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!!!
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?
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!
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.