Three Year Old Girl Kicked Off Plane For Tantrum

[Earlybird]

Read it here:

Yes, I can see that Duchesse. Ikwym wordsmith, I blanch at the thought of trying to take dd on a plane. So hey, I can say they were right to kick 'em off from the smugness of not having to contain a tantrum at take off.

And true, they may not have had time. Can you imagine being delayed by ages because your airline had missed its take off slot because of a toddler. You'd be cross wouldn't you? Well, I would if I was sitting there waiting to get home to my family.

This is why I don't dare fly with ds1. He might be OK on the way out, but if he didn't like it, and decided he wasn't going back. There'd be no way of getting himk on the plane without tying him down and I doubt they would accept that. Couldn't see him sitting and waiting for take off anyway. (being told to sit and wait is the quickest way to a meltdown).

they wee right to do so.

screaming kids on planes OMG my worst nightmare

Anyway I like storiies like this as it means we can point to it in the paper- and say to in laws- see that's why we can't fly over (and we can't take ferry for other reasons). Actually they're very understanding, but may help them placate other extended family members who may be less patient with our inability to travel.

Couldn't they just forcibly strap her in though? I think they sound as if they were being really weedy and saying they wanted to give her a cuddle and wait instead of being very firm. She was only three. I know kids can be strong but I'm sure they could have got her in if they were really determined.

I remember very similar struggles getting the kids into car seats etc. You can't fanny about can you?

I force dd (nearly two) into her car seat sometimes. She has to be in it. End of story. Different with much older child like Jimjams, but this sounds like a normal toddler tantrum and v weedy parents.

That would be horribly depressing but understandable.

I have to say I would have been very happy with the three free round trips, I am assuming they were just so embarrassed at being kicked off the plane they are trying to vent their rage!

Oh God, we are taking the DSs on the plane in a few months.

I'm going to have to drug them.

I've foundtantrums at 3 to be worse than at 2(also strongerasI found out yesterday). Also, are those belts in the planes not easy to undo,unlike the carseats. I think my ds was 4 when he could undo ordinary carseat belts.

Wouldn't a simpler answer to unloading be for the attendants to have raided the duty free and provided chocolate, chocolate and more chocolate! How many 3 years olds can't be bribed? Surely!

Must have been a nightmare though.

She's not the first- there was a boy a few years ago (see I told you I collect these stories )

I think it is reasonable that she was removed, the plane could not take off without her in her seat and it was already delayed. Surely you would make sure the child was settled in plenty of time? Feel for the parents but also think they could probably have done more to stop it. I am perhaps bitter a sI once endured a flight from Paris wityh the back of the seat being constantly kicked by a 4 year old who's parents did nothing to stop him!

if the parents can't force the child into her seat for take-off then the airline probably has no choice but to take them off

I've been known to force a toddler into a car seat . .its possible

tough titty .. think the airline has been more than generous

Secret to good travel = lots of bribary in my book! Already got new crayons and books wrapped up for next weeks holiday flight. As a friend of mone says "its not bribary it's negitiation"

From the story, it seems the parents were given a chance so what choice did the airline have? In any case, I'm feeling unsympathetic as we had a 6.5hr nightmare flight with two ghastly children behind us a couple of weeks ago.

We took dd abroad several times when she was little and she was always a model traveller, except once when something was wrong with the plane and we had to sit on the runway for 2.5 hrs with no air-conditioning. Even then I managed to distract her with a large bag of goodies. I would have strapped 3 year old in by force and then shoved a huge bar of chocolate into her chubby hand.

Mind you, we haven't been abroad since we had ds. I couldn't face an airport with him, let alone a plane. It's camping for us for the forseeable future. Oh well, I'm sure it won't rain every time /

DS has been flying since he was about 3 months, he flies to Dublin about 3 or 4 times a year so no problems there thank God.

I agree with Floss

Dosen't every parent have one thing that will snap any toddler out of a tantrum?

In this instance mine would have been a steely glare and the word enough barked in a manner that would have left him in no doubt.

I had to do it once to get AB's into him when DH was away and it was in danger of going everywhere. He was about this age.

He was so shocked he opened his mouth and took it like a lamb.

From that I discovered that the look and the word used in extreme moderation was very effective.

The trouble is, if you miss your takeoff time slot, everything gets cocked up.

Connections missed, and in the States, passengers would probably sue the airline, blaming them for any time or money they lost.

Agree EPIS.

I can't decide who I'm with, the other passengers (who were probably very relieved) or the parents... I can't imagine not being able to handle a tantrum when it's over something that non-negotiable (with a NT kid, obv different for mothers like JJ). Ds is 3, btw. And boy, does he have his moments. But over really, really important stuff? He sits in his ruddy car seat with the belt done up - no question. Any protests are given very short shrift. Same would apply to a plane journey.

Does it sound to anyone else that the parents were sitting BEHIND the girl?

Why wasn't the child with an adult and the other adult in front? Or have I misunderstood?

Physically they must have been able to pin her down between them if they had wanted, perhaps they were frozen with embarassment.

Message withdrawn

How many of you have actually travelled on a plane with a screaming two or three year old? We have travelled several times with DS1 and we always have a similar situation on at least one of the legs. DS1 HATES being restricted and kicks and screams cries and pushes himself down to try to get out of the plane seatbelt. He would be quite happy to be strapped to one of us in a baby plane seat belt but they don't allow it.

Alot of you seem to think it should be very easy to get a two or three in control on a plane for takeoff or land - if you can do this from experience, what are your secrets?

BTW, in March we are flying to Naples so would like some hints PLEASE?