Is it appropriate to let your child kick the seat in front of them on an airplane?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Wow, I LOVE the idea of offering the person in the middle seat in front of you your isle seat, while you sit in front of your kicking child. THAT is nice. IF, of course, you're not travelling with your child alone.

If there's a way to accommodate, definitely do it. Flight attendants might be willing to help find a group of folks who will re-organize and re-seat themselves to accommodate a kicker. When I mean "accommodate," I mean, of course, understand that even the BEST parents can't 100% control their ornery 2-4 year old kids who are restless, tired, cranky on airplanes.

You are wrong the Best parents, actually even the good parents can keep their kids at ages 2-4 from continually kicking a seat the whole flight. If you think it is okay for a 4 yr old to kick a seat repeatedly you do not fall into the BEST or even GOOD category of parents. And how would a flight attendant go about arranging that. "Excuse me sir, we have a parent with a tired 4 yr old who is reeatedly kicking the seat in front of them and the parent says there is nothing they can do. The person in that seat would like to move so I am wondering if you would like to sit in the middle seat and be repeatedly kicked in the back for the next few hours."

Well, I had a 10 hour flight across the ocean and, though my 2 year old was generally pretty good the whole trip, there were times when she grew restless (no, we were not allowed to walk around), her ears hurt, she was overtired and cranky, and so on. We held her legs as much as we could, entertained, etc. and OF COURSE we didn't think it was "okay for a 4 yr old to kick a seat repeatedly (that's really casting aspersions on my character, thank you!). However, there were times when she got a few kicks in that we didn't intercept. We're not pathetic parents, or pushover parents, or anything like that. In fact, if you like, come on over here and I'll give you a spanking or a time out--whichever you prefer--for being so snarky. At any rate, we offered to switch seats with the person in front of us (she said no thank you, and was quite pleasant about it), and we told the flight attendants that if this became a problem for the duration of the flight, we'd be willing to make some seat changes--whatever worked. We just wanted folks to know we were alert, aware, and willing to do what it took to make the best of the situation.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why wouldn't you recline your seat? Never even thought of that as being in any way bad etiquette and I fly frequently. Seats are made to recline and I expect people to recline, it doesn't bother me at all. Why would it? Flying isn't comfortable and reclining gives you a little more space. Reclining is part of flying, not bad etiquette.

Especially if you're on a California-DC flight overnight flight, you need to recline. Several years ago I sat in front of a very tall man who asked me not to recline my seat because he was squeezed into his own. The person in front of me reclined way back, the tall man behind me reclined way back. Actually everybody on the plane reclined and slept that night except me. It was a horribly uncomfortable night. I got a massive amount of reading done and incidentally learned a lesson in assertiveness.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Rule 1: If you recline your seat (other than if you had to because the person in front of you did), you're a jackass. No matter who is behind you. That's just the truth. Airplanes are uncomfortable enough.

Are you seriously this stupid???

I've always got my seat reclined to the maximum extent. Enjoy.

For assholes like you, I kick the seat myself.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why wouldn't you recline your seat? Never even thought of that as being in any way bad etiquette and I fly frequently. Seats are made to recline and I expect people to recline, it doesn't bother me at all. Why would it? Flying isn't comfortable and reclining gives you a little more space. Reclining is part of flying, not bad etiquette.

Do you like someone else's seat in your face? I hate it, and if you do it in front of me, you will feel extra kicks, jolts, etc. from me. If you recline just a little, then ok, but all the way? With as little space as we get on these planes? You are jerky.

[Anonymous]

Seriously? It is never OK.

[Anonymous]

If the asshole reclines his seat and wedges against my child's feet, then kick away.

[Anonymous]

No, never.

If they are over the age of 2, they are definitely old enough to be told to stop with consequences and able to understand. Under the age of 2, you stop and redirect.

[Anonymous]

Uh oh. I always recline my seat. It doesn't bother me if someone else does, either. I mean, that's what recliners are FOR, right? Would I ask my neighbor to kindly turn off his reading light? Or turn on/off his air blower? No...

