Reply #65: Observations from a parent

[Caria]

When our daughter was a baby, she cried during take-off and landing because her ears hurt and she did not know how to clear them. Yes, we gave her a bottle. It didn't help. We did not have to fly again until she was 2 1/2. By then, she could cope with the air pressure changes better, but she chattered all the time. She was so excited that she fought sleep. We've flown with her several times since, and she still loves it. She is an enthusiastic traveler and most certainly a future customer for whatever airlines are still in business when she's old enough to travel on her own.

Now that she's a little older, she's able to be quieter on planes. She has a longer attention span, and she knows how to read silently.

And NOW she gets praised by flight attendants and other passengers for being a "A GOOD BABY!" She is a 6-year old with some of her permanent teeth! Should we infer that they expect a baby or toddler to behave like a first-grader?

In the meantime, carry-on rules are making it much more difficult to travel with children of any age. I've seen teething rings and pacifiers confiscated at the gate. Instead of bringing healthy food and drinks from home, we're supposed buy overpriced junk food at the airport. Many toys are not permitted at all. Children are upset when they have to give up Binky or let go of their parents' hands to go through security. Or worse yet, when they get patted down by strangers.