How should you deal with a child who will not stop kicking your airline seat and a mother who refuses to intervene? How should a flight attendant get involved, if at all?
How Do You Handle A Child Who Will Not Stop Kicking Your Seat On Airplane?
Let’s first setup our discussion via the video below:
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It seems clear to me this is a simulated situation, similar to the odd video of the woman creating a plastic wrap fort around her. This is probably a crew training video that was recorded for a discussion like we will have here.
However, these scenarios are not purely hypothetical: I think we have all been in situations in which a child behind us has kicked our seat.
This makes this particular situation an interesting discussion. The man is not unreasonable to ask the mother to ask her child to stop. It seems to me, here at least, that the mother could have tried harder to instruct her child to stop kicking the seat instead of essentially saying, “Kids will be kids.”
I dislike the zeitgeist that adults cannot talk to the children of other people. I do warn my kids about talking to strangers or accepting gifts (especially candy) from them, but it does not automatically bother me if someone approaches my kid and talks to them (just don’t always expect a response). Here, the wife of the agitated man nicely asks the kid to stop kicking and that sets off the mother, who demands that she not speak to the kid.
Questioning the parenting style or, even worse, calling the mother a bad mother is not constructive toward getting the child to stop kicking.
I presume, if this is a flight attendant training video, the next segment or at least discussion point is how a flight attendant should intervene.
This appears to me to be a case in which a flight attendant should indeed intervene. The passengers have been unable to work out the matter amicably and tensions are rising.
Practically, the man and woman could have switched seats, which would have immediately ended the seat kicking for the man and given more time to think through a solution. On the other hand, by principle, a person who is being disturbed should not be the one who has to move.
If I’m a flight attendant here, I try to re-accommodate the disturbed passenger to a better seat and if the flight is full, I apologize to the man, ask the woman to continue to instruct her child not to kick (not sure you can do more than that), and issue some compensation to the man…just to shut him up. Too generous? Perhaps, but better than frayed tempers which could escalate into actual violence.
CONCLUSION
We’ve all faced situations in which children kick the seats in front of them. While a totally legitimate gripe, yelling at the mother for not controlling her child is probably not going to make the situation better…it will just make it worse. On the other hand, parents must do more than ignore their child disturbing others. Certainly, some children are worse than others with this sort of thing…it is how they are hardwired…but parents must make every effort to reduce seat kicking.
I actually have more problems with adults who are seat kickers or pound on their laptop keyboards on the tray table like it’s an old manual typwriter.
I’ve been in a position quite a few times where a child has been kicking my seat, shouting constantly or just running up and down the aisle. In all but one instance have the parents been trying to do everything in their power to calm them down/stop them. Sometimes they’re not able to, but I appreciate their effort.
It’s the obstinate parent(s) that are the problem imo.
A few well placed slaps on the legs works every time. A poor excuse for a mother, more like n egg donor.
The parent has a duty to ensure that his or her children not create a nuisance on the plane. If for whatever reason that is not within his or her capabilities, then it is simple: the children should not be flying.
I remember once as a kid really tapping out a nice drum beat on the tray table. I went on for a long time before the person in the seat turned around and asked me to stop. I was a kid and had never considered that it might be bothersome to the person in front of me.
I promptly stopped. Even all these years later when I think about it, I still feel a little bit bad about it.
I look back on that now and wonder why my parents, who were generally pretty strict disciplinarians, didn’t say anything earlier. Maybe they hadn’t noticed. I do remember getting “the look” from my parents when the person asked me to stop.
It’s only a short clip but seems like the mother is making no effort to stop the child. If I were in her position, I’d be mortified but she doesn’t seem to care that it’s bothering the other passenger. I agree that the child has not being taught proper manners and should not be flying.
Just like there were areas for smoking and non smoking there should be designated areas for people flying with children under 12.
Children need to be prepared for new experiences. Some basic instruction on what is expected. Of course that requires the parent to know the etiquette. Maybe there is a pamphlet that could be sold or give out at the gate.
Wonder if those Pan Am training videos that went viral prompted them to make some of these for training
Quietly turn around and tell the kid santais fake….
Parent and child should be removed.
