There are plenty of behaviors that occur in the privacy of our own homes that we wouldn't dare share with the general public. Which is exactly why the thought of being stuck on a plane with a posse of unpredictable kids and a couple hundred strangers can send so many parents into a tailspin. Since every mom and dad handles this potentially unpleasant situation differently, we thought that we'd dedicate a story to the many different approaches parents have to flying with children. From the laid-back to the loony, here are the 10 moms you're likely to encounter 30,000 feet above sea level. Source: Getty / Marc Piasecki
Yup, that's right, your seat's being kicked, Frozen is on sans headphones, and there have been intermittent high-pitched screams for the past three hours. But this mom could care less, she's just daydreaming about her upcoming vacation.
Her sock-less kids are freezing, they don't have a darn thing to do, and the battery on her iPad just died. Food? What food? They were in such a rush to get out of the house that she forgot all about breakfast, and all she's got in her bag is Chapstick and Tic Tacs.
Her kids could probably get part-time jobs at the Apple store, they're so tech-savvy. Between the iPads, iPhones, headphones, and personal DVD players, this family's never far from a charging station.
She's freaking out over every little thing. "What's that sound?" "Did everyone read the safety manual?" "Flight attendant! Over here! We need you, NOW!" Add a couple of kids to the mix, and this mom is in full-on panic mode.
Smart, savvy, and prepared for everything, for this mom, boarding a flight with kids in tow isn't any different than loading her brood into the family minivan. She cruises through the TSA precheck line with her tote full of healthy snacks, fun diversions, and her own stash of magazines, which she'll most definitely have time to read.
From having a bottle of breast milk heated up to a personal tour of the cockpit for her kids, this mom's demands are frequent and far-fetched. She may not have paid for a first-class ticket, but she sure has Champagne wishes!
You'll be able to spot her from a mile away, because she's grade-A crazy.
She's so engrossed in her own movie/novel/magazine/email that she kind of forgot her kids were there at all.
She's so stressed about her kids misbehaving that she just keeps saying "sorry" — again, and again, and again. The funny thing is, they're being better than some of the adults on the plane!
While the kids load up on pretzels and apple juice from the drink cart, she's reaching for her credit card. Those airplane minibottles are this mom's best friend.