to be horrified by children´s behaviour on flight?

[Happy36]

Am I unreasonable to think that one should keep an eye on one´s children during a flight and try to ensure that their behaviour does not upset other passengers unnecessarily?

Just had a horrendous experience with what felt like a whole plane full of children (not toddlers - children aged between 5 and 15) screaming, shouting, running around, dropping rubbish, bouncing over the seats, ignoring the airline staff. Children will be children, that much can´t be denied, but what horrified me was the parents´ total oblivion to the situation.

Also I felt sorry for the airline staff and wonder whether there are any possible ways for airlines to encourage passengers more strongly against indulging in anti-social behaviour.

I've just recently been on a short flight that was totally ruined by kids sat behind me kicking my seat. I really don't get why the parents allow it.

Parents in 1st and children in economy is fairly common with rich families. Normally im sat with the kids in economy and parents are in business or first.

Wouldn't mind but the parents come and visit, wind the kids up and then leave!

I honesty can't imagine taking my eyes off my children on an aeroplane. The thought of letting then wander off is just scary. Bloody hell at the sheer nerve and laziness of some people.

maisyblue they will be the same parents that allow their little darlings to kick the seat in the cinema too. I have, on more than one occasion, turned around and told them to stop it, only to get glared at by the accompanying adult.

I am amazed that children were able to 'run' up and down the plane. On the last few flights I have been on, there has been a trolley coming up the aisle for most of the journey, making it impossible to get to the loo - never mind run up and down. But then I only do relatively short flights, so they have to cram in the drinks/ food/duty free/scratch cards. Maybe I will see a different side when I fly long haul next month although hopefully the fines for term time holidays should keep the number of children down. (I am not taking my DCs on this trip)

I'm sitting in LHR between flts with DH and our 8 yr old dd. She started travelling by air at 8 months, then not a lot for a few years but transatlantic at age 5, 7 and 8. We would never dream of not controlling her. Plenty of prep beforehand and things to entertain her inboard. I actually got a chance to sleep myself this time which was nice again. We've seen some not great behaviour on various flights, between us in all our travels worldwide with and without dd. Dd has had issues, being very anxious (she has some SEN) and sometimes having problems with travel sickness. But she copes despite these issues, as it is our responsibility to see that she does, and not impose on other passengers.

On long haul the planes are so much larger, with sooo much more room for them to run and skip around.

Glad I'm too poor to fly anywhere these days! When we fly with DS he is so much in love with the aeroplanes (and prospect of the inflight meal, the odd lad) he is very well behaved!

But in my day (old lady rant alert) it would have been the worst if all black-affrontedness for someone to tut-tut or ask a parent to keep their kids in check. When we were kids, there was no way we would annoy any other adults (I'm sure we irritated our own parents) or yell/run about/kick seats. One 'look' from mum and we would know to 'simmer down'.

I don't know if kids are worse behaved these days, or if parents are more indulgent. Either way, my mum used to say "we don't want to listen to you lot yelling or carrying on, so nobody else should have to either" (followed by dire threats of what would happen to us if we misbehaved).

NO excuses. I hate this. We sometimes fly to Australia with our DC who are now 10 and 6 and they have NEVER ONCE run up and down, thrown food or shouted. We keep them entertained and they know better than to shout and scream!

I know roll on September....

Ilovemydog - why are you scared at the thought of your DCs wandering off on a plane? It's certainly not something I'd condone, but it's one of the few places where they are unlikely to get lost - it's not like they can get out !

Wouldn't be that sure of that Rookie...

I've caught em having a good try

I had a nightmare flight about 4 years ago. I was coming back from Athens with a colleague and we were sat at the front of cattle class. We were sharing the flight with a large number of young people (aged about 16/17) from an Athenian college on their way to a weekend in London. Their tutors were sat right at the back and, I can only assume, were drinking wine or sleeping throughout the flight.

These young people treated the plane like it was a bus. Sitting on each other; on the ends of the rows of seats; on me and my very nervous flier colleague. They were so over excited, noisy and constantly on the move. We asked them to sit down and calm down but it had no effect. The air crew had no success with them either.

