Small children on Long haul flights

[Lovetocook49]

Can I ask everyone’s opinions please ?
We have just come back from a
holiday to the Maldives . We found a cheap trip and booked , we have had a great week .

On our return flight , 11 hours long, there was a young family, 2 boys , one a toddler, one a few years older. My husband was chatting to the Dad , and they had gone just for a holiday - family not living there or anything.

The youngest boy had a very fractious journey , parents frazzled trying to keep him happy , minimise crying etc poor poppet was not a happy toddler.

I don’t get it ? The kids are so young they won’t remember the holiday , why put them through such a long flight ?

Just wondering others thoughts 🤷‍♀️

Do you feel the same about a long car drive or train? I travelled long haul regularly as a child and so have my children. Some of the things people think you can’t do with children are just bizarre.

Well long car has no impact on other people so you do you on that one! Trains? Yes, for sure. Especially if you don’t try to parent said child.

How does the age of another member of the public on a flight impact you? I am obviously “doing me” that being the only option. As did my parents and their parents before them. If you wish to keep yourself and your children fairly local to their birthplace by all means crack on.

We did a very similar holiday when my oldest was 6 months, not the Maldives but another Indian Ocean island.

We didn't do it because wanted our child to remember the holiday, we did it because we wanted to have a holiday, that destination is our second favourite (after the Maldives) and is about 50% the price of the Maldives.

Our little one was amazing on the way out, slept the whole flight in the cot, on the way home they were not happy at all as the flight was delayed, they ended up overtired and unhappy.

We had an amazing holiday, we came home more relaxed and laid back, felt rested and I feel we parent better like that so I would say it was worth it.

I had family in Hong Kong when I was born, from the age of 3 months to 6 I flew out there multiple times a year to visit. While I don't remember the first few trips I have some amazing memories of some of the later ones and the wider family have great memories of the trips.

Are you the woman from the baby group? Because if so, I don't like you 😛

DH and I visited the Batu Caves in Malaysia recently - Hindu temple at the top of a flight of 272 stairs. It was intensely hot and humid At the top was a woman walking around with a tiny child wrapped around her lower leg and sitting on her foot. I hope she felt it was worth it. I felt sorry for her tbh.