BWI- Can I walk my son to his gate if I’m not traveling?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here. I’m thinking practically. We live a good hour or so from the airport. If I just drop him off and go home and his flight was canceled, I’d have to turn around and go back to pick him up. That’s a lot of gas money wasted that I don’t have. I could just sit in the airport before security and wait until he takes off or I could go sit and wait with him. Sitting with my teenager doesn’t mean I’m a helicopter mom or he’s immature. If he still wants to sit with his mom at his age, I’ll do it and enjoy the time.

You go, mom. I have a 17 yr old too and he likes spending time with me. You must have a great relationship with your son that he likes to hang with you! Even though you are thinking practically, it is wonderful that your son knows that you are there incase he needs you to give him a ride back. This kind of security from parents is what are children need in these crazy times.

Don't take offense when the DCUM nasties who call you a helicopter mom. Most of these people have children who can't stand them. These children would have fared better being raised in an orphanage.

Seriously it’s so sad and pathetic these “moms” think it’s horrible to spend time with their kids or these “kids” couldn’t imagine wanting to be around their parent.

My son flies to Boston ALOT and his flight is delayed ALOT, we usually stay outside security and chat but now I know I can get a gate pass… good to know.

[Anonymous]

My rising 9th grader just spent 11 hours in an airport overnight by himself because of flight cancellations when trying to come home. We texted two or three times, and he handed it. Hadn’t flown much and never by himself.

[Anonymous]

I'm old enough to remember when walking someone to the gate was a common occurrence. I miss that. I don't think there is anything wrong with walking with a person of any age to the gate.

[Anonymous]

I don’t think it’s a big deal that you want a gate pass based on his inexperience. You aren’t a total helicopter if he is flying by himself.
I used to do it for my daughter (Dulles and National) as a teen even though she also had a lot of experience navigating airports with us.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here. I’m thinking practically. We live a good hour or so from the airport. If I just drop him off and go home and his flight was canceled, I’d have to turn around and go back to pick him up. That’s a lot of gas money wasted that I don’t have. I could just sit in the airport before security and wait until he takes off or I could go sit and wait with him. Sitting with my teenager doesn’t mean I’m a helicopter mom or he’s immature. If he still wants to sit with his mom at his age, I’ll do it and enjoy the time.

You go, mom. I have a 17 yr old too and he likes spending time with me. You must have a great relationship with your son that he likes to hang with you! Even though you are thinking practically, it is wonderful that your son knows that you are there incase he needs you to give him a ride back. This kind of security from parents is what are children need in these crazy times.

Don't take offense when the DCUM nasties who call you a helicopter mom. Most of these people have children who can't stand them. These children would have fared better being raised in an orphanage.

I agree! A son who wants his mom to hang out at the gate is not necessarily some dweeb, and a mom who wants to do it is not necessarily a helicopter mom.

[Anonymous]

I think listening to the kid is the most important piece of any decision. One of my kids flew alone at 16 and felt confident with us dropping her off and texting occasionally. My other one asked us to get a pass to walk her to the gate at 17. In both cases, we did exactly what they were comfortable with. All of these stupid helicopter mom, crunchy mom, free range mom labels is all bull crap. Just LISTEN to what your kid wants and needs and then do that. I would prefer not to sit at a gate alone for two hours so I get why my 17 year old wanted company. The truth is that it is NOT about you or what kind of mom you are. It’s about guiding your child through childhood based on their particular strengths and needs.

[Anonymous]

OP here. My kid is not normally an anxious kid. He's going to visit his dad for the first time in 5-6 yrs. He hasn't seen him since he was 11. He FaceTimed with him the other night because he made a remark that he didn't remember what he looked like. I'd be nervous too. He wants to go so if sitting with him is what he wants, I'll do it. I have to sit and wait for the flight to leave anyway so...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My rising 9th grader just spent 11 hours in an airport overnight by himself because of flight cancellations when trying to come home. We texted two or three times, and he handed it. Hadn’t flown much and never by himself.

