Coping with a Baby

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What’s wrong with this picture?

Nothing!

You didn’t expect me to say that, did you?

Sure, as a flight attendant what I’m seeing is a mess. Crumbs everywhere that’ll end up on the floor and items in the seatback pockets that I’m going to have to clean out when we land.

But, as the passenger sitting next to this mess I see it as a valiant effort to keep a child happy and entertained in the air.

You can clearly see the hand puppet and the bag of snacks on the empty middle seat and on the floor two more bags. One of them is Mom’s personal bag, the other one is a bag full of toys.

Don’t get me wrong, this baby was the loudest baby I’ve ever sat next to as a passenger. He has his moments of non-stop screaming and whaling until he got his way, but his mother did everything she could to try to calm him down.

As the passenger seated next to them, yes, the crying was annoying but the fact that I could see the mother actually trying to remedy the situation and coming prepared for this, I was not annoyed like I would have been if she would have left him alone to cry.

Because the mother was doing her best and I had nothing to be annoyed with, I asked everyone on twitter, how do you cope with a screaming baby next to you? Here are a few of the responses:

@cassivella: Pillow?

Ha! Is that to reference smothering them? Trust me, the thought crossed my mind, but I’d never do it!

This next response didn’t even have a remedy, just sympathy:

@matthewsda01: sorry to hear that one.

@organicaudio: I’d have a drink from the bar, throw in some ear plugs, and put my head on the fuselage and pass out.

Scott, that’s what I ended up doing, minus the drink. But I did put my headphones on, pulled my memory foam neck pillow from my carryon and passed out until we landed in Philly. But not before waking up just in time to snap that photo above!

@gr8rn1: ask the flight attendant if she has a set of earplugs.If she doesn’t get some from the ramp guys for the next time!

I should have followed Sara’s advice from our first couple of TV appearances, pack ear plugs! It’s a good tip for parents to pack to pass out to passengers around them, but even better for you to have your own to use. I now have a supply in every piece of baggage of I own!

Thanks for the responses everyone!

Lessons learned:

• If traveling with a child come prepared: toys, food, activities, & ear plugs to everyone else!
• If traveling alone bring ear plugs to cancel out any noise in the cabin that your iPod can’t
• If you’re ever in need of help.. just ask twitter.

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