Toddler tantrum grounds jet

This Is London ^ | 12 March 2003 | James Sturcke

[Capt.YankeeMike]

your right, Appy, i know a lot of single women with sons, (I coach little league basketball and baseball) and not only are the boys starved for male discipline, but by the time they are two years old, they are TOTALLY in control of mommy. By 7 or 8, the moms have pretty much given up on ANY form of discipline but begging, and are looking 10 years older than they are, and just look plumb worn out.

No fault divorce and the feminazi movement has castrated 5 million boys, with no father (I am NOT talking just inner city here, but the white-flight suburbs) and convinced women that they can raise boys by themselves. We are all suffering, as most of these boys that i see are future felons in the making.

The Capt.

[mitchbert]

I wonder if these were the same parents I encountered on a flight from Amsterdam to Toronto a few years back. They seemed to believe the front section on the plane (747-400) was they're out-of-control-brat's personal playground.

I applaud BA for this. Personally I think any child who can't behave himself on a plane should be sent as cargo.

[Calpernia]

Whether spanking was legal or illegal is irrelevant here. It is a 2 year old. Pick him up, put him in the chair, buckle him in. Unbelievable! (not you, the lack of parental control)

[FourPeas]

Exactly. It's simply not that hard to overpower a two year old and strap them in a seat. I've done it multiple times with my youngest in his carseat and it has a two-piece puzzle-type buckle. You'd think between five (or was it six) adults someone would have thought of this.

[Black Agnes]

A great time for the age old 'I'll GIVE you something to cry about...'. Later, at home. My mother wouldn't have caused such a scene in the grocery store but she'd have spanked me in the car or at home. Also worked...'Stop crying or we go home and I come back WITHOUT you.' That one worked too! Only have to do it once, maybe twice.

[lawgirl]

Exactly. A swat on the butt, with promises of more to come once the plane sets down, should be all it takes. God knows it would've been for me.

[1rudeboy]

And the airlines wonder why they are going bankrupt. They have got to get their act straight. Non refundable, non transferable tickets, harsh treatment, incompetant employees, and yet they complain when they make no money.

The other passengers probably were cheering.

[dennisw]

I like it!!!

[AppyPappy]

Yup. It's a transition from "He's all boy" to "Everybody picks on him cause he ain't got no daddy" to "There ain't nothing I can do with him" to "They gonna make him a trustee".

[dead]

I always like the rolling of the eyes with the accompanying shrug of the shoulders.

They are in sooo over their heads, in a battle with a child. Pathetic.

[eyespysomething]

Yeah, except it became "the look" which said everything without saying a word, and I would then sit up and shut up

[1rudeboy]

What if you are an Italian who speaks English?

[Night Hides Not]

Your common sense is right on! How difficult can it be to pick up a two-year-old, and buckle him in the seat?

Now that my two oldest kids are teenagers, I'm having a much easier time with them in public. When they start acting up (very rarely), I just warn them that I feel a 'Happy Dance' coming on. That warning hits them with MOAB-like force!

As we all know, being embarrassed by your parents in public is like a death sentence to teenagers. I've never had to do the Happy Dance in public...a couple of in-home demonstrations left an indelible mark on their brains.

Picture this--late-40s, grey hair, 30 lbs overweight, doing a poor impersonation of Bluto trying to cheer up Flounder in Animal House (I had to add a stupid little jig to make it a dance).

Guaranteed to work EVERY time!!!

[eyespysomething]

I've always told my husband how lucky I and the boys (3 of 'em) are to have such a good husband/father. And he is. Men have become a side item to many women, who think they can do it all by themselves. Hell, I would if I had to (death) but thank goodness I don't. And I make sure he knows!

[Calpernia]

When they start acting up (very rarely), I just warn them that I feel a 'Happy Dance' coming on. That warning hits them with MOAB-like force!

That is great (may borrow that one!)

I also noticed that the grandparents had no other suggests on how the airlines should have handled this situation. Did they think the entire flight would be canceled? Or did they expect a reprieve for the child to not wear the seat belt?

[GilesB]

It sounds to me like your husband is a lucky man as well.

Our country needs more wives, mothers and women with your attitude.

[AppyPappy]

I know several single moms raising boys and they are doing a good job because they carry a male attribute: The desire to WIN. Single moms(and wimpy dads) that fail IMHO always try to avoid losing or simply ignore the challenge altogether. Men (usually) desire to win challenges, especially from other males. When my son gets up in my grill, I have to win. I'm just built like that.

If you play to win, you will usually win but if you play to simply not lose, you will usually lose.

[SERE_DOC]

"Gee that's an effective way to get the kid to pipe down and sit in his seat -- NOT."

Don't have kids yet, huh.

[L,TOWM]

Just as well, BL. The newer models are difficult to operate, require a whole new learning curve in figuring how they can be operated properly, and require HUGE cash outlay (mostly) to ensure acceptable performance. They are also usually less capable than our current models; as we have gotten a chance to install some of our preferred performance enhancements over the years.

[Wolfie]

I wish restaurants had the same policy. And movie theatres, grocery stores, etc.