I read an article recently about a family of four that was kicked off a flight because their two-year-old daughter would not adhere to what her parents and the flight attendant asked of her…that was, to sit down and stay seated for take off.
Federal aviation regulations require all passengers over two years of age to be buckled up in their seats, seated upright, with cell phones turned off before take-off. With passenger safety and airline security under more scrutiny than ever, nobody is an exception.
I travel a fair amount (not with children). I must say that I have never encountered a flight where a child did not sit during takeoff. I know they sometimes get restless, but so do I! I guess when you have little ones, they sometimes surprise you with some of the things they say and do. I am a grandmother of two beautiful grandchildren and they get fussy sometimes but never to a point where I could not control the situation.
I was trying to think of what I would do if I were ever in that situation. I just don’t know. No matter what age, nowadays we all have to follow certain rules and guidelines.
My question to you, as level headed adults, what do you think you would have done if you were in this situation? What’s the Christian response to unruly children in public settings?
Vanessa Davis is the administrative assistant to the churchwide staff of Women of the ELCA. You can find an image of her two grandchildren on her smart phone case.