Traveling is a very tiring and difficult experience for everyone. It’s not always comfortable nor is it always convenient. Sometimes, the seat on the plane can be too cramped, or the person sitting next to us can be highly irritating to deal with.
But for those of us that are parents, we know that traveling with young babies or even little children can be so much more grueling.
Not only do we need to take care of them along with ourselves, but we also have to consider how surrounding people are affected by our child’s antics.
For instance, waking up in the middle of a flight to a baby crying frantically is not the most pleasant feeling.
To combat this problem, some parents devised a very creative and awesome solution – or at least a compromise.
When a man found himself seated next to a baby on a long flight, he cursed at his luck. But then the baby handed him a note, and it immediately brought a smile to his face.
The note read:
Hi Stranger,
My name is Madeline. I will be 1 on December 17th and this is my first flight. I’ll try to be on my best behavior, but I’d like to apologize in advance if I lose my cool, get scared or my ears hurt. My mom and dad packed you this goodies bag with a few treats. There are also earplugs in case my first public serenade isn’t as enjoyable to you as it is my mom and dad.
Have a great flight :)
Of course, people were immediately ready to joke about the phrasing – as if the baby had taken it upon herself to organize the entire thing.
“What I’m wondering is where did the baby get the money for all of these things?” joked one Redditor.
Of course, there were some criticisms about the font. No one enjoys Comic Sans!
“That Baby needs to get [her] act together. I mean, Comic Sans, honestly?”
Aww, give her a break – she’s only 1 year old!
It turns out this wasn’t the first – or last – time parents have gone out of their way to make peace with the passengers around them when bringing their infant on a plane.
Handed this by parents of twin newborns on my flight from SFO to Dulles
Others chimed in to share their experiences with this generous gesture.
“I haven’t been on Reddit long enough to say, but this is a somewhat popular thing to do on planes among new moms. It’s all over blog posts, etc. This isn’t the first time I’ve seen it, and I’ve mostly seen it on Facebook by ‘mom’ friends of mine.”
Of course, some parents have much better luck.
“My kid’s first flight he slept for most of it then spent the last hour or so cooing to the elderly couple behind him (who happened to be Grandparents). Didn’t cry once, we got lucky I suppose! I always feel sorry for parents travelling with small kids, unless they’re letting them run wild of course.”
And then there’s the valid point that everyone was a right to travel and parents don’t necessarily owe anyone anything when traveling with their children.
“I realize this is probably not a popular opinion here, but this notion that parents have to apologize for the behavior of a baby on a plane sort of irks me,” said a Redditor.
Of course, we get it, but it’s truly a nice gesture. And everyone could use a little extra kindness while flying!
Has your baby ever cried on a plane? Has your flying experience been a nightmare because of children? It happens a lot.
If you want to know why babies aren’t big fans of plane rides, scroll down below to see what the fuss is about as well as ways you can help.
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