Posted on 07/13/2007 2:03:55 PM PDT by Cagey
NEW YORK -- The Gwinnett County mother kicked off an airplane with her 19-month old son tried to tell her side of the story Friday morning, but her son's crying drowned out part of the interview.
Garren Penland, 19-months old, got so unruly during his mom's chat with 'Good Morning America' anchor Diane Sawyer, co-anchor Chris Cuomo had to take the toddler off the set.
While Kate Penland explained her child was well-behaved on the Continental Express flight, little Garren kicked, wiggled and squirmed out of his mother's arms.
At one point he climbed up on a coffee table and rifled through Sawyer's scripts.
When Sawyer handed him a model Space Shuttle to distract him, Garren rolled it off the table and onto the floor.
Kate Penland said she and Garren were booted from the flight last month by a flight attendant who suggested she use benadryl to calm her son down.
And, that is reason enough to tell the pilot she was threatened? Sorry, if it happened even half way as described, the flight attendant over-reacted, as did the pilot. I think it was even mentioned that she admitted to having had a bad day. Uh, well, I do too, but I still have to be professional at my job.
I’m not saying that the flight attendant didn’t over react, but the mother was extremely rude in allowing her toddler to interrupt the safety speech multiple times. One interruption would have been understandable, and I would have apologized, but multiple times, is ridiculous. Who knows what the woman said to the stewardess when she told her to shut the baby up. Neither one were using their best manners.
I’ve just been annoyed too many times by people with young children on airplanes. Last month, it wasn’t the kids on the plane, it was in the airport. The family was traveling with several young children who were running around the airport, eating and dropping food and trash everywhere. Then another woman showed up with shrieking twins, not crying, just shrieking, one would do it, and the other would answer. The mother was embarrassed, but the stupid grandmother thought it was cute. People need to get through their heads that no one thinks their kids are as cute as they do.
That is telling it like it is. Damn you're good!
When my son was small, I was mortified if I thought he was disturbing others. I flew with him at 18 months and I still remember how awful it was. Looking back I realize he probably did not bother others as much as I thought. I was just so aware. lol
I also can understand that after 11 hours, no one was happy. The child may have been a bit annoying but, really, everyone needed to just get where they were going. The flight attendant interrupted that when she decided to claim a threat had been made.
I do not appreciate it if I have to deal with an active child on a plane. If it gets too much, I will just use my mp3 player or my laptop with headphones and ignore.
They used to have smoking sections in planes. I wish they would have family sections.
I’ve noticed that about Asian women. Most times when I’ve encountered a woman from Asia, they are very friendly to my kids—especially when the kids are babies/toddlers.
” Fortunately for me and the flying public, we didnt need to fly anywhere.”
LOL!!
Same here!
I’m wondering how old he’ll be when I finally feel he’s ready. maybe 10? maybe 18? :)
“I thought you Yanks werent afraid of your Gummint”
where are you from?
Surely DSS exists in the south?
” Seems that all that youve managed to do is keep your guns and lose your right to raise your children properly as you see fit.”
Well...what really matters is how you handle matters in the home. That is where most of the “raising” is going on.
The rules have changed big-time when you’re out in the public.
And if you spank your kid in public, you’re taking a big risk that most people aren’t willing to take.
“From the sounds of it the DSS is a secret police institution that you should dismantle pronto.”
We can agree on that.
On one hand...if parents really are burning their children with cigarettes, or placing them in scalding water - DSS is the only group that is going to get them out of there.
On the other hand, I’ve seen friends and homeschoolers go through the ringer with DSS because a spiteful neighbor hotlined them.
And these are the people that become afraid of their own kids because they don’t want to go through it again.
There are alot of people with alot of different ideas on what is acceptable discipline and what is not.
Anyone can hotline anyone and they can do it anonymously.
It isn’t like when I was a kid and no one questioned the parents right to discipline as they saw fit.
> I thought you Yanks werent afraid of your Gummint
>
> where are you from?
> Surely DSS exists in the south?
The DSS may be all-powerful and far-reaching, but their pervasive influence does not stretch as far South as New Zealand, where I’m from.
Our equivalent is CYFS “Child, Youth and Family Service”.
“Our stores have little car carts.”
I think MM was refering to the kind that the child can push by themselves rather than the kind they ride in with the fake steering wheels.
Ahh..New Zealand - that explains it! :)
Does the CYFS frown upon spanking?
LOL!
Mine is 15 now and his first flight was last year. He white knuckled the first take off, but didn’t say anything. On the first landing I was praying up a storm, because I’ve flown enough to know that crabbing crosswinds aren’t good. He thought the landing was great and the ones after that (read safe, steady landings) were a let down.... Kids!
I watched the video of the mom and child during the “Good America” interview, but did anyone see a recent one of the mom, child and father? It was just aired in the last few days. I think Geraldo was doing the interviewing, and the child acted EXACTLY the same as on GMA. If I remember correctly, when the child started acting up, the mother handed him to the father who also could not control him.
I still think the F/A was wrong in reporting that the mother threatened her.
mark for viewing later
” He thought the landing was great and the ones after that (read safe, steady landings) were a let down.... Kids!”
A typical boy...they just love that adrenaline rush.
I found the weekend GMA spot on “adult zones” or kid free restaurants refreshing.
It’s gotten out of control, parents who refuse to discipline children and allow them to ruin entire dining rooms because they want the village to care for their kids are now ruining the notion of bring kids anywhere and everywhere.
Dancin’ John is adorable!
One time, during my turbulent teen years, my mother told me she hoped my kids were as bad as I was.
I retorted that it would never happen, since I’d do a better job raising mine.
I can still feel the whap I got.
My mother cursed me with children like me also. I often think my moderate, quiet daughter was a reward for my oldest surviving toddlerhood. Every time he complains about his brothers I laugh, and tell him he was worse. He was like his three little brothers combined.
I have times in church where I would be silently freaking out about my children bothering everyone else. At the end of one service I turned around and apologized for their behavior. The lady I apologized to looked a little confused and said they had behaved very well. Apparently, I knew what they were thinking of doing so well and spending my time stopping it that I thought everyone else noticed too.
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