Children in airport etiquette

[Sideeye47]

What’s your take?

Currently waiting on a flight and children are banging on the back of the metal seats DP and I are sat on. No visible guardian about. Shrieking and running around before circling back to hitting our seats.

I understand children are children and children travelling can make them restless but I don’t think children over 5/6 should be running around an airport screaming and irritating other already tired and bored passengers.

Dubai has a trampoline area

Dubai has a trampolining area

The poor kids don't realise they are pissing people off or misbehaving. It's the fucking witless parents that piss me off.
selfish gits

How do people find time for softplay at an airport?
Bagdrop/check-in... Two hours before but maybe queuing for up to 30mins
Half an hour through security.
Toilet
Buy drinks for plane. Maybe 5minute wait.
Gate announced-herd kids to gate
Queue again to get into gate (gates 'close' half an hour before departure time
Boarding.

I have one experience of airport softplay... RAF Akrotiri. They insisted you had to be there 4hrs before the flight. The kids all wound each other up into a frenzy. We were relieved they ran out of space in the family section of the plane and so we had to sit with our 4snd 6yos in the adult section (which is nearly silent- luckily our kids are quiet on transport, not so much outdoors!). But that experience definitely put me off airport soft play.

AmeriAnn isn't being brave it is rude, patronising and annoying to correct someone like that (especially her following rude comments which I see were deleted, thank you MNHQ).

I wrote this before and it bears repeating I think
"I speak English and you're not my "better" If you ever correct my SPaG I will explain it's due to a brain issue, I've lost some functions (probably permnanently, and it's getting worse) like remembering my grammar (which I used to be shit hot on) and sadly it can't be helped"

Can I ask you to spare a moment to consider how people like me feel when people point out our errors? I'm not "irritating" or ignorant or ill educated, I'm disabled and I don't like being patronised or mocked.

Do you routinely think that (for example) people walking with a limp should have the "shortcomings" in their gait pointed out? I doubt you would do that. Pointing out mental "shortcomings" is just as rude and hurtful as this. I also think you're being disablist - youre drawing attention to peoples errors without knowing if it's due to a disability.

This has actually taken me ages to type and I really would be grateful if you could consider it and take it on board.

And I know "shortcomings" sounds rude but it's hard to convey how things like this make you feel - I do feel I have "deficiencies" and not as good as others. Not pleasant to have it pointed out in front of people either.

How do people find time for softplay at an airport?

Because we travel hand luggage and the thought of being delayed at security then making minutes to grab a drink and find your gate web travelling alone gives me the fear lol. We always arrive in plenty time, also planes get delayed.

My kids have Trunkies and they're a fucking nightmare when the kids are full of energy, But tell you what though, they're a total godsend when it's 11pm and you're standing in the passport line and the kids can just slump on their trunkies instead of having to stand exhausted (or worse, expect to be carried). I love the Trunkies in those moments! So I'm prepared to police the kids with them hardcore.

I don't understand parents who don't actively police their kids in public spaces. I'd be humiliated if my kids were disturbing other travellers. Ugh!

OP you poor thing, I'd suggest you sternly tell them off. If the parents won't parent then you do it and they'll almost certainly go somewhere else rather than risk getting told off from a stranger again.

La Palma airport has a big playground in the middle of the departure lounge. It is amazing

I have taken my 3 kids, spanning 8 years, as a divorced mum on holiday, several times over the years. Absolute nightmare trying to keep them quiet, relaxed and behaving themselves. I even linked my two youngest to my wrists with child restraint straps to stop them running off and getting under people's feet. Got verbal abuse from two Americans once for allegedly treating my kids like dogs lol! Some of us do try, and now, years on, I will not tolerate any unsupervised kids annoying behaviour. Next time they bang your seats, turn around and tell them to CUT IT OUT!! Children are not entitled to be feral in my book. Load of nonsense.

^How do people find time for softplay at an airport?
Bagdrop/check-in... Two hours before but maybe queuing for up to 30mins
Half an hour through security.
Toilet
Buy drinks for plane. Maybe 5minute wait.
Gate announced-herd kids to gate
Queue again to get into gate (gates 'close' half an hour before departure time
Boarding.^

We get to the airport in decent time to have more than 5 minutes before going to gate
(and often fly from airports that don’t have a separate gate queue.) After car/bag drop/security we see the benefit of having half an hour in soft play before boarding a flight, especially long haul. Personally, I’m someone who doesn’t like to leave things to chance so build in a decent buffer for traffic and delays. If everything goes perfectly that can translate into a lot of time at the airport.

Also, there’s transit. The many happy (unironic) hours of my life I’ve spent at Changi Airport in Singapore.

if you want bad words, you are probably better off with Roger Mellie''s Profanisaurus.

To be fair JassyRadlett, for quite a long time EasyJet at Stansted only opened their bag drops 2 hours before the flight departure time, so if you needed to drop a bag, take the buggy to outside luggage, wait in security, get snacks/drinks for the plane, change a nappy and get a toddler to the loo it was a hell of a rush when the airport was busy.

To be fair JassyRadlett, for quite a long time EasyJet at Stansted only opened their bag drops 2 hours before the flight departure time, so if you needed to drop a bag, take the buggy to outside luggage, wait in security, get snacks/drinks for the plane, change a nappy and get a toddler to the loo it was a hell of a rush when the airport was busy.

Fair enough! I avoid Stansted like the plague, which is easy as I live on the other side of London where the airports are more civilised (and often have soft play!). We mostly fly long haul with the kids so getting to the airport early is pretty usual.

My experience of airport rushing was Gatwick! Not helped by the 25 minute walk to the gate.

My kids have them scooters. Most adults comment how brilliant they are and some have even asked for a go!!

I keep an eye on where they scoot though. Anyone moaning about kids being excited and making a bit of noise next time we're in an airport, I'm sending them to wheel over their toes, miserable sods....

Anyone moaning about kids being excited and making a bit of noise next time we're in an airport, I'm sending them to wheel over their toes, miserable sods

God, I'm glad I travel Business Class.