Gekko

Time to let this thread die a tantrum-filled death.

No one's going to change anyone's mind, that is certain.

So let it die.

peterboy

Sounds more like la-de-da new age parents that think that FAA rules don't apply to them or thier precious ("can't she just sit on my lap?"...puh leez)....and they're whiners too boot.

granniem

I did not read through all 159 replies to the original questions but.....I have 8 and 11 year old grandchildren and when I tell them to do something it is done, they know what the results would be after (and I do not mean a beating). When children act like this you can be sure it is the parents (one or both) fault.\

Airtran did the right thing.

NeoPatrick

I'm still curious what is meant by this "look" which is supposed to create instand obedience. I was accustomed to the "look" when I was growing up and it was indeed very effective, but in my family it meant clearly "do that again and you're getting a spanking". What does the "look" mean when there is no follow through if the kid repeats it? The parents will sit him down and explain that he shouldn't do that? Sorry, but I'm trying to understand a three year old ending a tantrum because he gets the "look" that says he's about to get an explanation.

OO

LOL!

OO

PS....though I was the primary disciplinarian, being the parent home all the time, my husband had a look that the kids still talk about today--used when they were older and responded to "looks". His employees know it too, LOL! His eyes sort of get a little twitch--only very slightly discernible, but quite obvious to anyone who has seen it before. I don't even think he does it consciously but it is so darned effective it's amazing. He's normally very easy going, so when the look happens, someone has seriously messed up and there will be dire consequences ahead...no spanks (for the employees or kids ) but some scary something is going to happen. It will happen calmly and coolly, but it will happen. You will lose your car for x period of time (kids, not employees!), possibly your job or that job will get and stay much harder for you until you prove yourself! I'm glad never to get the look!! I know when the cut off is between no look and look.

I don't remember the kids going through tantrum stages as 2 and 3 year olds...they waited until their teens for that.

Had they been the little girl on the plane though, I'd have been mortified, not indignant like her Mom, and my DD would have been in her seat, pronto, like it or not, crying or not. Geez...is it really so hard??

GoTravel

LOL!

bugswife1

Gosh, when I first posted about 'the look' about 160 posts ago, I was just kidding! Didn't anybody see the : - ) at the end of the sentence. 'The Look' rarely works on a 3 year old. Just wishful thinking.

dan_woodlief

What keeps coming back to me because of this thread is the Duke lacrosse rape accusations, which I think most of you have probably heard about. Now that certainly isn't on par with a family being kicked off a plane, but there is some parallel. Living here in Durham, I can tell you it seemed a huge percentage believed these guys did what it was said they did. Well, as it turns out, there is a good chance they didn't, and opinion has taken a dramatic turn (still we don't know what really happened). Even as a Tar Heel fan (who generally likes to hear bad things about Duke sports), I was skeptical from the beginning, simply because I believe we shouldn't jump to conclusions. Seems we could all benefit from those types of lessons.

mark99

Not sure about the kid....but I had a stewerdess friend who loved to be spanked!

clueless

Mark,

That should have been posted on the spanking thread!

LucieV

The solution is obvious. Children should not be allowed to participate in society until they are no longer children. They must become self-disciplined, cooperative, tolerant, compassionate, considerate of others, predictable, and unselfish; and their behavior must never inconvenience, offend, or annoy another person. Just like all adults.

THERESA10

A subject of this kind got me in deep
ka ka on TA. Some Parents need a spank
ing, not always the kids.

My Mom gave us a look, and if you got it,
you were getting it. It still works to
this day. And I'm over 40.

mamajo

I keep wondering why, if the child had had recent ear surgery and still had ear pain, why didn't the parents get something from the doctor to ease the pain/discomfort? Or don't today's parents do things like that?

In 1954 I flew alone, from Chicago's Midway airport to Raleigh NC to join my AF husband with TWO babies..one 19 months and one 3 WEEKS. I talked to our Doctor and got some dramamine suppositories from our doctor to help the girls. They were fine, no ear problems and no screaming. Remember this was before jets...and we flew from Chicago to Louisville, then changed to a plane that hip-hopped up and down to Raleigh..almost an all day trip. My girls slept most of the way!

I've heard little ones cry when taking off or landing because of ear pain, but never have I heard any of them have a tantrum, or behave as this little girl did. Yes, I feel sorry for the parents..it would be embarrassing, but after letting it go on for that long...I do NOT have any sympathy for them at that point.

clarkgriswold

Snotty stewardess tangles with snotty mom and decides to throw her snotty butt off the plane, just because she could.

Air Tran apologizes, gives refund, offers free future tickets as well, and says it will re-train its personnel.

Air Tran changes tune after media spins story and leads the public to believe that a 3 year old brat had held a plane hostage for 20 minutes.

ncgrrl

Dan (off the AirTran issue for a bit),

Based on the past history of the lacrosse players and the amount of times the police had been called to that house, people had no trouble believing something bad happened that night. Did something happen? Only the accused and the accusor know for sure, but the players' reputations didn't help the situation one bit.

If you had been accused/arrested for the same thing, everyone from the start would have gone "Dan? No way would he do that? He's an upstanding member of the community"

Doctoressa

It's about time someone took a stand! Look, I love kids, but there is a time and a place for everything and everyone. If a child can't behave in a public place, it is the parents' responsibility to attend to the issue. As I'm sure we have all experienced, there are parents who deal well with these situations, and those who don't. There are kids who respond, and those who don't. But, I firmly believe that if I child is NOT behaving properly, s/he should be removed. It's acceptable for the flight attendants and staff to handcuff adults who are unruly. Why should children be any different? Yes, I know, often little ones don't understand, but it is then that they should be left at home with grandma and grandpa or perhaps mom and dad should consider renting a car! Congratulations Airtran!!!

LucieV

Why should children be any different?

OK, good point. Then if children aren't to be treated differently, then why can we spank them but not misbehaving adults?

LucieV

bennyb, I'm just curious: what makes you assume cg is any angrier about this than any of the other posters? Because he's used capital letters, meaning he's shouting or something?

CiaoLeone

LOL, funny to hear all the tough parents ... especially the ones to whom the kids (when older) will not say anything. How they would have "handled" the situation is instructive about how they handle life.