There’s a popular news story going around right now, featured on several popular websites and posted like crazy as a shared photo on facebook. Some considerate parents, nervous about flying with their 14 week-old twin sons, provide an advance apology to fellow passengers in the form of candy and a clever note. They even offer ear plugs in advance, in the event things go awry. One passenger photographed and posted the goodie bag, which read:
Really, this couple went above and beyond to make the best of what could have been a difficult flight. Their load was already pretty heavy just traveling with those two little guys, though. The shining stars of this story are most likely the individuals who will never get recognition:
* The woman who smiled and talked to the couple, asking about the babies, complimenting them, reassuring the couple through her actions that she wasn’t worried about sitting near them.
* The man near by who collected dropped binkies and toys, handing them up with a smile.
* The flight attendant who allowed mom to rock baby in the back for a few more minutes than policy allowed.
* The person who found scraps of paper to make paper airplanes and sail boats to provide new entertainment when the flight became long.
* The individuals who viewed this family as part of a larger community, instead of potential disturbers of their peace.
Amen!
Perfectly said!
Such an interesting perspective and very meaningful to me as the mom of two young, loud, messy, and disruptive young children. 🙂 I wish your “op ed” could be more widely distributed so others could get some insight into what it’s like to raise young children in today’s world.
LOVED THIS!!
Well said. I have 4 yrs old twins and 15 months old baby. We just came back home yesterday from Florida to Seattle. It required a lot of preparation and patient, especially when a person get sick and the pilot decides to make a medical emergency stop, meaning an extra hour or two in an airplane. I just want to say, thank you to the ladie that offer her Ipad to my boy so he could play Angry Bird, thank you to her husband for helping with my 4 yrs old girl, and thank you to others around for making funny faces so my 15mo old would stop crying, and for the flight attendant that give us extra snacks and called our next flight so we would not missed it because of the medical delayed (we had 10 min to run from one terminal to the next one). What a fun day with my kiddos. On our second flight I did apologize to the lady in front that turned around 2 min after we set down and said “please don’t kick my chair, it gave me headache “. I told her, very nicely, she still have time to pick another seat, it would happen again. I didn’t apolgize the many other time. I try my best, and I do think about others around me, but kids would always be kids.
Well said. I have 4 yrs old twins and 15 months old baby. We just came back home yesterday from Florida to Seattle. It required a lot of preparation and patient, especially when a person get sick and the pilot decides to make a medical emergency stop, meaning an extra hour or two in an airplane. I just want to say, thank you to the ladie that offer her Ipad to my boy so he could play Angry Bird, thank you to her husband for helping with my 4 yrs old girl, and thank you to others around for making funny faces so my 15mo old would stop crying, and for the flight attendant that give us extra snacks and called our next flight so we would not missed it because of the medical delayed (we had 10 min to run from one terminal to the next one). What a fun day with my kiddos. On our second flight I did apologize to the lady in front that turned around 2 min after we set down and said “please don’t kick my chair, it gave me headache “. I told her, very nicely, she still have time to pick another seat, it would happen again. I didn’t apolgize the many other time. I try my best, and I do think about others around me, but kids would always be kids.
Great perspective as always! I was annoyed by it, we shouldn’t have to apologize for our kids. You are right, we can’t teach them if they aren’t out in the world.