Quote:
Originally Posted by agzg
I think there's a big difference between kids who are scared or cry during take-off and landing because their ears are popping. I have a lot of ear/inner ear problems, get a lot of ear infections, and whatnot, so when the plane is taking off/landing I feel like screaming, too.
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I'll agree with this (and Munchkin's point). Although it's incredibly annoying to spend the whole flight listening to kids screaming, I can understand if the kid's scared or something like that. I would just hope that the parents would try to quiet the child down during the flight. It doesn't need to be a "Hey kid, shut up!" but more of a "It's ok, the plane is safe and everything is going to be ok."
When my parents were taking my sister and I on a plane for the first time (we were visiting family in California), they took us to the airport to watch the planes take off. I was a pretty laid back kid, but I think it helped to see the planes taking off and landing and hearing all the sounds. Flying can be a stressful experience for a kid, from the long waits in line to the plane ride itself.
I often wonder why more parents don't do what my parents did, if it's feasible, at least to increase the comfort level a little. If there's one thing I learned from teaching preschool and toddler-age kids throughout college, it's that you can calm a kid's nerves a lot by giving him or her familiarity with a new place.