Before I became a parent, I had a deep love for flying. The sensation of the engines propelling you forward, the submerged feeling of soaring through clouds, and the pleasure of reaching different destinations that aerial transportation offers were, to me, some of the most exhilarating aspects of life. But as many parents can attest, this love often takes a stark turn once we welcome children into our lives. What was once a thrilling journey transformed into a fraught, exhausting, and, at times, messy adventure.
Let’s be real here: children, especially small ones who necessitate diaper changes and have intricate sensory needs, make challenging travel companions. Do they absolutely need to use the toilet while the plane is taxiing? Will they be fed a sugary drink by well-intentioned flight attendants while you are distracted? Can they remain focused on a single activity for an extended period? Those are just some of the many questions parents grapple with when traveling with children.
Reflecting on a past experience, I found myself questioning my parenting decisions during a 14-hour, long-haul flight from Sydney to Doha. Severe turbulence midway through the flight caused many passengers, including myself, to reach for our sick bags. As a parent flying solo with two kids, I also had the unfortunate insight into what snacks they had consumed over the past 12 hours as I was now covered in them.
Once the skies smoothed out, both children, clearly worn out from the experience, drifted to sleep. I was confronted with a difficult choice: wake them and clean up or sit drenched in the aftermath while they slept. I chose the path of least resistance, opting for the latter.
Strangely, there was comfort to be found in the fact that I wasn’t alone. The back of the airplane was populated with families in similar predicaments. We shared a sense of camaraderie, a sense of relief, stemming from the fact that we were in the company of others who didn’t bear any grudge against children on planes.
But of course, not all passengers share this parental understanding. Unfortunately, the geographic location of Australia, quite far from the rest of the world combined with lack of a high-speed rail network, necessitates traveling long distances on planes even with children, sometimes to the disapproval of childless co-passengers.
The widespread societal judgement towards parents flying with infants is quite evident. There have been instances where parents have resorted to handing out apologetic notes, earplugs, and treats to their co-passengers, practically pleading for leniency. This, quite frankly, shines a light on an alarming societal trend where parents are compelled to apologize for their children’s existence.
Perhaps, a fundamental shift in attitude is what we need. Why not choose kindness instead of rolling our eyes at distressed parents? Offering your help or even shooting an understanding smile their way could make a world of difference. Moreover, this simple act of kindness could possibly make your own journey more pleasant.
On that fateful flight, I encountered my own angel who was dressed in a Qatar Airlines uniform. This benevolent soul tirelessly fetched sick bags and wipes for hours and even handed me a pair of business class PJs to change into. There is a significant number of individuals who strive to make the journey easier for those around them. From assisting with bags, holding babies for parents to take a bathroom break, to just being a source of moral support with a comforting smile, they prove that being considerate could possibly enhance your own travel experience. Traveling doesn’t have to be a survival of the fittest, after all. Kindness is free to give, and invaluable to receive.
