Toddler tantrum grounds jet

This Is London ^ | 12 March 2003 | James Sturcke

[lawgirl]

How true. My parents had that look mastered.

[Nea Wood]

As we all know, being embarrassed by your parents in public is like a death sentence to teenagers.

A friend of mine threatens his teenage daughter that if she doesn't behave, he'll start yodeling in front of her friends. Works very well!

[Maceman]

Has anyone ever heard of SPANKING?

I may be out n a limb here, but I'm guessing you've never had a two year old. Spanking is DEFINITELY not the way to quiet a two-year-old in a tantrum. It is seriously counterproductive.

[Labyrinthos]

Have two. Never been spanked; never been a problem.

[Nea Wood]

I see it from single-moms with boys all the time. They think begging is an effective child-rearing method.

I know a single mom like this. This is how she talks to her son: "Oh, honey, would you please do this? Please, honey? Don't be mad at mommy, but mommy really needs you to do this. Please, honey? Is that all right, honey? You're not mad at mommy, are you? Please, please do this, honey! But don't be mad at mommy!" He never does do what she's asking, either. Never. And all he has to do is say, "I hate you!" and she dissolves into tears and begs him to stop saying that.

Every time I witness this, my lips are just about bleeding from biting them, holding back the screams. I don't have kids, so I know it's easy for me to criticize the way others raise their kids. But good God! That just can't be the right way.

[eyespysomething]

Actually, I have a 7 y.o., a 3 y.o. and a 1 1/2 y.o. I don't spank frequently, that diminishes the effect. Usually the thought that I might do it is enough.
But fine no spanking? Then pick up the child and buckle her in the seat. End of story.

[colorado tanker]

How difficult can it be to pick up a two-year-old, and buckle him in the seat?

That's the solution. Might not stop the tantrum, but it would solve the seatbelt problem. Wouldn't surprise me if this kid is rarely, if ever, buckled in a car.

I never spank in public. There are too many busybody whackjobs out there, just waiting to call in the government forces. My experience though is spanking is rarely necessary, so long as the kids know you're willing to resort to that if nothing else works.

We travel a lot and you have to plan ahead. A backback with favorite toys, crayons, paper and snacks is essential. For a kid that young you need a bottle (if still using) or gum for takeoffs and landings because they don't know how to clear their ears from the pressure.

The airline crew isn't blameless. Surrounding a two year old with strangers in uniform all talking to him will make matters worse, not better. Some flight attendents aren't parents and have the sensitivity of an ox. We were beginning the last leg of a trans-atlantic flight when we were given an air control hold, resulting in sitting in place on the tarmac for 45 minutes. After 8 hours of flying, all our two year old wanted to do was crawl into mommy's lap and fall asleep (after which she could have been put in her seat, of course). A flight attendent insisted our two year old could not sit on my wife's lap (where she would have been asleep in a minute), but had to sit in her seat, belted in, even though the plane was not moving and not about to move. All appeals to reason and maternal instinct having failed, my wife put her in the seat and treated the passengers to a 45 minute serenade.

[eyespysomething]

The wish should be parents would act like the adult in these situations, and remove their child if they cannot (for lack of a better word) restrain them.

[eyespysomething]

LOL! My 3 y.o. is on the I don't like you, I don't love you, you're not my friend kick now. I tell him "You know what...Mommy still loves you" and give him a big smile and a hug if possible (sometimes we're in the car), and he smiles/laughs and says "I do like you Mommy"
It's all in the reaction they get!

[JudgemAll]

I think that is illegal there. Anyone know for sure?

I don't know about the British, but the French are not afraid to slap faces around in public to kids, women and men. It's one of their national past time and a drinking game too, called "you are a slap face". Gallic humor for you.

[fightinJAG]

Yes, it's always someone else's fault.

If BA had not deboarded this family, and the child remained unstrapped in and was injured during an incident in take-off, for example, this family would be the first to SUE for mega-bucks for harm to the child.

Or if the kid remained unstrapped in and flew through the air and injured someone else during take-off, that person would sue the airlines, not the knucklehead grandparents.

[ArrogantBustard]

That just can't be the right way.

It ain't. The little savages need to learn from day one that Daddy and Mommy are In Charge. Always. The way to convey that message varies as the child grows, but convey it parents must. Your exemple of bad mothering conveys exactly the opposite message: that Johnny the Little Barbarian is in charge. He's learnt that lesson well, and practiced its application to perfection.

[SERE_DOC]

That's great, provided they are well diciplined children. But it has been my experiance that children who like this "little monster in training" are screaming for "extra dicilpinary training"

Sorry to disagree.

[Oberon]

GIVE THE BRAT A SPANKING!

Not aboard a British Airways jet, you don't. English law forbids corporal punishment.

[wanderin]

I am AMAZED at the number of parents who refuse to discipline their kids at home and wonder why they act like primates on PCP at the grocery store.

OR when they visit others homes. Visiting children running amok prompted me to hang a sign I found at a swap meet on my front door that reads "All dogs welcome, children must be on a leash."

The sign always gets a comment from parents. That is when I laughingly state that it is for visitors that ignore a childs bad behavior while at my home, which I am sure does not include them. The sign has helped greatly for 10 years.

[YOMO]

I may be out n a limb here, but I'm guessing you've never had a two year old. Spanking is DEFINITELY not the way to quiet a two-year-old in a tantrum. It is seriously counterproductive. ........................................

Yeah, cut, cut, cut, saw, saw, saw, chop, chop, chop. While it may not be the most productive method IT WILL GET RESULTS IF STARTED EARLY. For each unfavorable action there will be an equally unfavorable reaction the child will soon equate the two. Tantrums or not.

[jimt]

He's two years old. He doesn't need to be spanked.

On the contrary, that's the best time.

If sweet reason and cajoling doesn't work, after appropriate warnings a spanking can be very salutory.

My daughter was younger than that when she decided it would be fun to kick - hard - when her diapers were being changed. One correction, one warning and finally a promise that the next kick would get a spanking, she did it again.

Three whacks on her diapered behind, hard enough to hurt but not to injure, were VERY effective.

SO effective that I never had to spank her ever again. EVER !

She's thirteen now, and obviously beyond spanking, but judiciously applied it's a good thing to do.

[Pagey]

A 70-yr. old and 64 yr. old person(s) couldn't buckle in a 2 YEAR OLD?A 2 YEAR OLD???

[Labyrinthos]

If anyone needs a spanking, then its the parents who allowed this little monster to come into being in the first place. But spanking the kid for the first time in his life at this point in time would only cause the child to wail uncontrolably for the next two hours, even if the brat is strapped into the seat. Since spanking is not going to produce a positive result, why bother. When my kids were that age, we actually went through a dress rehersal using the kitchen chairs as airline seats and my belts as seat belts. I explained to my kids using age appropriate language why we all had sit calmly and quietly in our seats and wear seat belts and follow the directions of the flight crew. And rather than threatening to spank the crap out of them for bad behavior, I promised special treats (trinkets from the Dollar Store) throughout the trip for good behavior. Worked like a charm every time.

[John O]

We are all suffering, as most of these boys that i see are future felons in the making.

don't despair Capt. I'm sure a large percentage of these fatherless boys will grow up to be perfectly law-abiding homosexuals. (I'd rather they be mentally healthy felons to be truthful)