That bastion of truth in journalism, the Daily Fail, had this video posted on its website yesterday. I sometimes check out the site just for a laugh at Kim K and the likes but more and more I just find it irritating so I don't bother with it. This video, however, was taken by a passenger on a flight from Germany to New Jersey and apparently this kid screamed for the whole eight hour flight.
Now I don't know if he possibly had health problems (autism?) that made him act like this but I can't help feeling that if that were the case I just wouldn't fly with him, or at least get his doctor to give him something to calm him down. I happen to love kids (even those that aren't my own!!) but I have to admit putting up with this for an entire flight would test my metal, I can tell you. Judgmental? Maybe, but eight hours of that would test the patience of a saint - and surely that of his mother!
If on the other hand there is nothing wrong with the kid, how the hell is this mother (those parents?) raising their kid. Sorry but in my house I was always the boss and while I loved my kids to bits there is no way they would have got away with it.
Since we were an anglo-american couple working in Switzerland my kids have flown from day one and they never behaved like that. It was bloody hard work on me though as I would spend the entire flight making sure that they were amused/happy/fed - whatever it took to keep them from disturbing others. Other people seem to manage to do it too. I know it's hard work but that's the price you pay for travelling with kids I'm afraid. I don't think anyone would ever blame a very young child for crying on take off and landing because the change in cabin pressure can obviously hurt their ears, but I am talking about babies here, and this was obviously not caused by cabin pressure!
And talking of hard work, I remember one time many years ago flying to England with my kids. The little one was probably about six or seven so the oldest would have been about 10 or 11. That day there was a problem with the entire civil aviation radar covering the south of England so our flight, which should have landed at Gatwick, was diverted to Stansted Airport. And we sat on that bloody tarmac for about four hours, if I remember right. Now if we had been allowed I would have left the plane there, rented a car and driven the rest of the journey, but of course we weren't allowed to do that. So I set about getting games and papers and pencils out and played with my kids for the entire four hours.
For about an hour we played hangman. Jordan being only little his spelling wasn't that great so he would look around for a word somewhere in the plane and use that. It became a bit obvious when we got
S E A T B E L ?
don't you think. So just to wind him up I would suggest the last letter was "O"! He would go "Mommy, SEATBEL-OOOOOO! Don't be so silly". And on and on it went. Eventually we were able to re-route back to Gatwick Airport, very tired but glad to have made it. As I was travelling with kids I waited until everyone else got off and one man - businessman type - stopped by our seats as he was leaving, leaned over and said "I think your children have been marvelous. So absolutely perfectly behaved!" I could have cried as I was exhausted but thank you Mr. Businessman, you made my day!
I'm off on my trip to Costa Rica tomorrow (well, first spending tomorrow night in London then on to CR on Saturday) so I may be "incomunicada" for a while. Let's hope that kid isn't on my flight!
Enjoy your trip! That is my nightmare....and you are right, anyone who says that wouldn't annoy them isn't being honest. We take ear plugs (hubby takes noise cancelling headphones) to help with this kind of situation
ReplyDeleteThe more I listen to that video the more I am inclined to think he had mental health problems. But that being said, listening to that for eight hours would drive anyone insane. Nobody could be happy in that situation - not least of all a little one who feels the need to scream for eight hours! And yep I'm looking forward to Costa Rica - I hear it's beautiful.
ReplyDeleteIt is not a normal scream. I would be inclined to think the child has special needs, but it does remind me of the need to get some noise reducing headphones.
ReplyDeleteHave a wonderful time in Costa Rica!
I tend to agree with you. That and the fact that the mom was trying to stay very calm. I mean, if my kid did not have those issues I would have threatened him with gluing his arse to the seat and leaving him there. That being said, I still think I would have looked at other solutions - taking a boat, prescribed meds. I don't know. It's easy to judge when you don't have that problem but that still doesn't change the fact that I wouldn't want to share a plane with him.
DeleteI swear I left a long comment here about screaming kids and Dexter and Downton Abbey. I must be going a bit cuckoo because it's not the first time I have just failed to post!
ReplyDeleteIf you can get past the gore, Dexter is a fascinating character and it's the only show I have ever truly binged on to the exclusion of things like food. Downton is fab and just to bring in something irrelevant, Rita is a show worth looking up.
There had to be something wrong with a kid to scream like that and as annoying as it would be I will never forget how the m other feels. As a new mother and a new flyer I took my four month old on an eight hour flight. He had a slight cold and the pressure must have caused a huge issue with his ears so he cried for almost the entire flight. Even the magical boob failed to soothe. I had no idea what was wrong and was completely frantic about my baby and the other passengers. I never flew without a painkiller after that but I never needed it!
I think there is a big difference between this child and an unwell baby though don't you. What struck me was this child's grunting - that's what made me think there was something wrong, but as others have said it didn't sound like mom made any effort to do something about it really either. As for Dexter, the colleague that lent it to me said the same thing but I just couldn't get past the gore.
DeleteNot a good situation for anyone. Noise cancelling headphones might be the best investment ever. I know your feling on th compliment. We once had our kids in a very nice restaurant. they were impeccable in manners and only 2 1/2 and 4 1/2. People looked freaked out at firt, but later stopped by the table to complimnet them. I know it my have been pure luck, but still felt good.
ReplyDeleteI doubt that it was pure luck that people complimented your children. We worked very hard to make sure our kids were amused and well behaved. Seems like it paid off though.
DeleteThis is not a matter of judging, this is a matter of an annoyance. Special needs or not, this is unacceptable. It seems the mother made no effort to stay in control. Even special needs who are out of control can be gotten back under the control of the adult. I never heard a word, just screeching and guttural sounds. If I had been there, I would have told the kid to shut up, calm down, quit screaming, use your words, use indoor voice...lots of things. The video was a little over three minutes and that was unnerving.
ReplyDeleteThe original video that I saw was eight minutes long and they made it clear that this behaviour went on for an entire eight hours. That would drive anyone insane.
DeleteWow - I'd have to put my earplugs in and listen to music - LOUD!! Anything to block out that screaming. I was a special education teacher for 15+ years and even children with autism can be easily entertained with a little effort! Mom either doesn't understand her child or doesn't give two hoots - probably both! It's attention seeking behaviour for both of them - that mom needs to grow the heck up!
ReplyDeleteHi Jane - I just got back from Costa Rica and thankfully he wasn't on my plane(s) - nor anyone like him. I can only thank the heavens for that as all the children on my six flights were great.
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