Replies to '03/06 Etiquette Dilemmas'

Child behaviour is one of my soap boxes. My oldest daughter was two years old the first time I had her on an airplane. She alternated sitting  in her seat and sitting in my lap. Otherwise she behaved like an adult. We talked but she was not loud or disruptive to others on the plane. When she had to go the the bathroom she quietly told me and held my hand as we quitely  walked to the bathroom and back.  No child can be expected to be an adult but at that age children have the capacity to be able to learn right from wrong to a greater extent than most parents realize. Maybe they don't want to realize this because it puts the responsibility on them for their childs' behaviour. Both of my children were taught to have manners in public at a very young age. At one time my two daughters, who were teenagers at the time, and I were in public having our senses assaulted by a screaming, crying, kicking brat. The mother was doing nothing with this kid to let him know that you shouldn't  behave that way in public or anywhere else. I looked at my daughters in astonishment and said "You two never acted that way." My oldest daughter said they knew they wouldn't like what  happened if they did act that way. You don't have to beat or abuse a child in any way to teach them. But it does take work and thought and I feel most parents don't want to be bothered. They would rather cruise and let the kid do whatever he or she wants and somehow that parent has the abiblity to ignore the brat. I can't ignore it. I doubt I would have been able to ignore the brat on the airplane. I did not force my bratty kids on others and I do not appreciate it when someone forces his or her bratty kid on me. That mother and child should have been removed from the airplane. I remember hearing about that incident on the news. My daughter that has a little boy heard about that, too. We three flew from Dallas to St. Louis. My daughter was scared to death fearing she and her baby would get thrown off of that airplane. The baby was 22 months old at the time and he can be a handful. But I wasn't worried. I knew she disciplined her child. He was a little testy and fidgity but he was not noisy and unruly and disruptive. He did fiine. That is my proof that very young children can behave on airplanes without disturbing others. I recall a trip I took on an airplane sitting across from two little girls. One was under a year old and I think the other was three. Ay first I thought "Oh, no." But those children behaved. They weren't perfect little adults but they did not create a problem. I commended the parents for obviously disciplining and training their kids. More proof that children can behave on airplanes. Again, don't force your bratty kids off on me.