Posted on 01/23/2007 10:26:18 AM PST by Fawn
On Jan. 14, 3-year-old Elly Kulesza and her parents, Julie and Gerald, were kicked off an AirTran Airways flight from Florida to their Worcester, Mass., home because Elly would not stop crying.
Elly, who had been a model passenger on the flight to Florida four days earlier, began to cry uncontrollably once she got on the plane, throwing a temper tantrum on the floor.
AirTran employees demanded that the Kuleszas calm down their child. When Elly didn't stop crying, the crew banned the Kuleszas from flying for 24 hours. Later, AirTran offered an apology to the family along with a refund on their tickets.
"As we have an obligation to the 112 other passengers onboard the flight to operate the flight on time," AirTran said in a statement, "we had to make an operational decision to ask the Kulesza party to deplane so the flight could depart."
On "Good Morning America," the Kuleszas insisted that their toddler wasn't doing anything out of the ordinary.
"I don't know what happened. No one can tell when something like this is going to happen. She had a great morning, but then she got on the plane and she started to cry," Julie Kulesza said.
"She's like the typical 3-year-old. She has her moments, but overall she's a very, very good child."
The Kuleszas said that unlike the AirTran crew, the passengers on the flight were sympathetic to their situation.
"I jokingly turned around and asked the three gentlemen behind me, 'Aren't you glad you got these seats?" Julie said. "Another passenger offered up a lollipop to try and calm her down."
Despite AirTran's apology and offer of a complimentary flight, the Kuleszas don't plan to fly with the airline anytime soon.
"We'll pass on that," Gerald Kulesza said. "After that, I told them I'd never fly with them again." PAGE 2 CONTINUED AT SITE
Nobodies a perfect parent... but some understand discipline more than others for sure.
The child is obviously bipolar. j/k
About bloody time. Parents who can't/won't control their children are a problem, but they really become a problem when they inflict it on dozens of strangers. A friend was stuck waiting on the runway at O'Hare for 2 hours while one woman let her 4 heathens scream, cry and run wild.
If you are a failure as a parent, do it at home.
Must be a slow news day.
I think you have a point, but you are also being pretty insensitive.
I didn't travel in a plane with my kids until they were older because one of them had tantrums (she has brain damage, and she couldn't talk).
I made sure when we flew one a plane we were well-prepared. I had drinks/gum to help their ears (don't know how you manage that with the new regulations). I told them they absolutely could not get out of their seats while it was taking off or landing. I had lots of diversions: games, candy, playdoh. Thank God, my kids are great plane travelers. In fact, they are much better on planes than when we go on car trips.
I remember the time I would have thrown a screaming brat out the nearest window, if it had been possible.
Lucky,
I have already conceded lack of communcations, if your child could not communicate then obviously you are still dealing with issues you can't control. Your child at 3.5 years was behind for talking, I don't see anything in this article that suggests the same was true for this child.
Obviously up until they can communicate you are going to have to deal with outbursts, and there is nothing any parent can do about that.
Once they can communicate however, tantrums should no longer be accepted, there is absolutely no reason at that point for a child to behave that way.
The point I have been trying to articulate is that its not that children cannot get frustrted or grumpy or off schedule etc etc etc... because they can, and do, they are human just like all of us... the point is how they are allowed to deal with that situation. And temper tantrums by most 3 year olds who are indeed able to communicate, is NOT an acceptable behavior.
There is a huge difference between breaking down and crying in frustration and throwing oneself to the floor with arms and legs flailing kicking and screaming.
Read all my posts here, I am not, nor have I never said, children will never act up, and up until they can communicate there is very little any parent can do when a child works themselves up. However once they are mentally able to communicate and express things, tantrums should not be something that should be going on.
I was not here to insult anyones children, I was simply stating that unless a child has mental issues, once they can communicate what is indeed the issue, there is no excuse for "tantrums" to be allowed by parents or for them to be considered "NORMAL".
Lucky,
I have already conceded lack of communcations, if your child could not communicate then obviously you are still dealing with issues you can't control. Your child at 3.5 years was behind for talking, I don't see anything in this article that suggests the same was true for this child.
Obviously up until they can communicate you are going to have to deal with outbursts, and there is nothing any parent can do about that.
Once they can communicate however, tantrums should no longer be accepted, there is absolutely no reason at that point for a child to behave that way.
The point I have been trying to articulate is that its not that children cannot get frustrted or grumpy or off schedule etc etc etc... because they can, and do, they are human just like all of us... the point is how they are allowed to deal with that situation. And temper tantrums by most 3 year olds who are indeed able to communicate, is NOT an acceptable behavior.
There is a huge difference between breaking down and crying in frustration and throwing oneself to the floor with arms and legs flailing kicking and screaming.
Read all my posts here, I am not, nor have I never said, children will never act up, and up until they can communicate there is very little any parent can do when a child works themselves up. However once they are mentally able to communicate and express things, tantrums should not be something that should be going on.
I was not here to insult anyones children, I was simply stating that unless a child has mental issues, once they can communicate what is indeed the issue, there is no excuse for "tantrums" to be allowed by parents or for them to be considered "NORMAL".
These days a "good smack on the a$$" would have landed the parents in jail instead of being bumped off to another flight.
You are right, I am being insensitive to a degree and full disclosure I don't have kids.
That said, it's refreshing to see any entity take action when the parents cannot or will not. Unfortunately, it's the exception rather than the rule and the airline knuckled under after the fact.
Ah c'mon. If she wants to call us perfect, eez ok by me.
No kidding. When our daughter was younger, my wife and I would look at children throwing a fit in public with some haughtiness, wondering why they couldn't be as well-behaved as our precious angel.
That all changed when our son came along.
That being said, when he gets to the point of disturbing others around him, we remove him from the situation. I don't see anything wrong with how Airtran handled this.
Agreed.
Fine, HJ. I can only report what I've seen, and it doesn't fit in with your idea of what kids should or shouldn't do at any given age.
I'm sure it doesn't, as I've seen countless kids throw temper tantrums, and countless parents let em get away with it.... Its learned behavior.
Exactly!
sw
When kids near me are acting up, I tell them, "Why don't you go play outside". That often quiets them.
I completely agree. I have four young children, and they simply don't throw tantrums in public, or at home, for that matter. they are polite, happy, peaceful no matter where they are. and one look from me -- would stop ANY bad behavior. they hate "the look".
"I jokingly turned around and asked the three gentlemen behind me, 'Aren't you glad you got these seats?" Julie said.
Ha, ha, very funny. Julie is a self-centered jerk. Just because *she* made a joke to the unfortunate people near her, she thinks they're sympathetic. Control your 3-year-old, lady!
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