Every business man or woman has the story.
“I was on flight from X to Z when this 2 year old kid screamed and kicked behind me (or beside me) the entire flight.”
Yep, we have all had them. And yes, it is no fun. In fact, it is even less fun for the parent(s) because they know they are in a plane and can’t escape with their kid to redirect their tantrum somewhere else. Been there, experienced that!
Well today, flying from Bozeman to Denver, I was treated to the opposite. An 18 month old girl was in a seat in the row behind me. She started to fuss and cry as the plane took off. Even as a dad of three small kids, I was bracing for the worse. I could tell her parents were straining to distract her in anyway possible. Then this business lady next to them took off her colorful beaded necklace and handed it to the mom.
Wow, that was smart! Not only was it “colorful” but it was from a “stranger.” For many 18 month olds this is about as good as it comes. Within minutes the girl was giggling and having the best time in the world with the necklace. She continued to smile, giggle the remainder of the flight.
And you know what, you could just feel the tension in the plane drop. What would have been another energy sapping business flight turned out to make me smile.
I guess I may need to add a colorful beaded necklace to my travel briefcase! I even made sure to congratulate the parents for making it through a successful plane trip with their daughter. I never want to be one of those grumpy business people!
3 Comments
May 27, 2008 at 12:16 pm
This is a great story! I don’t travel often, so it was incredibly shocking to me how very hostile and flat out nasty many business travelers are to children (not just in the plane, but in the airport, waiting for cabs, etc — I guess these folks were never children!) So it is very nice to hear a positive story about a business traveler and kids!
May 27, 2008 at 9:17 pm
Thanks for reading. Glad I was able to pass along some hope for all the parents traveling with kids! It is scary enough getting on a plane with a 1,2 or 3.
May 28, 2008 at 5:05 am
I’ll make sure to stock you with as many beaded necklaces as you need…you can hand them out to ALL the grumpy travelers out there who forget how tough travel is for families with young children!
Great post. And, great reminder.
~Your Other Half