Why don’t other airlines have manners/behavior videos like Japanese airlines? In addition to the usual safety demonstration, there’s also guidance on being mindful of reclining seats, do not kick the seats, opening and closing the tray, arranging baggage, not drinking too much, not photographing without permission, not interfering with crew, etc.
is there a baby daddy? maybe that’s it.
Seems clear to you it’s a simulation? What have it away, the fact that there is a pillar in the middle of the seats? Maybe that there are no windows?
Mother and child should be removed. She’s taking no responsibility. Bad example. Horrible
Give the kid two benadryl, and duct tape him to the seat
It’s unpopular to say but race is likely a factor here. The same one that commits the highest level of violent crime everywhere on the planet is the same one that has the highest lack of self control and restraint compared to the others. While genetics mean no matter how a pit bull is raised it will always be prone to violent attacks, and maybe no matter how much time parents spend or how many trillions are spent on education as well, it certainly doesn’t help that this one has the lowest two parent household rates, highest born out of wedlock rates, and are notorious for not training their kids. It’s why we see drugstores and clothing retailers in certain cities shut down and mass rioting. Parenting is not the focus, although, I admit it probably doesn’t matter.
The U.K. rino equivalent at least wants to ban American bully dogs. We live in a world where it’s a crime to tell the truth and be honest that some are the sources of every problem and disruption and our lives are made no better because of it. A German Shepard, Poodle, Maltese, or Golden Retriever exist. There is no reason we need violent pit bulls around.
John not all black people is like that. You drop all into one basket. I travel a lot some white people are just as bad. It comes from both sides.
Your excerpts tells exactly who you were writing ✍️ about.
I’ve had this happen to me a few times. I’ve had success saying to the mom or dad that I’m sure they aren’t aware how much their child has been kicking my seat and if they could please try to get them to do it less, that I’d really appreciate it.
The best way to hand this situation is to calmly say to the mother, “If you cannot control your children, you should have them aborted.”
Seat kicking marginally more annoying than adults who cannot stand up without hauling on the seat in front. Almost every flight I feel my seat pulled backwards as the person drags themself up. It’s so unnecessary, I never do it; if I need help standing, I push on the armrests.
When I notice them return to their seat I press the recline button, so they sit down more quickly than they expected!
I’ve seen better acting from drunk politicians.
The mother is totally in the wrong. She is not even doing the bare minimum that she is obligated to do, which is to tell the child that he is expected to refrain from kicking someone else’s seat.
Ya’ll too nice lmao, if this was the opposite people would be calling him entitled privileged racist white male misogynist narcissist masochist bigoted comminuted pivoted to the point that the English dictionary would have to add new words
There is nothing worse than some idiot using your seat- back to lower themselves back into their seat and then letting go of it like it was a slingshot and your head lurching forward and hitting the seat in front of you. Unbelieveable!
That guy is hot. I’d totally do him.
I don’t know… with the supercuts haircut and the cheap white shirt, plus he’s flying in economy, on an airline with no windows, so he may need to work on his career before getting much attention.
Also he suggested to the mom that she read a parenting book. What is this the 1990s? Reading a book is useful advice in concept, but in execution it’s probably going to be at least a week before she find a place that still sells books and then read one and apply the new information. It sounds like he’s not too tech savvy– he could have suggested that she read a blog or consult an online parenting expert– a cheap dresser/traveler and doesn’t know tech? This doesn’t look good for his job prospects.
Kids kicking the seat in front of them is often reduced or stops altogether if their parents have them take their shoes off. I’ve kindly suggested this on many flights and both the parents and I have a better flight.
This is a fake video and of course the “victim” is blaq.
It’s designed to perpetuate the blaq victim complex.
Why do you think the victim is black? If anything, the victim is the white guy.
Well, those people like to victimize themselves and pull the race card whenever something inconveniences them or makes them look bad. Afterward, they loot stores and beat people like us to vent their anger and blame it on white supremacy and capitalism.
Somewhere I read that an airline is or will be trying out ALL ADULT passengers and I totally agree. Although adults can be jerks too. Remember, expect the WORST because you are just not in your own private space in an airplane and anything can happen.