Wow, he needed to text you? My 7-year-old had to stay alone overnight at Heathrow, and she didn’t need any hand-holding. Time to land that chopper.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My rising 9th grader just spent 11 hours in an airport overnight by himself because of flight cancellations when trying to come home. We texted two or three times, and he handed it. Hadn’t flown much and never by himself.

Wow, he needed to text you? My 7-year-old had to stay alone overnight at Heathrow, and she didn’t need any hand-holding. Time to land that chopper.

If this isn’t sarcastic, it is definitely child endangerment.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My rising 9th grader just spent 11 hours in an airport overnight by himself because of flight cancellations when trying to come home. We texted two or three times, and he handed it. Hadn’t flown much and never by himself.

Wow, he needed to text you? My 7-year-old had to stay alone overnight at Heathrow, and she didn’t need any hand-holding. Time to land that chopper.

I call BS. Your child was flying as an unaccompanied minor and was supervised there.

[Anonymous]

Wow everyone is so rude. I’ve flown a decent amount but still have bad flight anxiety. At 17 I absolutely would’ve needed a parent with me.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My rising 9th grader just spent 11 hours in an airport overnight by himself because of flight cancellations when trying to come home. We texted two or three times, and he handed it. Hadn’t flown much and never by himself.

Wow, he needed to text you? My 7-year-old had to stay alone overnight at Heathrow, and she didn’t need any hand-holding. Time to land that chopper.

I call BS. Your child was flying as an unaccompanied minor and was supervised there.

I'm not sure what is funnier, the original joke or the fact that it is not obvious to everyone it is a joke.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here. I knew that were a lot of nasty people on DCUMs but why are you so nasty? He has never flown alone and hasn’t flown more than 2-3 times in his life. Not everyone has money to fly their kids around on their own. He asked me if I was coming to the gate and I had no idea if it was allowed. Thanks to those who answered the question without being a jerk.

But how is he going to learn to fly on his own if you don’t let him figure it out. By the time I was 18 I was backpacking through Europe alone. As a millennial female. One time I bought a train ticket to the wrong city in Poland and had to get a new ticket without speaking a lick of Polish. Drop him off early enough for him to fix it if he screws up and let him learn.

NP. There seems to be a difference. You seemed to be a millennial who came from a wealthier family such that you had traveled by plane regularly. By the time you were 18, how many times had you flown through an airport with your parents? Probably a dozen times? Then the drill was a lot more familiar for you.

OP's son has flown 2-3 times in his life always accompanied. If the last time was not particularly recently, it might be good for him to have someone with him. I was like him and when I flew in high school, I was accompanied by my older sister. When I went to college at 18, then I started flying solo.

As a parent, you have to gauge the maturity of your children individually and do what you think is best for their level of maturity. Forcing a child or young adult who is not ready into some model of maturation that other children/young adults are ready for is not in their best interest.

Kudos for being a more mature young adult. Stop projecting and just answer OP's question.

Come on, he's 17. When I was 14 I flew by myself for the first time - well, with my little sister, so I was in charge of us both. I'd been on a plane exactly twice in my life before that and the previous time was when I was 9, so not recent. We managed fine, including a transfer. And that was before cell phones etc. A 17 year old should absolutely be left to do this. It will be good for him.

[Anonymous]

I think it's fine if you want to walk him to his gate, but know that the gate agent may not give you a pass. It's entirely their decision.

We had an elderly aunt (84) who was a nervous flyer and we assumed they would let at least one of us accompany her through security to her gate, but the agent looked at her and said "She looks fine to me. No."

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here. I knew that were a lot of nasty people on DCUMs but why are you so nasty? He has never flown alone and hasn’t flown more than 2-3 times in his life. Not everyone has money to fly their kids around on their own. He asked me if I was coming to the gate and I had no idea if it was allowed. Thanks to those who answered the question without being a jerk.

But how is he going to learn to fly on his own if you don’t let him figure it out. By the time I was 18 I was backpacking through Europe alone. As a millennial female. One time I bought a train ticket to the wrong city in Poland and had to get a new ticket without speaking a lick of Polish. Drop him off early enough for him to fix it if he screws up and let him learn.

You are a bad person.