There are a number of things in life unfortunately we cannot control.
The weather, for example. The international economy. Traffic.
To add to that list is crying babies on planes. Planes are big and scary and noisy. I’m sure if I was an infant I’d probably have a big old scream too. Crying toddlers on board your flight are about as inevitable as kicking your toe when your feet are particularly cold.
But some absolutely can’t stand it. They find it torturous. They think it’s the responsibility of the parent to calm their screaming baby for the comfort of everyone else on board.
After Elon James White, founder of the multimedia platform This Week in Blackness, read a post online which expressed anger towards parents of crying kids on planes, he shared his response to Twitter.
“Just read a post of someone yelling at people w/ kids to keep their kids from crying on planes,” he wrote. “What exactly are parents expected to do?”
“My wife and I both try everything in our power to make sure our child isn’t the crying baby because we’ve heard so many people say such awful things about parents and kids on planes,” White told The Huffington Post.
“But having tried to calm a five-month-old down on a plane, seeing the post on social media about how parents need to control their kids really got to me. It implied that parents are just letting kids cry when in all honesty when a kid is crying their parents are the ones who are the most frustrated.”
A number of Twitter users added to the conversation, expressing how “judged” they feel. One woman wrote: “I was on a plane with a baby in front of me and people complaining about the baby behind me. The complainers were more annoying.”
For those of us without kids, a little compassion goes a long way.
So if you find yourself frustrated by the sounds of a crying baby, know that that’s only a fraction of the distress felt by the parents, who are, without a doubt, doing their best.
Top Comments
I don't mind babies crying and usually give the parents a smile. Most of us have or will be there. But some drunks are awful.
The worst experience I had was flying international by myself with the baby asleep in the bassinet. Dinner had just been served and before I could even take a bite, the guy beside me demanded I put my seat up so he could go ask for another drink.
Sure I say give me two Minutes so I can shift my meal, and remove the baby from the bassinet. I move the meal tray and just as I'm getting the baby out he starts screaming abuse and kicking my seat.
I stand up with the now screaming baby, fighting back tired tears. As he stomps down the aisle. Wait for him to come back to the seat. I'm still holding my baby when he returns with red wine and we both sit. The baby has settled again and still in my arms. My dinner is cold, then turbulence hits and he gets red wine all over him. Three other passengers start laughing. And he presses the call button numerous times and demands a new seat from the crew, without a crying baby.
Certainly sir says the cabin crew, and asks me to stand so he can get out of his seat. They then collect my bags, and tells him he can sit in my seat with no baby to annoy him.
I am moved to business class and have a fresh warm meal waiting.
Karma...
Many babies and small children get ear ache when they fly, because of the changes in air pressure. Of course, they'll cry because it hurts. Have some empathy and consideration.
I am sure some would say that Babies shouldn't be Flying then! Lolz!