Does anyone have amusing stories to share about traveling with children? A thought came to me today about the time I was traveling with my then 5 year old daughter during the Cabbage Kids craze. Our flight attendant commented to her that she appreciated her keeping her baby happy and content during the flight and that she thought the bottle (it was one of those plastic ones that comes with the milk that seems to disappear) was very cool. My daughter replied that she was such a fussy eater she had to trick her into drinking her bottle. She finished by saying that breast feeding was not an option for her!

On the day of my 3yos first flight she asked what time was the plane coming to get her. I had visions of a 747 taxiing into the driveway.

There are so many--
Once we were waiting on the cog train to take us up Pike's Peak. There was an absolutely huge man (at least 400 lbs) waiting on the train as well. My youngest, who was then 4 or so, went up to him and said,"Sir, you are soooo fat. I don't think the train will hold you".

She wasn't speaking yet but earlier this year while in Paris my daughter Sofia (then 9 months), spend most of her time in the stroller gnawing on a baguette. This of course endeared us to the Parisians which helped start many interesting conversations.

How about this: "If West Palm Beach is on the East Coast of Florida, why is it called West Palm Beach?" Because it is west of the Atlantic Ocean? Because it is West of Palm Beach? Because...????

Fishing with my boyfriend and his 6 year old son who pointed to the water and shouted "Look daddy, a hippo !" as a manatee swam by....

On a trip to NYC last year, we were taking a cab through thick traffic to the hotel. A car pulled out in front of the cab, and our four-year old daughter (who rides with me in the mornings at home) said "what an idiot!" We couldn't help but laugh and said "you will fit in just fine." She then said "that's what Daddy says."

Rachel, I admire your willingness to open yourself to such criticism here. As anyone can tell by most of the responses here, children generally are parroting their parents or those around them. When your daughter told a man how fat he was, it was clearly a reflection of the values you are teaching her.

While children do absorb their environments, their edit function is not fully developed yet to stifle their innate honesty.

If that last comment was aimed at my comment, let me clarify. I don't know why a child is being exposed to hearing parents say things about how "fat" other people are. Whether children are developed enough to edit their responses is a minor point. Why are they being subjected to such comments to begin with?

Once when our airplane was backing around to start the taxi down the runway, I heard a small child behind me ask his parent if we were backing all the way.

Calgirlsusan

I could not agree with you more. If my daughter runs around saying "aw Jesus", that is my fault. And it bothers me when kids say rude things in public and the parents think we should all think it is real cute.

As well as children with poor manners in restaurants. That is the parents fault and reflects poorly on them. It amazes me why people find this "cute".

Calgirl, can you give me a better word for that ???? hanging over my belt? you know, one that will make me feel better about myself.

i would hate to live in your world.....

Perhaps the mother reads to her child from lavishly illustrated picture books - you know the type that have old favorites such as "Jack Sprat can eat no fat, his wife can eat no lean".

Kids WILL say the darndest things.

Too bad you can't go to school with them and cover their ears everytime another child says something you don't like and don't want them to turn around and repeat.

I had a nephew who was kicked out of kindergarten for repeatedly using the F word. When his mother (my sister) was called to pick him up at school, she said to him, "now Sammy, you don't know what that word means. . ." but she was cut off by him describing in very detailed terms exactly what it meant!! He was barely 5.

Sammy's mouth should be washed out with soap. He would stop real quick.And, what they pick up at school is no excuse,it is still the parents job to raise and DISCIPLINE them despite what the DSS says.

I agree totally with that last statement. And I suspect it was Sammy's father who taught him what the word meant, and was the one Sammy was imitating. Is it any wonder Sammy ended up being a father at age 15?

Big difference between the two "f" words, fat and f____. And who here wrote that it's not a parent's job to raise a child? Might it just be that Rachel's child heard mommy ask daddy the loaded question I've so often heard, "Honey, do I look fat in this?"

Laughing out loud! My 8 year old daughter was in carpool with me one morning. Our car windows were down, and we could easily overhear another driver's ranting of the F-word. I quickly put the windows up and apologized to the oblivious children that they'd overheard the "F-word". My daughter was quiet a moment, then said, "Mommy, what's the F-word?" (she really didn't know. We're a pretty mild mannered family.) I hemmed and hawed and she interrupted me to say, "Did he call someone FAT?" In her mind, that was a bad word to use towards someone! Awww.