should be allowed on planes. if they are too rowdy then air hostess should ask the parents to control them. you can always speak to the parents yourself or complain to an air hostess.

[SillyEddy]

It's probably not too far off in the future where we will just be tranquilised for the flight. Give it a few centuries (or up to a millennia) and we'll be travelling across galaxies and will need to be in cryogenics!

But yeah, I think they should offer kid-free flights. Many long haul flights run in pairs (separated by a few minutes delay or up to an hour) so they could easily offer one flight up as 'no children' and one for 'children acceptable'.


Of course, not all children are bad, but the vetting process to discover which catagory those children go in is too hard to work out. Some adults are none the better though. If they ever introduce those "ID cards" then there should be a reputation system (like on your Xbox) - Vote against annoying people, and just stop them from being with the civil population!