Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP is being smug and maybe trolling, but it's also secretly judge the parents who rely 100% on iPads for travel. I have also noticed the families where each person has their device and they all just stare at their personal screen for the duration of the trip. I think it's lazy parenting and wonder if that's what their families are like at home too. I am glad my kid can get through a flight, even an international one, without an ipad. I guess I'm smug too.

Do you also judge adults flying alone who are using devices? Should everyone have a hardcover novel or a writing pad to keep them entertained? My family interacts plenty at home, we don't need to interact during a long flight where it's loud and uncomfortable.

PP here and yes -- it's actually the parents being buried in their iphone or tablet for the duration of the flight and not interacting with their kids at all that I think is bad because it sets a poor example and I do assume they are like that all the time. And it's not that I think devices are always bad -- I don't care if people use devices on planes or elsewhere. I'm talking about the families where everyone has a personal device and just interacts with that and not at all with each other. I think it's weird especially with very young kids. But even with tweens and teens I think it's healthier and more normal to have a mix and to (1) actually talk to your kids some and (2) encourage them to do more than just play games or watch content.

I know I'm being judgmental. It's not like I'm going to do anything about it. I just generally think we are pretty screen addicted as a society and that's not great and I do notice when a family is completely focused on separate screens and not interacting and yes I judge. Sue me.

I posted above that I am a sahm and spend all day everyday trying to engage my children. I used to be a working mom and was obsessed with no screen time and was very very judgmental. Not only did I not allow screen time, I didn’t even have a tv. I judged people who have a kid a phone at restaurants while we rarely ate out with a toddler because it was too difficult.

My kids are now in elementary, middle and high school. You realize when you have a teen taking all AP classes, playing sports through injuries and studying for SATs and looking at college how ridiculous all the little things that mattered so much when they were small, how I was so anti sugar and anti screen.

My youngest is 7. She lived through Covid and while she had no screens before Covid, she watched plenty of Disney plus during Covid. She survived. I actually chuckle when I see parents being obsessed with no sugar or being horrified because juice is served at a birthday party.

We went on 3 international trips this year. Flights were 8-18 hours. Yeah, kids can watch movies on the plane.

My teen told me recently that he hangs out with his family more than any of his friends. We talk soooo much. We don’t need to be having deep conversations on the plane.

Planes are not the time for conversation! If you and your spouse fly together someplace are you chatting? No! You’re watching Netflix or plane entertainment.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The comments about not wanting to hear parents reading to kids are obnoxious folks. When kids are too young to read you have to read to them. Sure you might also set them up with a movie or a tv show for a time but it's totally normal to also maybe read a 3 or 4 year old a couple picture books to pass the time. I have a 7 yr old who is a good reader and she will sometimes ask me to read a chapter or two aloud to her to give her a break from reading and I do. Judging this is insane.

And let's get real: there is NOTHING more annoying than a person using a device without headphones in a public space. I would rather listen to someone read books to their kids for an entire flight than listen to some kid's iPad playing music or game noises for any length of time. It is way easier to tune out human voices than electronic noises.

So we should really just all unite against the people who refuse to use headphones for some insane reason and leave everyone else alone.

Wrong. The people complaining about reading to kids on a plane are NOT the same people who let their kids use a device without headphones. That's equally bad. Making noise on planes in any form is bad.

Let your kids watch a movie or show (WITH HEADPHONES OF COURSE BECAUSE WE AREN'T HEATHENS). Stop doing anything that makes a bunch of noise and causes a scene. And skip anything that your kid is going to drop on the floor so three rows of people are going to have to search for it for you.

+1000

Anonymous wrote:The comments about not wanting to hear parents reading to kids are obnoxious folks. When kids are too young to read you have to read to them. Sure you might also set them up with a movie or a tv show for a time but it's totally normal to also maybe read a 3 or 4 year old a couple picture books to pass the time. I have a 7 yr old who is a good reader and she will sometimes ask me to read a chapter or two aloud to her to give her a break from reading and I do. Judging this is insane.

And let's get real: there is NOTHING more annoying than a person using a device without headphones in a public space. I would rather listen to someone read books to their kids for an entire flight than listen to some kid's iPad playing music or game noises for any length of time. It is way easier to tune out human voices than electronic noises.

So we should really just all unite against the people who refuse to use headphones for some insane reason and leave everyone else alone.

Read to your kid for the 21 hours a day that you're not on a plane. You really think your fellow passengers want to hear you reading aloud from some 7th grade level book? Give me a break.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP is being smug and maybe trolling, but it's also secretly judge the parents who rely 100% on iPads for travel. I have also noticed the families where each person has their device and they all just stare at their personal screen for the duration of the trip. I think it's lazy parenting and wonder if that's what their families are like at home too. I am glad my kid can get through a flight, even an international one, without an ipad. I guess I'm smug too.

Do you also judge adults flying alone who are using devices? Should everyone have a hardcover novel or a writing pad to keep them entertained? My family interacts plenty at home, we don't need to interact during a long flight where it's loud and uncomfortable.

PP here and yes -- it's actually the parents being buried in their iphone or tablet for the duration of the flight and not interacting with their kids at all that I think is bad because it sets a poor example and I do assume they are like that all the time. And it's not that I think devices are always bad -- I don't care if people use devices on planes or elsewhere. I'm talking about the families where everyone has a personal device and just interacts with that and not at all with each other. I think it's weird especially with very young kids. But even with tweens and teens I think it's healthier and more normal to have a mix and to (1) actually talk to your kids some and (2) encourage them to do more than just play games or watch content.

