So, your worst pre-flight fears have come true: you’ve been seated next to a child. Not just next to them, but directly in front of them. You might brush off the first five to ten kicks as pre-takeoff jitters (kids are human, too), but when the kicks start coming in waves, one thing becomes clear: you need to act. Some people will prefer to argue with the child’s parents, while others, without saying a word, will immediately call a flight attendant to intervene with their restless neighbors. But there are other ways to solve the problem.
Distract the child
Flight attendants are confident that the best way to calm a child down is to distract them. And not only parents can try to do this, but also those whose seats are under attack. A simple puzzle, a book, or a toy can occupy the child for a while. A simple game works especially well: wrap a toy in something and have the child guess what’s hidden beneath the layers of fabric or paper.
Sometimes, lavender essential oil, warm parental hugs, lollipops, or noise-canceling headphones help soothe a little one, especially if they’re upset by ear pain.
Swap seats
Those feeling particularly altruistic could offer to swap seats with the parents for a while (if, of course, the child doesn’t mind interacting with a stranger). After this switch, you can engage the child by, for example, making up a story about where their favorite toy is traveling and why. This way, you kill two birds with one stone: the little one calms down for at least half an hour, and the parents get a bit of a break.
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Ask to be reseated
Another option is to still approach the flight attendants and ask to have either you or the family with the child moved. If there’s a spot for the parents and their little mover in the front row, no one else will have to suffer from kicks to the seatback.
What do you think — should the passenger being kicked get involved in calming the child-kicker down?
