Spare the rod
Flight attendants often deal with obnoxious passengers who won’t listen to instructions by kicking them off the plane. But a Massachusetts couple think AirTran Airways went overboard by treating their crying 3-year-old daughter in much the same way.
Julie and Gerry Kulesza and daughter Elly were removed from the flight when the girl refused to take her seat before takeoff, airline officials said Tuesday. But her parents said they just needed a little more time to calm her down.
The Kuleszas planned to fly home to Boston on Jan. 14 from Fort Myers after a four-day visit with the girl’s paternal grandparents. She was removed because “she was climbing under the seat and hitting the parents and wouldn’t get in her seat” during boarding, AirTran spokeswoman Judy Graham-Weaver said.
It is very hard not to jump to conclusions about how poor the Kuleszas are at parenting. I’ve flown with children and let’s just say that I would not have allowed the situation to reach that level.
Children at that age respond very well to carrot and stick logic if it is done consistently. It didn’t take my oldest daughter long to learn that there was no doubt that I would follow through when I threatened to take away toys and privileges for misbehavior. Also, she is very receptive to earning rewards for good behavior.
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