I know I'm being judgmental. It's not like I'm going to do anything about it. I just generally think we are pretty screen addicted as a society and that's not great and I do notice when a family is completely focused on separate screens and not interacting and yes I judge. Sue me.

Well your assumption is wrong. We don't allow devices at table (whether we're eating at home or out) and never have. We don't allow access to screens all the time, only for specific periods. The last time I was on my iPad was for a flight. But when we get on a plane, my kids each have an iPad and so do my husband and I. We also all have Kindles or books as well but you might walk past the four of us while we're all enjoying our devices at the same time during that four-hour flight. And then when we land and get to where we're going, the devices are gone. It's actually shocking to me that you're so small-minded that you think a snapshot of what you see on an airplane is indicative of how everyone lives their lives. How sad to be so judgmental and so stupid.

Anonymous wrote:I'm sure you'll have your parenting fails at some point, OP.

- parent of young adult and teens.

This. Every single instance where I’ve felt even a tiny bit smug has come back to bite me.

Anonymous wrote:The comments about not wanting to hear parents reading to kids are obnoxious folks. When kids are too young to read you have to read to them. Sure you might also set them up with a movie or a tv show for a time but it's totally normal to also maybe read a 3 or 4 year old a couple picture books to pass the time. I have a 7 yr old who is a good reader and she will sometimes ask me to read a chapter or two aloud to her to give her a break from reading and I do. Judging this is insane.

And let's get real: there is NOTHING more annoying than a person using a device without headphones in a public space. I would rather listen to someone read books to their kids for an entire flight than listen to some kid's iPad playing music or game noises for any length of time. It is way easier to tune out human voices than electronic noises.

So we should really just all unite against the people who refuse to use headphones for some insane reason and leave everyone else alone.

Wrong. The people complaining about reading to kids on a plane are NOT the same people who let their kids use a device without headphones. That's equally bad. Making noise on planes in any form is bad.

Let your kids watch a movie or show (WITH HEADPHONES OF COURSE BECAUSE WE AREN'T HEATHENS). Stop doing anything that makes a bunch of noise and causes a scene. And skip anything that your kid is going to drop on the floor so three rows of people are going to have to search for it for you.

Anonymous wrote:I'm on Team Adequate Parenting.

waving from Team Good Enough Parenting”!

Literally no one wants to hear you talking or reading aloud or whatever on a plane. It’s public transportation. It’s time to be quiet and just get through it. Longer haul flights give passengers in flight movies and headphones and I don’t hear anyone “pushing back” about that and “we should be talking to our neighbors!”

Lol let's not be friends, k?

I'm on Team Adequate Parenting.

This sounds like the actions of a guilty mom who spends zero time with her kids during the week and lays it on thick in public. For this reason. “Aren’t I the bestest?” If you spent quality time the rest of the time you wouldn’t have to go over the top.

The comments about not wanting to hear parents reading to kids are obnoxious folks. When kids are too young to read you have to read to them. Sure you might also set them up with a movie or a tv show for a time but it's totally normal to also maybe read a 3 or 4 year old a couple picture books to pass the time. I have a 7 yr old who is a good reader and she will sometimes ask me to read a chapter or two aloud to her to give her a break from reading and I do. Judging this is insane.

And let's get real: there is NOTHING more annoying than a person using a device without headphones in a public space. I would rather listen to someone read books to their kids for an entire flight than listen to some kid's iPad playing music or game noises for any length of time. It is way easier to tune out human voices than electronic noises.

So we should really just all unite against the people who refuse to use headphones for some insane reason and leave everyone else alone.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP is being smug and maybe trolling, but it's also secretly judge the parents who rely 100% on iPads for travel. I have also noticed the families where each person has their device and they all just stare at their personal screen for the duration of the trip. I think it's lazy parenting and wonder if that's what their families are like at home too. I am glad my kid can get through a flight, even an international one, without an ipad. I guess I'm smug too.

Do you also judge adults flying alone who are using devices? Should everyone have a hardcover novel or a writing pad to keep them entertained? My family interacts plenty at home, we don't need to interact during a long flight where it's loud and uncomfortable.

PP here and yes -- it's actually the parents being buried in their iphone or tablet for the duration of the flight and not interacting with their kids at all that I think is bad because it sets a poor example and I do assume they are like that all the time. And it's not that I think devices are always bad -- I don't care if people use devices on planes or elsewhere. I'm talking about the families where everyone has a personal device and just interacts with that and not at all with each other. I think it's weird especially with very young kids. But even with tweens and teens I think it's healthier and more normal to have a mix and to (1) actually talk to your kids some and (2) encourage them to do more than just play games or watch content.

I know I'm being judgmental. It's not like I'm going to do anything about it. I just generally think we are pretty screen addicted as a society and that's not great and I do notice when a family is completely focused on separate screens and not interacting and yes I judge. Sue me.

Anonymous wrote:Reading aloud, and walking up and down the aisles sounds annoying and unsafe. Glad other parents are raising their kids with manners and prioritizing safety.

OK, I don't actually believe their way is better, just like I don't believe your way is better.

As a fellow passenger, I don't want to hear you reading to your kid. You probably stop at each row and expect everyone to ohh and ahh over your kid, too.