It's Your Life. Live It!

I like kids. I have always said the best sound in the entire world is the sound of laughing, happy children. What I don’t like is rude, unruly, unmannered brats – especially in situations where I (and others) are stressed. This is especially true in airports, train terminals, and just about any other travel location.

I have two adult children and six grandchildren. I have more than 40 years of experience traveling with children. The first time I flew with my daughter she was seven days old! By the time she was a teenager her passport had been renewed twice and was well-stamped. As far as I’m concerned, that gives me the right to expect better from others.

When leashes for children were introduced, I made fun of those who used them. Not anymore! I’ve seen way too many situations where they should be used. In overcrowded airports, where people are racing to get to their gates while dragging way too much stuff behind them on wheels, children pose a risk. Parents who aren’t paying attention walk so far ahead they lose track of their kids … I’ve seen it happen! 

Children stop in the middle of the concourse creating tripping hazards for business travelers, vacationers, and even other parents. At the gate, parents plop down and allow their little darlings to sprawl, taking up half a bank of seats for a family of four. ARGH!!! 

It’s not just the waiting. There are hundreds of stories of families booted off planes because of misbehaving children. Go ahead and google it … it can be very entertaining. Parents need to ensure their kids have something to keep them preoccupied AND know how to entertain themselves without being disruptive.

I’m not saying don’t travel with your kids. Exactly the opposite! Show your kids the world. Take them on vacations to far-flung locales. Teach them to pack what they need and explore. But teach them HOW! Start when they are taking their first steps and never stop. Just remember this: Well-behaved children are appreciated, brats are NOT! 

Make travel fun! There are kid play zones all over the world in airports and train stations. Let them run out some of their energy in appropriate places. Sit next to the window at the airport and let them sprawl on the floor where others aren’t trying to walk by. Encourage them to read or color or play a hand-held game or watch a movie on a tablet! If you are bored, so is your child. Do something about it! 

©Judy and Greg Romano – All rights reserved.