Good parenting: The rich relax in comfort at the front of the plane, leaving their kids to look after themselves in economy.

Depends on the kids' ages. By the time we were allowed to fly commercial, us kids REQUESTED to be sat an aisle or so away from our parents so we didn't have to deal with the smoke.

Things could be worse for them, after all.

Kirstie Allsopp is spot on! I treat myself to first or business class when I travel and have encountered the horrors of these spoiled children, usually with parents who do nothing to govern their behavior. These same parents, however, will be the first to defend little Madyson or Asher for merely expressing themselves. Ugh! I can only imagine how insufferable and entitled these children will be as the grow up.

There’s a reason I -and many others- opt to go first business class, and let me assure you it is NOT to put up with these spoiled brats and their woeful parents.

What cunts.

If you decide to pop out some kids, you and your spouse are required to supervise them and insure their safety to the best of your ability. It is the law.

Why the fuck have kids, if you’re going to dump them as soon as they learn how to cut into a steak? This is absurd. If you don’t want to sit with children on a 5 hour plus flight, then don’t have them. If you want a nanny, or strangers on a fucking commercial flight to look after YOUR children, then don’t have them. If you cannot afford them, don’t fucking have them.

Children are not dolls or toys. They are human beings who count on YOU, their parents, to feed, clothe, and house them. That is YOUR responsibility, not that of a stewardess, you selfish, lazy cunts.

What R4 said.

On a related note: This article reminds me of a story re Jean Claude VanDamme from a few years ago. Reportedly, he flew first or business class while leaving his wife and kids in economy, acting as if he did not know who they were. I was simultaneously laughing out loud and shaking my head.

Put them in cages.

I just don’t get it.

I would LOVE to be a mom. I am bad at many things, but kids aren’t one of them. I sometimes regret not having children, but I did not, because I was not responsible in my child bearing years, and I knew that. So instead of getting pregnant, I got my shot together, with several huge failures at life in between.

I wish I had been ready for parenthood in my 20s and 30s, but I just wasn’t, and chose to not have children. But if I had, I know enough about myself to know that even if we were eating top ramen, my child would be very loved, and cared for. I cannot imagine having a child, and purposefully choosing to not be next to them while on a commercial flight. Anything can happen.

People, take good care of your kids. It’s a bigger deal than you realize. If you cannot do it, then just don’t have them.

Kirstie had four kids ranging from 9-18 years. They can handle sitting a couple of rows apart for a few hours.

Maybe she just cant afford first class for all of them

Oh shut the fuck up, R4. The kids were 10 and 12. They shouldn't need babysitting.

Well, you don't expect me to sit in economy class with them, do you? There's demons back there!

-- Mega-Pastor Kenneth Copeland

Ah who cares where rich people and their children sit? It's their money.

Are you kidding R12? We care. We care a lot. If we weren't judging people we'd hardly know what to do with ourselves.

Or are you just defending them because they're rich?

It’s OK as long as you also slip a few kiddie Xanaxes or Valiums to the precious little sweeties.

Most tween kids would appreciate feeling grown up enough to sit by themselves. It's not like their parents aren't just a few feet away from them, FFS. First world problem for damn sure.

10 and 12 year olds do not need a babysitter on a plane when their parents are 10-20 rows away. That’s absurd. If the parents are decent parents they’ll check on them regularly. If there’s trouble the FA can alert the parents. I’m middle class and hate the rich (I fly coach by default, it’s all I can afford) but this is a dumb thing to be outraged about. The rich bitch going on about “having something to aspire to” is gross, but I’m generally anti-spoiling kids. They don’t need to be right next to Mommy and Daddy at that age so they can do without. Like others have said, at that age you want distance and independence. Letting them experience how most people actually live is not a bad lesson.

I have a wealthy friend who took his family of 5 on vacation and flew them all (and a friend of his son's) first class Dallas to New York. When pressed why he paid all that extra money to have 4 kids up-front, he said he felt guilty being in first while they were in cattle. This is so fucked up on so many levels.

[quote] This is so fucked up on so many levels.

I think your perspective is what's fucked up.

A cage with mylar blankets would be perfect.

My 12 yr old *is* a babysitter, she doesn’t need one. Kids of that age, especially if they are comfortable with flying, are perfectly capable of sitting by themselves. It’s a plane, where the fuck are they going to go?

As long as they have the nanny with the brats to keep them quiet.

Not wanting to spoil the kid is complete bullshit.

The parents don't want to have to sit in coach (the horror!) and they don't want to pay the considerable expense of having all the kids fly first class too.

I mean whatever, I don't think it is cruel to the kids or whatever, but let's call a spade a spade.

Yeah it's just "reasoned article to excuse something I already do and make it sound more noble than selfish" content.

Nobody wants kids in first or even business class. Putting them in Economy is the right thing to do.

I flew business class back from the UK over the weekend... accompanied by three screaming two year olds.

Usually I am fairly tolerant about kids but trying sleeping through three screaming two year olds.

I have to laugh at you cunts who are hysterical about the "horror" of these kids being apart from their parents for a couple of hours. What do you think they do at school? Have a babysitter all day? No, honey. That's a fucking teacher.

Won’t someone PLEASE think of the CHILDREN!!