Hm. Y'all have me thinking.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Uh oh. I always recline my seat. It doesn't bother me if someone else does, either. I mean, that's what recliners are FOR, right? Would I ask my neighbor to kindly turn off his reading light? Or turn on/off his air blower? No...

Hm. Y'all have me thinking.

I was like you. I didn't understand why reclining would be rude, until someone pointed out to me that when the reclining function was originally designed, seats in an airplane had much more leg room. Today, they still recline but are closer together front-to-back, so whereas once upon a time, reclining wasn't impolite, now it is. And it's the damned airlines' fault, because now one has to count on one's fellow travelers being thoughtful when given the choice to potentially be more comfortable.

This is one of those things that people who are shorter or who have shorter legs generally have to be told, and taller people generally have to tell us. I am not SO short for a woman, but I find it's my husband and other male friends who are close to 6' or up are very, very uncomfortable with a seat reclined.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why wouldn't you recline your seat? Never even thought of that as being in any way bad etiquette and I fly frequently. Seats are made to recline and I expect people to recline, it doesn't bother me at all. Why would it? Flying isn't comfortable and reclining gives you a little more space. Reclining is part of flying, not bad etiquette.

Do you like someone else's seat in your face? I hate it, and if you do it in front of me, you will feel extra kicks, jolts, etc. from me. If you recline just a little, then ok, but all the way? With as little space as we get on these planes? You are jerky.

+100

[Anonymous]

Very appropriate! Let them kick, the person in front of them will most likely thank you for the shiatsu massage once the plane lands.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why wouldn't you recline your seat? Never even thought of that as being in any way bad etiquette and I fly frequently. Seats are made to recline and I expect people to recline, it doesn't bother me at all. Why would it? Flying isn't comfortable and reclining gives you a little more space. Reclining is part of flying, not bad etiquette.

Especially if you're on a California-DC flight overnight flight, you need to recline. Several years ago I sat in front of a very tall man who asked me not to recline my seat because he was squeezed into his own. The person in front of me reclined way back, the tall man behind me reclined way back. Actually everybody on the plane reclined and slept that night except me. It was a horribly uncomfortable night. I got a massive amount of reading done and incidentally learned a lesson in assertiveness.

Tall people still have the same legroom when the seat in front is reclined. All people lose is some airspace. The seat back is closer not the floor part. Kickers are annoying and it is really unfair.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why wouldn't you recline your seat? Never even thought of that as being in any way bad etiquette and I fly frequently. Seats are made to recline and I expect people to recline, it doesn't bother me at all. Why would it? Flying isn't comfortable and reclining gives you a little more space. Reclining is part of flying, not bad etiquette.

Especially if you're on a California-DC flight overnight flight, you need to recline. Several years ago I sat in front of a very tall man who asked me not to recline my seat because he was squeezed into his own. The person in front of me reclined way back, the tall man behind me reclined way back. Actually everybody on the plane reclined and slept that night except me. It was a horribly uncomfortable night. I got a massive amount of reading done and incidentally learned a lesson in assertiveness.

Tall people still have the same legroom when the seat in front is reclined. All people lose is some airspace. The seat back is closer not the floor part. Kickers are annoying and it is really unfair.

They're called knees. And they get squished. Painfully.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Ok, enough snarking. Honestly, I have no problem paying to fly what is essentially these days a bus with wings with not enough room for most people to be comfortable to fly for 4-6 hours (I'm often flying cross-country and I fly probably 10-15 times per year). I really just think they should not even allow the seats to recline. Have you seen the old Ellen Degeneres standup about it (hilarious, btw)? It's like 2 inches difference and you're still not that comfortable, but you're seriously encroaching on the space of the person behind you. I get that you might be a little more comfortable if you recline and want to sleep, but you have to be aware that the person behind you could be trying to work on a laptop or have a drink on their tray or otherwise use the 2 feet of space in front of their face. Yes, you paid for your seat, and yes, you are entitled to recline your seat if you so wish to give yourself that tiny bit of comfort, but if you don't realize you're probably making the person behind you more uncomfortable (let's not even get into the people in seats that don't recline), maybe you need to have a little more awareness of your surroundings.

Totally agree--well said.

[Anonymous]

19:36 you must be a short man.