I’ll admit it. I had no empathy for parents with screaming children on planes before having kids. I thought I did but I’m guilty of the dirty looks and the sighs of annoyance. But I had no idea. No clue the stress the parents are under. The worry about other people getting pissed your kid is crying. On top of the stress of not being able to soothe your baby or make their tummy ache go away. Until now.
Traveling with children is immensely stressful. The car seats. The extra luggage. The three or four changes of clothes. The blowouts. The peed through shorts. The barf. The snacks everywhere on everything. The requests for water and movies and not wanting to sit in the seat. And then the crying.
When your baby is crying and inconsolable on an airplane I would challenge you to find something more stressful in the entire world. You’re literally trapped 30,000 feet in the air with two hundred people who want your kid to shut the f up. And all you can do is try to comfort them and your partner while everyone listens to the screams.
You want to cry. Scream. Yell. Tell someone you’ll punch them in the face. Hide in the bathroom. Cry some more. But you can’t. You just have to persevere.
This situation is so raw and so real it feels like your life and all your faults are on display. Like you’re being judged for something you have absolutely no control over.
And when they finally do stop crying the relief is so sweet. And you pray they stay calm the rest of the way.
Parenting presents so many challenges. Mostly to your sanity. It is mind boggling what parents go through and put up with in order to see their children through life. It strips you down to the bone. You bear your soul day in and day out all hours of the day and commit to doing it for the rest of your life.
And I’ll tell you what I love my boys. With all my heart. And I love my wife too. And no matter what I’m committed to them forever.
To all the parents out there who have ever had a screaming baby on an airplane god bless you. I know now. And I’m glad you made it through.
