Advice for those bringing children to Europe
 

Hello! My husband, 6-month-old daughter and I returned from Rome a couple of months ago, and I wanted to pass on a bit of advice. <BR> <BR>We brought a very nice umbrella stroller with us, thinking that would be best because it's lightweight and compact. What we didn't take into account is the COBBLESTONED STREETS. Her heavy-duty stroller, though heavier, would have served her much better. It's plusher and has much better shock absorption (sp?). Once there we realized our mistake, and wound up using her Baby Bjorn to tote her around. <BR> <BR>Hope this helps someone!

I am going to sound really cranky here, but I have some advice too. DON'T do it! It is so unfair to the children and other passengers on the plane to expect a young child to tolerate 11 hours of travel. Parents don't hear the whining the way the rest of us do, or the squeaky toy or whatever. It is tough enough to get sleep on a flight without a child crying just when you nod off. Just had to get that off my chest.

Yes, you do sound VERY cranky. Some people HAVE to take their children on overseas flights. Others, like me, have chosen to do so. A crying child is an annoyance, for sure, but no more so than any number of other rowdy passengers, including teens on Spring Break, drunken passengers, and people who yell at each other from one row of seats to another. And people take kids on long domestic flights all the time - what's the difference between a family traveling to California from the East Coast and one traveling from New York to Europe? I don't regret a single one of the more than 25 trips my kids, now 11 and 14, have taken overseas. We never inconvenienced other passengers (the one time we had a crying child my husband went to the back of the plane with her and rocked her for oh, about 4 hours until she calmed down) any more than those insidious folks who recline their seats all the way back. Sorry, but I had to get that off my chest.

Better a baby than an obnoxious drunk. <BR>You cannot control the noises that either of them make, but at least the baby is not a threat to your physical well being.

How dare you!!!!! I've been taking my children on Transatlantic flights twice yearly since each were 5 months old they're now 9 and 13. I don't regret for a minute doing this, neither were cranky or cried during a flight in fact they each usually slept thorugh the flights because it was a night. My children are so much more educated about other countries than other children and I try to encourage people to take their on international vacations if they can afford it. I found adults to be the most difficult people to travel with, kicking the back of you seat, jumping up and down on seats and complaining about everything that they can think of. Children just sit there and get on with it, usually playing video games. <BR> <BR>So parents, book those children a ticket. For those of you who feel children should not travel, maybe you should stay at home.

Cranky: You are sounding shriller than ever. Whatever your problem is, keep it to yourself, or find a self-help group. From your tone, I'm guessing you not much fun to sit with on an 11 hour flight, either. By the way, try earplugs next time and you'll be just fine.

Now here's a hot button for the sanctimonious! Those who favor traveling with infants on long air flights vs. those who do not. You're in for it now, Cranky! ;-) <BR>

I'll take a crying baby anytime over the drunk I sat next on a flight last year, or the woman who painted her nails, etc. etc. etc.

HOw come that all these proud parents writing to this post always have well-behaved children, while in fact seating next to an infant or a small kid on a trans-atlantic flight is still one of the worst travelling nightmares? <BR> <BR>And additionally, these annoying and time consuming passangers either paid nothing or a fraction of the costs to take their precious ones on the plane.

I would much prefer to sit next to a crying baby or noisy child than a loud adult talking to his/her travel companion about something in which I have no interest - yet am foreced to listen to hours on end. At least children don't take up all the overhead compartments or hog the elbow rest.

The only thing that is even MORE annoying is when you see these people with their "wonderful little angels" in First Class. It was always a sure way to get away from irritating families on flights......not anymore! <BR> <BR>Only Americans think everyone else should appreciate their kids the way they do. Well, WE DON'T!!!!! <BR> <BR>Why do you suppose it's always the Americans that post complaints of "no fencing around the villa pool" or "cobbled roads too tough on our stroller", or "no guard rails on dangerous curves"??? Europeans have managed for thousands of years in this land without complaints and lawsuits. <BR> <BR>

Don't get me wrong, I like to see 9 and 10 year olds getting a great education by being able to see other parts of the world. Maybe even 5 and 6 year olds. But I don't think you are educating your 5 month old(or two year old) by taking them on a trip to Europe. <BR> <BR>And yes, drunks are terrible too but on a long flight I hope I don't have to make that "lesser of two evils choice". I just sometimes think that parents are being a little selfish in bringing their young children on those long flights. Believe me, I am not criticizing the children.

When asking my 9 year old nephew what his favorite memory of his recent trip to France was, he responded by saying, "the pool at the hotel" <BR> <BR>Meanwhile, mom and dad are boasting about the wonderful education "Jr" got on the vacation <BR> <BR>Oh, by the way, they have a pool at home. LOL <BR> <BR>

You go to Europe. Send your child to camp. You will both have more fun. And he'll learn just as much in camp. <BR>

My husband and I just got back from a 16 day trip with our 3.5 year old to Europe. The point was not to "take" our child to Europe on some educational vacation, but to go there on a "family" vacation. The 11 hour flight to and from Europe was no problem at all. Between quiet activities (coloring and sticker books), watching the children's channel and sleeping (she declared she was done with dinner and going to sleep right on time at 8:30pm) there wasn't any time to bother other passengers. We were seated in British Airways business class and when disembarking I even overheard the flight attendant commenting to his colleague that my daughter was the most polite child he had ever seen. I realize that each child is as different as each adult and some children do cause misery for other passengers, but the point is, you shouldn't just generalize and tell everyone to leave the kids at home. And by the way, "Sickofem", it's funny cause I thought by sitting in business class it was always a sure way to get away from people like "you". Looks like you're surrounded. Bon voyage.

People who are bothered by others on airplanes, whether it is children crying or adults talking, etc, should just take a sedative once on board. You'll "sleep like a baby" and save us from having to hear your "crying".

I don't see why parents should have to justify themselves if they want or have to travel with children. It's nobody's business. <BR> <BR>Better a kid who is told some years later "you don't remember, but we used to take you on our vacations abroad almost from your birth" than "everytime we wanted to travel in comfort, we used to leave you at home or in camp, because some cranky people think children might inconvenience them". <BR> <BR>Can every adults who can't suffer noisy children swear they never, ever, disturbed people around them when they were kids ? <BR> <BR>I've flown from Seoul to Zurich on a plane full of a) hysterical American teenagers who kept shrieking at every plane movement (coming from Tokyo in 85, 3 days after a 747 crash in the Japan Alps - Narita airport showing the rescue party on the videos), <BR>b) a dozen children (3 months to 3 years) sent to be adopted in Europe from Korea. <BR>No need to say, the children could not sleep for the teenagers and I spent the next 20 hours helping the flight attendants taking care of the babies. I survived, and it's now one of my best memories (I'd like to know what happened to the Korean kids). <BR> <BR>On several occasions, I've been seated next to families with crying children: instead of grumping, I've tried to make myself useful in helping the poor kid unblock their ears, or humoring them, etc. Only children on a temper tantum are truly annoying, and that when parents don't try to calm them down (I always feel like smacking the parents rather than the child). I'm reminded that I didn't have the chance of seeing much of the world until I was an adult, and I'm happy for those kids who will later share memories (if only their parent's) of travelling so early in their life. <BR> <BR>And I also pay for my tickets with my hard earned francs, only I don't think it gives me any special rights over other people. <BR> <BR>

WeeeeYull Isn't that Specuuual......?

Isn't it funny how it's NEVER your OWN kid that's the Brat? <BR> <BR>I just wanna know who are those people on every flight with those annoying kids? They have to belong to someone!

Maybe there's a traffic of Korean orphans ? :-)