Every destination is important. Nobody flies just because. We all have places to go, people to see that are essential TO US. You might not think that grandma's house is a big deal... but I could care less about your cruise.
Flying on a plane is no longer an 'experience'. Well, I guess it is... but not in the good way that it use to be. I remember when it was a big deal to go on a plane. You dressed nicely. They fed you. You got tours of the cockpit and little wings if you were a kid, perhaps a deck of playing cards if you were a teenager. You could get up, walk around and the flight attendants really seemed to care if you were 'happy' or not.
Now a days anything goes. People dress like crap (me too! it's more comfortable - plus all that undressing at security). People bring their own food aboard. Burger King, Pizza Hut and the worst... Bananas ( i just can't stand the smell of bananas)!!! And people are trying to "get stuff done" during the flight. Treating the airplane like it is an office and expecting the environments to be similar - and they are not. This all makes for a bunch of really grumpy people.
Put a screaming fighterbiterkickerclimber into the mix and you get a lot of grumpy people giving you passive aggressive stares and glances.
Tristan is a very vocal baby. Key word 'baby'. He has no control over how he acts or behaves. And neither do I for that matter. Tristan is an okay traveller. Not the worst, but certainly not the best. (Braden was/is phenomenal!) Travelling is no fun especially for a baby. I understand that when he cries its because he is tried and wants to lie down in his crib -not in my lap. He doesn't cry because of his ears, its because he's not allowed to crawl around. He screams not because he's scared but frustrated. Unfortunately there is not a DAMN THING I CAN DO ABOUT IT!!!
I have to mentally prepare myself for all the "well meaning" remarks and advice that I am going to receive while on this plane ride with T. It drives me nuts that people feel that in the 3 seconds experience they have had with my kid they think that they are going to come up with something that I haven't thought of in my 24/7 non-stop care of him.
So this trip I am bringing ear plugs FOR EVERYONE (or at least everyone who is seated near us). It is my way of saying (without saying) "this is going to be a rough ride... I already know this and I am thinking of your comfort as much as I can" (now shut the hell up!)
On Erika's blog she seems to sum it up nicely with the piece " Your Air Travel Guide"
Commandments of Childless Plane Travel.
1. It’s a plane, not a spa. If you’re looking for deep-zen meditation, you haven’t paid enough for your business class seat, sweetie.
2. You have a choice, too. You know there’s a good chance (especially around the holidays) that there will be (gasp!) children on your flight. Some well-behaved, and some maybe not. If it’s that big of a deal-breaker, you could drive to your destination just as easily as we could. I’m not sure where you’re headed, but we’re just trying to get the hell off this plane and get to Grandma’s. I’m sorry if these two hours before you arrive in tropical paradise for a week of vacation aren’t exactly what you expected, but bite me.
3. No matter how badly it sucks for you, it sucks about 100 times more for the parents. It’s easy to assume that parents of loud/active children are oblivious to what their “little angels” are up to, but I find that most parents take every precaution possible in preparation for a smooth flight. Diaper changes, Tylenol dosing, smart selection of travel time (evidence: three million web pages about traveling with a toddler). The bottom line is, when the kid is crying and scared, you get to turn on your iPod and tune it out. That parent has to deal with their child (whom they love, and want to comfort) on top of the ugly looks and muttered comments, and does that sound like a fun way to travel? Especially when she’s paid just as much for her child’s seat as you paid for yours?
4. Just because a child whines or cries, they aren’t necessarily a spoiled brat. Before I had Sherman, I never considered that some children are just too young to even know where they are or what they’re doing. Those are the ones who sometimes handle planes the worst. An infant cries when she’s hungry, wet, scared, tired, etc etc etc. Not deliberately to annoy you. A toddler can’t sit still, and usually doesn’t have to, but you can’t expect a parent to put him in a straightjacket. Yes, an 8-year-old that kicks your seat or screams in your ear is out of control, and you can stew during the entire flight about how terrible his parents are, but you get to get off the plane and go about your business. That child will be a teenager one day, so count your blessings.
5. I didn’t design the plane. Most planes that we fly on have seats in groups of three. So if you have two parents and a lap child, or (horror of horrors) one parent with a child in their own seat, it means a stranger will be sharing intimate space with the little beast. It can’t be helped. That leads us to…
6. If you have a heart in your chest, at least smile at the kid. I was 100% guilty of ignoring children anywhere in my vicinity before Sherman came along. But now, I see my son piling on the charm and cuteness just to be ignored, and it makes me want to punch my seatmate. When a miniature face pops up over the seat in front of you to check out what’s going on, if you make faces or share toys, you will have one grateful parent up there who gets a few seconds of a break. On our first flight with Sherman, the man sitting next to me in our row had a video iPod. He kept leaving it within Sherman’s reach and obviously didn’t want him to touch it (neither did I!). COME ON DUDE, can’t you at least try to get it out of sight so I don’t have to wrestle him away from it every 10 seconds? I’M DOING MY VERY BEST HERE.
7. What goes around comes around. When I was pregnant, I sat next to a woman whose son threw up on her while they were in the cabin bathroom. I was okay until I realized her husband was 5 rows back in the exit row with the extra legroom. Why, exactly, am I sitting here dealing with this? One day, it will be your child or grandchild who loses his shit (literally or figuratively) in the airport or on the plane, and you will be grateful for anyone that either helps you or ignores you, but most of all, refrains from abusing you even more than your child already has.
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