When I bring my whole family somewhere I almost always book the farthest back on the plane I can. There doesn't have to be specific sections... just people with common courtesy.

but one thing I'm noticing as a common theme in these threads is that there's an innate blame on the children/parents. Kids oftentimes CANNOT pop their ears due to how narrow their Eustachian tubes are. https://kidshealth.org/en/parents/flying-ears.html There can be cases where the baby's ears actually tear if the Eustachian tubes are blocked due to a cold or something of that nature.

The better answer is to just educate them in a friendly manner. If you do it tactfully then maybe junior will simmer down and everyone can move on without this passive aggressiveness we see in the photo. Giving the kid a bottle (if they're that young) is often all that needs to happen to work the tubes open a little bit to relieve the pain.

Now... if you're a parent... and have a colicky little one... skip the plane if you can. You know your kid. If they're not going to take to the plane well, then you're just being a dick to everyone around you.

[–] original_ish_name@lemm.ee 6 points 1 year ago

So in other words: putting a sick young child on a plane is a health and safety risk for the child

[+] explodicle@local106.com -9 points 1 year ago (2 children)

Anecdotally my spouse and I know this; our kids are just extremely energetic. We aren't simply uneducated on how ears work, and getting unsolicited tips from childless people while already busy with our kids is just another stressor.

Call me a dick if you want, but sometimes flying noisily is the only practical option. No we're not going to drive cross country to grandma's funeral.

[–] Saik0Shinigami@lemmy.saik0.com 4 points 1 year ago (1 children)

We aren’t simply uneducated on how ears work, and getting unsolicited tips from childless people while already busy with our kids is just another stressor.

Well... considering I have 2 kids. You can put your bullshit "tips from childless people" garbage argument away. The source of the information is irrelevant if the information is true regardless.

Regardless that doesn't negate the overall "common courtesy" theme of my post.

[–] explodicle@local106.com 1 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

I apologize if my reply came across as an attack against you personally. I thought you were suggesting that anyone reading your post (not just you) should go up to stressed out parents and explain how ears work.

While other parents do sometimes chime in with unsolicited tips during stressful situations, they seem to (usually) be more aware of whether or not their actual information is relevant, and not just a distraction.