Flying with kids

So today, I came across a blog post by a very popular blogger MckMama where she is responding to people criticizing her for flying with kids not in a car seat. In the rant she does go a bit to the other extreme only siting a violent plane crash as an incident that would more then likely kill them. I decided to post a comment. I hardly ever think they are all read though so I’m going to put my thoughts plus a couple new ones here as well.

My family has worked in the airline industry for years so I feel I have an important take on this topic. First and foremost airplanes are still by far the very safest way to travel. They just are! We too have taken risks with our children before the age of two, and then I lug the car seats onboard for any flight after that. I know she mentioned crashing as the only course of having an incident, but the more common and more likely incidents in the air are the reason I restrain my kiddos.

There are air pockets where a plane will just ‘drop’ up to 500 feet which can cause any unrestrained person or item to smash into the carryon luggage cabinet or ceiling. It’s happened on one of my flights, and I know it hurts since I was the Flight Attendant standing. Luckily my shoulder was under a cabinet which kept me from smashing my head into the ceiling, and all of my passengers were buckled in.

Another common incident is an aborted takeoff where the pilot has to slam on the breaks for some reason or another. At speeds of up to 120 MPH this can be a very hard stop or even cause the plane to run off the runway.

There is also a fast landing if there was a malfunction with the flaps or other breaking system. These are typically announced as an emergency landing when arriving at your destination with emergency support on standby. Most of these feel a lot like a normal landing. Some planes run off the runway.

Planes also have ground collisions with traffic on the ground, parked equipment and jetways.

Bad weather is another reason planes have issues both in air and on the ground with heavy turbulence, skidding off runways and collisions.

Almost all the airlines also have a SILLY regulation that babies cannot be restrained in a wrap or carrier on the parents body during take off and landing. In my opinion these restraints offer another layer of protection especially if the pilot ran into something on the ground or had to abort takeoff which would mimic a regular car crash in impact often making it impossible for hands to restrain an infant or child.

As far as calculated risks go with our children, it is still much safer to have your child fly without a car seat then to go for a walk or bike ride with any cars around! Personally, I’ll still keep my under two year olds as lap children trying to sneak them into a wrap and bringing along the car seats when my kids are of an age I need to pay for a seat or if I win the lottery and can pay for an infant to have a seat.

Now for those doctor appointment images from last week. Maddie loves to sit up on the table and play with the mirror.

Blake was doing his anticipation freak out. Guy cuddled him while we waited.

Maddie chillin in her undies with a picture smile on her face. Most of the time she’ll smile naturally, but sometimes I get this. Eh, I think it’s still cute and part of kids growing up.