The worst behaviour was when we were coming into land (so seatbelt sign on and plane beginning its descent). One of the lads got up to walk to the loo at the back. He was shouted at by the steward and did sit back down again pretty smartish. However, not a peep out of the tutors.

Sitting on each other; on the ends of the rows of seats; on me and my very nervous flier colleague..

They sat on you? Nah! Don't believe that.

It's always the parents fault, and it's usually the same ones you see braying over gin at Southwold or Padstow while their DCs risk their lives on the harbour steps.

Not always though. I was most impressed by the family of 4 who shoved to the front of the queue at Luton. No one dared say a thing, confronted with 60 stone of tattooed and blinged menace. Dad was probably wearing a month's wages in sov rings alone.

at "60 stone of tattooed and blinged menace" Perfect image conjured up there.

I would agree that it's the cool teens who are the worse on planes. Lots of loud conversations and bare feet all over the place to show how relaxed they are with flying. I had to tell one lot to stop swearing. They did but as one pointed out 'oh you have a child with you' like swearing on a packed plane would be fine otherwise.

Young children can be a bit fidgety but I don't think children or parents realise how annoying the table going up and down feels until you point it out.
I haven't seen children running up and down though,

I have to say the first time I did a package holiday I booked it last minute deal in a shop I didn't know and I wasn't told that I would have to pay extra to have DS (maybe 2.5 years at the time) sat with me.

None of the other flights I had been on until then, long ago and major airlines had charged this we had just got seats together on check in.

So got to airport to be told 1 in row 7, 1 in 15 and last in 22. Someone kindly moved for us but it wasn't that I just turned up expecting it.

DS is 13 now so was a long time ago. Wouldn't make that mistake now.

We got on a flight with our DC recently and hadn't even sat down before the lady in front said rudely make sure she (meaning my dd) doesn't kick me all through the flight. The poor child was quite upset that she was getting told off in advance for something she wouldn't ever have done. I assume that that woman had suffered previously an was working on preventative measure.

I flew out to Miami once and had a kid brat swinging on the arm of my seat for most of the way. A toddler in the seat in front who cried the minute he got on the plane only stopping when his dad reclined his seat for the rest of the flight. On the flight back my heart sank when 2 little boys were seated in front of me. They went to recline their seats and their dad said no - you have plenty of room, the lady behind doesn't. They were so well behaved at the end of the flight, myself and other passengers complimented the parents

Sat on our armrests as we both had aisle seats partial so effectively sitting on us as their bums where hovering over our laps. I kid you not!

I'm flying with ds's in a month. Probably alone (waiting for dh's passport) longhaul. I've done it when ds1 was 3 months, and also when he was 16 months and he was lovely. They were both longhaul and he just slept.

This time he will be 3 (turns 3 when out there) and ds2 will be 8 months. I've bought a car seat for ds1 so that he can't kick the person in front of us, and hopefully is more relaxed.

Ds2 will hopefully be in the sky cot (he's tiny for his age, 14lb) and if not, will be on a sling on me most of the time.

Just hoping for the best really.

Adult elbow huggers too... ugh.. especially the fat ones

One flight to Asia woke up to my horror Asian guyin the seat next to me had his head on my shoulder..

Ah bless, miss mummy, did you? now fuck off!

Not just kids either.

we have completed our 6th flight UK- Aus with DD. She knows to shut up and behave.
On one leg a little girl same age sat behind her..they sat squashed in one seat and played games, or chatted , but behaved beautifully.

The many other kids on the plane behaved too- one baby cried for a bit but nothing extraordinary. This was in a period of 27hours. Maybe we are lucky but rarely do we have out of control kids on long haul flights.

DS has ADHD and HFA. I try the best I can with him, but he's hard work on long-haul and it's the only way we can now see my nearly 80-year-old father.

i just went from UK to aus and was upgraded to first - result!

except that there was a woman in first with an 18mo old who screamed for 10mins out of every 20mins...for the whole 14hrs from dubai to sydney. whilst she refused to get out of her seat, just made ineffective shushing noises the WHOLE WAY

i started off sympathetic, but wanted to drown the child by the end of it, catatonic with lack of sleep....