During the two-hour flight, a mother and her 3-year-old daughter quietly went about their electronic devices, while a family across the street struggled to calm their son’s desire to look at a screen.
Unfortunately, the mother of the upset toddler tried to shift the responsibility of resolving his meltdown onto the shoulders of the mother of a happy daughter enjoying her iPad.
The passenger asked the mother if she could take away her daughter’s iPad since she was not letting her son use it.
In the AITA post, the mother explained that a boy who appeared to be around her daughter’s age noticed her daughter using an iPad and tried to reach for it. His mother told him to stop and he cried.
“My daughter and I both had headphones on to just block out the sound,” the mother wrote. “After a while, the woman got my attention and said she wasn’t allowing her son to use his iPad while on vacation.”
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The woman asked the mother if it was okay to tell her daughter to put away her iPad.
“I said I was sorry, but I wasn’t,” the mother said. She naturally had the right to refuse this request, since no one but her can make decisions for her daughter.
“The child cried most of the flight,” the mother said. “My parents kept giving me dirty looks, but I ignored them.”
While it was admirable for his parents to let their son break the screen, they also had to prepare for the challenges that this decision would bring. They should have considered that other families have different rules and should not have expected strangers to follow their rules.
Reddit users agreed that families should plan activities for young children on planes if screen time is not allowed.
They argued that it was not the mother’s responsibility to take care of her family’s needs, and that it was unfair to deprive her daughter of a distracting electronic device on the plane for the sake of another infant.
“if [the family] “I don’t want my kids to use tablets during the holidays. I need to be prepared for meltdowns like this until I develop the ability to understand that others will have different rules and experiences than I do.” ” one person commented on the post. . “I understand how they feel, and I understand how difficult it is to travel with a cranky toddler, but that’s not a reasonable request to make of a stranger.”
Reddit users also pointed out that iPads and electronic devices aren’t the only distractions for children. The mother did not say whether the family was doing anything else to keep her son busy, but his crying throughout the flight suggested that was not the case.
“When traveling with young children, you need to be prepared with a variety of activities and snacks,” commented another. “If you don’t want your kids to use the iPad, you might as well give them something else to occupy them.”
Other activity ideas for toddlers on the plane include giving them coloring books, small toys, and window stickers.
Whether or not you allow your children to use electronic devices during the flight, please be considerate of the passengers around them.
Reddit users say that allowing children unlimited screen time during long flights is an exception, as it keeps them quiet and is a consideration for other passengers nearby on the plane. He added that it was a matter of consideration.
A 2023 study found that while screen media can have both positive and negative effects, too much screen time can negatively impact language development and social-emotional growth. . The study also found that excessive screen use can cause increases in obesity, sleep problems, depression and anxiety, and can interfere with children’s ability to manage their emotions and increase aggression. did.
Another person shared his position on the issue, saying that children “need lessons that only they can learn.” [electronics] Sometimes (and definitely the whole plane trip if it keeps them happy), but not when they want to and for as long as they want. ”
Another parent commented, “On the plane with the kids… there was a rule of unlimited screen time.” “They were also well aware that this was only allowed on the plane and while waiting at the airport, the rest of the time being at the normal limit (one hour).”
Parental behavior and limits on children’s screen time will determine how children will react to the absence of electronic devices. If parents allow their children to use electronic devices from an early age, parents should be very clear about the rules, as these devices can affect a child’s mind, attention, and emotional state.
Francesca Duarte is a writer on YourTango’s news and entertainment team based in Orlando, Florida. She covers topics in lifestyle, human interest, adventure, and spirituality.
