Here's a thought. How about you parent your kids, and have them actually behave while on the plane, like my two children.

Yes, yes, yes. I would definitely pay more to fly kid-free. It would be great if they were all just well behaved, of course, but they're not. And the little ones try to touch you. And they cry. Having kids isn't a crime, but it's your job as a parent to keep them behaved and quiet, and too many don't. I never fly without earplugs and noise reduction headphones. And I never understood why they get to board first.

And another thing, I think it's ridiculous that it's illegal to have child-free housing. I would definitely sign up to live in a child-free apartment building.

Maybe I'm just really lucky because in all my years of traveling I've never encountered a wild child on a plane. My kids are always really well behaved when we fly too. We've had nothing but compliments from fellow passengers and cabin crew. It's not that hard to keep them happy and preoccupied. Whoever is pushing for child free flights must hate kids. They should hire a private plane or lighten the hell up.

Good point twinkle.

I do agree with torg that way too many parents don't parent their children. I overheard one leady telling her child to behave "or the stewardess is going to come back here and yell at us." I wanted to turn around and tell her that maybe she should've said "behave or you are going to discipline (spank) the brat."

>Whoever is pushing for child free flights must hate kids.

I disagree. I don't hate kids (not that it would be wrong for me to. People demonize someone who don't love their cute little sprogs.) but I do hate being touched by people I don't know, having my seat kicked, or listening to crying.

I also try to compliment parents when their kids are well behaved. I feel bad for parents who do a good job and get crap because of the rest that don't.

Flying on a plane with misbehaving children is the WORST. There is a HUGE difference between a child in pain and discomfort (i.e. a young child on a plane who has obvious ear pain during landing and is crying for a short period, or an autistic child who screamed during our entire 11 hour flight to Greece -- annoying, yes, but obviously not a parenting issue) -- and the horrid children who are old enough to know better, scream and holler, and the parents just sit there and do nothing. My last flight, a kid actually unbuckled himself, stood on his seat, leaned forward, and grabbed my hair and started pulling. It really hurt, so I asked his mother to please control him. The mother just shrugged and said he just kind of did what he wanted to do. WTF? Since when have children been in control of their parents? If you can't control your child, don't take them in public, let alone on a plane!

Isn't there a kid free section allready? Isn't it called First Class?

The vast majority of children that I have encountered on plains are well-behaved. I attribute that to their parents, and I thank them for it! Occasionally there are a few obnoxious children, but I think we ought to leave it to the stewardesses to tell their parents to get them in line. I'm not sure why you'd punish the parents with well behaved children by sticking them in a section with little monsters

Of course if airlines want to do this, I have no problem with it, really. That's their right as a private business.

UnDave, I think its great your kids are well behaved on an airplane…you don’t give them one of those special cherry drinks do you? I’ve thought about giving a few kids one myself when trying to sleep on a plane.

I like the idea of a special section for kids, and I am surprised others might feel it would be a punishment. Kids like to be around other kids anyway.

I think the word civilized means to treat your fellow man with respect because that is a civil thing to do.

I don't think that saying be quiet or the stewardess is going to come back here and yell at us is as bad as threatening your kid.

Turning around and telling her to hit her threaten spanking is barbaric. Turning around and talking to the child, giving the kid is a distraction.

For all here who would rather not be around kids, I can understand that.

My suggestion is to open your mind to the new possibilities of acting civil. I have news for you, because you can afford the latest iphone or first class doesn't make you civil.

Say hi to the kid. Most of the time my kids behave well but occasionally they get tired from an active day and someone treating them with respect completely changes their mood.

Don't think it will work. Huddling all the kids together may just make them rowdier. There will also be the parents who figure they can just dump their kids in the kid section and let the airstaff handle them while they swill white zin in the back (happens at every restaurant).

I would vote for adults-only flights though.

:

I think its a brilliant idea and I was to be FAR away from that section. People these days [and yes, I'm generalizing] don't know how to teach their kids to behave on planes [or in public for that matter], and I don't want to be penalized because of it.

I don't like the kids only section, because I don't want to have to discipline my children, and everyone elses. I've noticed that there are very few children in 1st class, so my suggestion would be to fly up there, and be happy.

Who cares! I'd much rather have a kid free section of restaurants!! Now THAT is a good idea!

Meanwhile it seems like discrimination against parents is perfectly acceptable nowadays. I mean geesh torg, an entire apartment building? Are we going to have to ammend equal opportunity to read "age, sex, race, sexual orientation, and procreation choices"?

UnDave, do you think all those rich people (who obviously don't have to buy gas in the city) don't have children in first class? Or do they make them sit with the rest of the poor folk in the nursery?

I fly all the time and I also am a flight attendant and can probably count the number of times on one hand that there have been truly unruly children on the flight. I do dislike the seat kickers immensely, but, even THAT barely happens anymore.

I'm with you cab! I think they should have a separate section for kids in restaurants.

I love kids and I've been there ~ with my sons in the restaurant, and one in particular who suddenly stated projectile vomiting while the people next to us were trying to have a special romantic dinner.

One building in an apartment complex, a hallway, whatever. I just think there should be an option to live not around kids.

