Toddler Thrown Off Plane

[Carina]

I have a hard time believing that any child has NEVER, NEVER had a meltdown.

I've finally realized that no matter WHAT you do as a parent, there will always be people who think you're doing the wrong thing. My kids are of the age where they don't have temper tantrums anymore, but if we ever have another child, I'll probably be a little bit more secure in my parenting and not worry about what other people think.

Because of this story, I was thinking about the one time that Marcello had a total meltdown while I was grocery shopping. He was in the little seat at the front, but he was having a MELTDOWN. I tried to calm him to get my work done, but to no avail. I finally had to leave my completely full cart in an aisle and take him out of there.

What did I do wrong:
--my child had a meltdown
--I didn't get him out of there quickly enough
--I didn't go shopping at a grocery store for the deaf
--I shouldn't have brought him shopping so close to his naptime
--I should have had something with me to distract him
--I shouldn't have been so callous as to leave a shopping cart full of perishables in the aisle
--I shouldn't have bred

Whatchya gonna do?

When we went to Jamaica when he was two years old, the flight was delayed 8 hours. Eight hours, in an airport, then on the flight, and we finally arrived at midnight, when we should have been there late afternoon. Even the ADULTS on the plane were beeaatchy beyond belief, but we stuck it out and my baby DIDN'T have a meltdown. I'm still waiting on AirJamaica to send me a parenting medal.

[ivyagogo]

There you go Carina. It's not a medal, but it's good karma!

[msjocee]

I give the airlines 2 thumbs up! As a pre school teacher and mom I stand behind the airlines. There are waaaayyy to many parents that are scared of their kids and afraid to tell them NO . Not me my kids get a swat when they need it. Just last week the 2 boys aged 8 and 4 acted like total arse in Target I left the cart (full mind you) and hauled them out so fast and spanked then both put them in the car and went home.
Jos

[pia]

While I agree that these parents shouldn't be parents, this is also a case by case basis. I also agree with Carina. Up until a week ago, I thought Mike was just being a brat for the past year. Then he was evaluated for ADHD and Autism. Come to find out, Mike has ADHD hyperactive impulsive and something called ODD (oppositional Defiant Disorder). Up until about a year ago, he was pretty well behaved. Honestly, I hate going out in public with him, because I never know when a meltdown will hit. I feel horrible for saying that.

Now I think it's up to the parents to have their kids tested if it's ongoing. Parents need to take responsiblity and learn how to parent their kids even if they do have a problem like that. I also think that parent's should be required to list on the airline that their kid has a disorder. That might help distinguish between kids who are in fact bratty and kids who aren't.

I'm glad I found out now, so that he can get the therapy/help that he needs to function in the world. Next up he goes for an evaluation for FG Syndrome. I am crossing my fingers that he doesn't have that too.

[wych]

pia said:

While I agree that these parents shouldn't be parents

REALLY?

They shouldn't be parents according to you based on ONE event? Or do you know about the rest of their lives that gives some hint as to why they shouldn't even be parents because of one tantrum on a plane and a couple stupid television interviews?

[wych]

carina said:

I have a hard time believing that any child has NEVER, NEVER had a meltdown.

I've finally realized that no matter WHAT you do as a parent, there will always be people who think you're doing the wrong thing. My kids are of the age where they don't have temper tantrums anymore, but if we ever have another child, I'll probably be a little bit more secure in my parenting and not worry about what other people think.

Because of this story, I was thinking about the one time that Marcello had a total meltdown while I was grocery shopping. He was in the little seat at the front, but he was having a MELTDOWN. I tried to calm him to get my work done, but to no avail. I finally had to leave my completely full cart in an aisle and take him out of there.

What did I do wrong:
--my child had a meltdown
--I didn't get him out of there quickly enough
--I didn't go shopping at a grocery store for the deaf
--I shouldn't have brought him shopping so close to his naptime
--I should have had something with me to distract him
--I shouldn't have been so callous as to leave a shopping cart full of perishables in the aisle
--I shouldn't have bred

Whatchya gonna do?

When we went to Jamaica when he was two years old, the flight was delayed 8 hours. Eight hours, in an airport, then on the flight, and we finally arrived at midnight, when we should have been there late afternoon. Even the ADULTS on the plane were beeaatchy beyond belief, but we stuck it out and my baby DIDN'T have a meltdown. I'm still waiting on AirJamaica to send me a parenting medal.

I hear you, Carina.

Hunter had plenty of meltdowns when he was 1 1/2 - 3 1/2 years old. Honest-to-goodness bawling, kicking, screaming meltdowns in public. He *hated* going to stores. Hated it. Being a stay at home mome - I *had* to go to stores. Either we all starved or he came with me so ... inevitably I'd get caught in a store where it would turn into unconsolable crying and screaming with several strangers looking at me like I was the three headed mommy monster from hell that didn't know how to make a 3 year old behave. Then Hunter would refuse to walk and if I tried to carry him he'd kick and scream.

OY.

And really, it wasn't even his fault. He just couldn't handle the over stimulation at that age.

You know what? I almost had the police called by one of my neighbors once when I was giving him a bath back then because he would scream so much.

[Carina]

wych said:

You know what? I almost had the police called by one of my neighbors once when I was giving him a bath back then because he would scream so much.

Well, thank goodness it wasn't a slow news day, otherwise you might have been the lead story on the local news, and the entire internet world would be commenting on why *you* shouldn't have bred.

Parenting is difficult, especially in the first three to four years because children have very few tools to communicate their displeasure/pain/emotions to their parents, aside from crying, acting out, etc. We are REQUIRED to be mind-readers for four or more years.

I LOVE when people can determine other people's worth at parenting because of a single five-minute encounter at a grocery store.

ETA: How 'bout the next time anyone runs into a parent who is having issues with their child in a public place, HELP the parent or give encouraging words, rather than giving them dirty looks that increases the anxiety of the parent and, therefore, the child that can sense the increased anxiety in his/her mom or dad.

[Denise7609]

Actually, kind of a funny "kid in store" story...when Cera was about two we were at Target and she says at the top of her lungs, "You're NOT my mommy!" People started looking at me funny as she said it again. I had to tell her that some people wouldn't think what she was saying was a joke and that someone may call the police and take her away from me....I can laugh about it now but at the time I was kinda freaked out.