Westlakes, hear hear. My thoughts exactly.
To all those parents getting upset- we are NOT complaining about those of you who TRY to control your kids. Yes, kids throw tantrums, yes, they take off their seatbelts and don't want to put them back on. Yes, they kick, scream and cry.
I'm not some monster who doesn't care. Many a time I've come off a flight with bruises because I've tried to help mum/dad out and Little Angel has kicked/hit/tried to bite me while we were putting the seatbelt on him/her. If I've seen Little Angel fussing about a seatbelt earlier in the flight I'm there at the top of descent offering mum/dad an infant belt for landing. Older kids I give them a game, like "When the plane stops I'll come back and I want you to tell me how many planes with red on you saw at the airport" (Sounds silly but you'd be surprised how often it works!!!)
We are not complaining about parents (sometimess fruitless) efforts to control their kids. We're complaining about parents who DO NOT TRY. Which as said earlier, if you're doing as you describe on this thread then you are most certainly trying.
The airline can only do so much, sure if the kids are unnaccompanied minors then we give them our individual attention. Colouring packs, playing cards, the inflight entertainment.
It's not 'part of my job description' specifically but on occasionas I have:
* Spent 30mins walking a screaming baby up and down the cabin on a night flight so mum could have a break (and everyone else
)
* Sat with a little boy colouring in for abot an hour on a quiet flight, we drew pictures of the plane and later he gave me the drawing, I still have it
* Sat with older children and explained how to use the seat-back tv screen
* Taken a young girl (14 years) into the terminal to make sure her mum was there to meet her, as she had not flown alone before, even though she had NOT been sent as a U/M and therefore not "officially" my responsibility...
* Helped a 2yr old 'go potty' because mum was flying alone with a brand new baby (yes wasnt that pleasant but i did it)
The outstanding theme to all of these occasions??? Every time, the said parent had been doing their best to do most things themselves, and asked me pleasantly and politely "if it isnt too much trouble, and you have time...."
THAT is the difference. That is the point we have been trying to make.
We do NOT hate kids.
We do NOT hate parents.
We KNOW kids have tantrums/scream/cry/stare at people/throw things/poo
What we DO hate is the non-caring behaviours explained throughout this thread.
Hope this clears things up a bit, and yes this is a place for us to vent, at work, faced with the nappy in seat pocket issue (dealt with it many times) I assume mum and dad havent flown before and just give them a little explanation of what they can do with a diaper (in the toilet there's a change table, here it is, over here are the air sick bags, when you're finished with the nappy pop it in here, wrap it up and put it in the bin just here *smile*)
9/10 times parents are happy someone has actually shown them where it goes, sometimes they think it shouldn't go in the bin because it might smell. I try to show them the bathroom which with be furthest from other pax and the galleys