Don't they have adults only communities for that? Well, I guess they do in Utah.

buy a house torg!

Adult only communities? Only for 55 and up. Anything else would be outlawed b the Federal Fair Housing Act.

I live in a house now, and luckily no kids on either side, but I don't have any control over the neighbors. I'm not saying kids should be banished to the ends of the earth or put on reservations, just that if people want to get together and live in a child-free zone, that should be legal.

I think it's idiotic.

torg, maybe an Island. No Children! No Dogs! ...but then you might have gorillas and loud birds to contend with.

I don't have a problem with kids but I also think that a new section would be appropriate and no one would be negatively affected by the move.

I don't think people buy first class tickets for their children. I've not ever seen a child in first class in all the times I've flown.

what if you are traveling with childless friends?

Yes, kids fly in first class and lap children. Not TOO often, but I have seen it.

Duct tape the little forkers to the wings.

this idea makes no sense. just teach your children to behave in public.

hahaha fuzzles! that's great!

I totally agree with torg on everything. I would go for a childless plane and a childless apartment building, not to mention a child-free zone in a restaurant. Ah, that would be the life...

I'm not saying kids should be banished to the ends of the earth or put on reservations,

Hey, this doesn't sound too bad. I'm all for kids/family section on planes. Round them all up!

GS, everytime you do the Grinch I get the little Grinch song stuck in my head. And then I drive my boyfriend crazy singing it. You're a mean one, Mr. Grinch, you really are a heel...

lol, apparently it is offensive.

I love kids but I don't think it's necessary to bring a baby oor fussy toddler on a plane unless it is a special circumstance. My family always take early morning flights, but 99% of the time we always end up sitting next to a fussy baby or we have kids who constantly kick us in the back of the seat. It is extremely irritating, especially when parents do not reprimand their kids.

Who would be offended by the Grinch?

RockAndRepublic you're precious.

It's not really fair to parents with children who are well-behaved, but then again, it's not fair to the other passengers on the plane when a child is screaming and carrying on and the parents aren't doing anything to stop it. Having a kid-free zone on a plane would be treating the symptom rather than the cause, but it would help somewhat. As long as you weren't one row back from the kids' section.

We fly a lot. A lot! And I can honestly say that only once did I see a parent not reprimanding their child. Other than that, it was a baby who sometimes just can't be soothed. The air is a free space and these parents paid the same price for their tickets. Like another poster mentioned, take along ear plugs or headphones if, well, life bothers you.

i would be willing to bet those who protest about the unruly kids the most were once those same unruly kids.

If that's true generally, I know I am an exception. My mom was strict. If I was being bad, I got "The Look" and I settled down.

Me, too... that's why I would tend to disagree with the statement that those who protest about unruly children were unruly themselves. I have zero tolerance for parents who cannot control their children, because my mother was strict and always kept me in line and on my best behavior.. hence, I know it is completely possible for a child to grow up and still have fun, but know when and where to behave and act appropriately, and when I have children someday, I will expect nothing less from my own children.

Once upon a time, I got moved in a huge Auditorium up to the nose-bleed section because I had my teen-age daughter with me. The reason was that she was "too young" to sit with the adults and probably would be a distraction to the speaker.

The group of women who sat in front of us had NO children with them, but they yakked constantly throughout the entire presentation. MY CHILD was quiet and respectful.

If they're going to have "only" sections on planes they should have a "quiet well behaved children" section and an "all others" section.

discrimination!

Auntie ~ Just like the stewardess' comment who claims that children hardly ever kick the back of seats anymore (while she sits at the front of the plane), there are parents who actually believe their obnoxious childen pushing on the back of your seat, pulling your hair, fighting with her sibling, or standing on their chair so they can watch you and your friend intently, are little angels, but others have a different opinion. I think who is and who isn't would be hard to govern. Perhaps if they go ahead with the kids' section, they could also enforce duct tape on adults who are talking too loud....either that or make them sit in the kids section.

Oooh, yes, please! Especially since this will be easier to implement than actually changing parents who don't control their children in public.

Seat kickers make me want to scream, and, like julieulie, I've had a bad experience with a hair-puller as well.

audreystar - I realize that you are making a generalization, but it's not always the case. My parents said that my sisters and I were such easy kids and that we never threw tantrums, especially not in public. The reason for this is probably because my parents were strict and we had consequences if we disobeyed them. We weren't perfect kids by any means, but we knew how to conduct ourselves in public I think it is the parents are the ones who are responsible if their kids are out of control (unless they had diagnosed behavioral issues or something). Even my younger sister, who always had "ear problems" when the plane was landing, would cry quietly and she wouldn't wail like a hyena (and it was not because we told her to be quiet, but because she wasn't going to make a scene and annoy other passengers).

I also agree with others that it would be hard to implement this plan, especially since some kids are actually well-behaved. There was one baby that sat behind on us a flight from Norfolk, VA to Las Vegas. She was quiet the whole time, never made one peep until the plane was landing. I would hate to put a quiet sleeping baby next to a group of loud and crazy kids. But I think it's a good idea if they had some flights that had age restrictions, so only parties that have children over a certain age can come on the plane.