I have zero problem with 10 and 12 year olds sitting by themselves, assuming they have enough self control not to annoy the living hell out of everyone around them.

However...I was once on a flight where a mom of 3 kids (oldest looked about 9, youngest was no more than 4) sat in first and her kids were in coach. Across the aisle from, you guessed it, me. The oldest wasn’t so bad but the youngest two were little shits. By the time we landed it looked like a bomb had gone off in their seats. Cookie crumbs, half a sandwich, crayons, crumpled paper, spilled ice...and the mom got off the plane without bothering to come back and herd them along. The flight attendants were livid.

No, it’s horrible. Travel as a family ffs.

When I used to work as a waiter in college, parents would always ask for crackers for their children. The children would take them and destroy them and leave the crumbs all over the place and the parents never batted an eye. It was basically a way to keep the kid occupied while they ate. And they never cleaned up or tried to clean up after the kids, just left the mess and usually an average tip, not a "thanks for cleaning up after my demon children" tip, either.

Absolutely, R13, if we didn't have someone else to judge we would have to look at the terrible, lonely, miserable lives we've created for ourselves.

They are, R29. They’re on the same plane.

What is wrong with some of you? Such hysteria, and neediness. Separation anxiety? Abandonment issues? Normal folks don’t react like this to something so mild. You act like these folks are stowing infants in the overhead compartment. A pair of tween can’t sit 100 feet away from their parents in the same space? Why on earth not? It’s a plane ride, not someone’s birthday party. Jesus, some of you are too delicate for words.

I think a kid is less likely to act up if the parent isn't around, so would rather sit near two 10 and 12 year olds in coach without their parents than next to them in first with their parents.

What do you Nervous Nellies think about kids who actually fly alone, without a parent on board?!

R32, On top of that, most economy seats are equipped with touch screens. These kids are playing games, watching movies or listening to music. These kids are in their own world and wouldn’t know if you’re sitting next to them or sitting in first class.

What are airlines policy on kids sitting alone ? Surely the staff are not responsible for looking after them ? Isn’t that the parents job ?

r35 an 8 - 12 year old needs no more looking after than any other passenger.

R35 Only if they’re traveling as unaccompanied minors, but that usually means they’re flying without a parent on board. As far as I know most airlines don’t have any rules about who can sit where. But I’m not up to speed on the fine points.

R35, what sort of “looking after” does a 12 year old need? Or an 8 year old for that matter. Are you imagining hourly bottles feedings and constant diaper checks? Kids that age on a plane need 1) something to distract them, like a tablet, games or books, 2) snacks, which are easily packed or available from the flight attendants like any passenger, and 3) a fastened seatbelt, which flight attendants also enforce along with every other passenger. If you’ll review that list objectively, you see that their needs are remarkably similar to adults on a plane. Does a 35 year old business traveler need a nanny to get through a flight? Neither does an 8 year old who’s only separating from the parent upon boarding, only seated a section away, can be checked up on at any time, is free to move about themselves, and will be reunited at the gate after arrival.

If you’re imagining that these kids need a constant disiplinarian/governess hovering over their every moment, this says a lot more about your own poor conceptions of kids than anything wrong with the parents or kids themselves.

Pssshhh, R31. I'm perfectly happy, and I'm judging the fuck out of you.

I assumed R35 was talking more about really young kids, like 3 and 4 year olds.

It has fuck all with the brats needing mommy and daddy close by and everything to do with expecting people in economy class to babysit Kayd'n, Jayd'n and Aid'n and put up with their mess and tantrums. Of course the little bastards are going to take the chance to act up out of sight of mom and dad. Who's going to stop them from kicking seatbacks, squealing and spilling juice everywhere?

When the time comes these kids will put their parents in the cheapest, most run-down retirement homes.

Exactly, R41.

I was better behaved at 5 years old than most kids these days who are 11-12 years old. My parents were very strict.

Can the tide be turning?

Are the heterosexuals now starting to brag about bucking the trend and NOT spoiling their kids rotten, instead of bragging about spoiling them rotten?

r45, it's not a hetero/homosexual thing, it's a breeder thing.

I understand the sentiment that kids should have something to aspire to, but the chances of them being as successful as their parents is small. Being a rich celebrity is more about luck than hard work or talent. And science backs that up.

Maybe they are paying attention to the studies that show that new money only lasts 2 - 3 generations. Their grandkids and great grandkids will be flying coach with the rest of us unless their children are able to build wealth. Look at Lisa Marie Presley.

R38 you need to calm the fuck down.

Leaving their brats unsupervised where they can scream, cry and kick the back of my seat? No thanks.

This is a red flag that they are sociopaths, no parental instinct, no empathy.

Most of the people who have no problem with this are secretly happy that they won't have to have these brats in business class with them.

Let someone else deal with 'em. Just as long as I don't have to, right?

1) the airlines don't have any policies requiring parents to sit next to minors because if they did, they'd have to offer them adjoining seats basically for free, and that would cut into their income from most parents, who are willing to pay for the privilege of sitting next to their little darlings to protect them from all those mean and predatory adults

2) what makes any of you think that those parents would take any action to supervise their kids or make them behave, even if they were sitting right next to them?

3) most kids over about age 10 are actually thrilled to get away from their parents, and will usually behave better when away from them. I see this all the time. They only get really rowdy when they're either with their parents or their friends.