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Stop bragging about your children that never threw a tantrum as if that says what a great parent you are!!

Other freeper parents have children with autism who can “lose it” over small things. Have some heart. There are also plenty of small children without autism that can, if sick, tired, or overstimulated ALSO have a big fit.

Now, I agree that the crew decides if the family must leave the plane, and I’d abide by that rule with no lawsuit. I agree with it, and would be taking that risk flying with a small child.

But I don’t like to see freeper parents bragging about how their child never tantrumed. I have one like that too. It had nothing to do with you (assuming the children are kept well fed and enough sleep). Please feel for your fellow freeper parents who have been frustrated and humiliated with children who got out of control through no one’s fault.

No, a belt cannot whip autism out of a child, anyone who wants to post that old saw. You could have whipped my son to death sooner.

You really must work on your reading comprehension...I didn’t say my children NEVER threw a tantrum, just not in public. They both threw a couple at home, as I posted in my first comment, and were corrected for their behavior and learned that tantrums were not going to get them what they wanted. Once they learn that tantrums aren’t going to get them rewards, they will stop throwing tantrums. Anyone who refuses to correct their child’s behavior deserves the hellion they get. The bible says “spare the rod, spoil the child” ...I did not spare the rod, so my children are not spoiled, just loved.

Excellent points. Normal chillun' can have a sudden attack of fear from all sorts of things; the autistic can be worse. Have seen it.

My grandmother had 10 kids. With 30 cousins, all the assorted inlaws, their kids, and so forth, we could have family reunions of several hundred people with no trouble at all.

Sometimes one of the young ones would freak out ~ that's the fear response ~and all it takes is a "group hug" to put an end to that.

The other kind of tantrum? That's somewhat under the child's control, but if it gets a start it reverts back quickly to the "feed me/wet diaper/I itch" response which the kid can't control.

Again, a parental hug is required. Won't stop it instantly, but it will stop it. Strapping the kid into the plane won't work!

Again, first distract the child with a hug. Even a "planned" tantrum will dissolve quickly.

Sometimes, rarely, there really is something wrong. Check for blood!

Note: If most the kids are red heads, check for blood first ~ they play rough.

Did the little girl have autism? I flew (sparingly) with my son with autism when he was small and sometimes now, too. When he was old enough to understand, we prepped him as much as possible (images of airports, security, what to expect on the plane, a trip to the airport- to get as close as we could get to see things). When he was young, his doctor prescribed a compound of Benadryl which absorbed into his skin (he wouldn't take meds). Yes, I sedated my son mildly on the airplane, but it was for his own safety (and this was pre-9/11 by a couple of months). We are lucky he was a good traveler (now less so), but we didn't know what to expect in those days.

I have also traveled overseas when my youngest was 2, and she screamed her head off when landing due to ear problems. It was a bit embarrassing, but a baby nearby was also doing the same. A couple of people looked annoyed, but most understood it was pain, not brattiness. (She had tubes- one blocked up.) Some of leisure travel is knowing your kids' ability to cope and making arrangements to deal- or choosing to limit traveling. I feel for the parents, but when my kids were that age, we took car seats, and they were expected to be strapped in, the same as they are when they travel by car.

I am the mother of four, the oldest with autism (and oh boy, have we had some doozy of tantrums, so I won't judge on that) and a middle girl who has some sensory type of melt-downs at times, too. I never judge parents on certain types of tantrums. My kids have had their moments I would rather the earth opened up and swallowed me to save the embarrassment, but some parents refuse to put a foot down and insist their kids learn safety comes first, even for a two year old.