Mum 'enraged' by 'unfair family dynamics on flights'
"It's not ALL dads... but enough of them for me to notice." Have you seen this?
Parenting
Don't miss out on the headlines from Parenting. Followed categories will be added to My News.
A mum who travels the world with her young kids has posted about a strange thing she's noticed about dads on planes.
Normally, little_warriors_sg posts about her children who live with severe eczema, so speaking out about family dynamics when flying was quite an, ahem, departure - and it certainly got the attention of her followers.
Want to join the family? Sign up to our Kidspot newsletter for more stories like this.
RELATED: Mum declines to sit next to her own kids on a plane
"I'm too angry at what I witnessed"
The mum of two wrote in the caption of a quick clip showing her kids disembarking:
"We just came back from a family vacay and I’m getting ready to make some eczema and allergy travel content.
"But first, I’m too angry at what I witnessed and I need to get this off my chest.WTF is wrong with some men?
"Today’s flight was expectedly filled with young families. It was an afternoon flight and almost every toddler on the plane was cranky. In the rows directly ahead of and behind us were two families with young kids. They sat in the exact same configuration- Mum with 2 kids at the window. Dad across the aisle, alone.
"By the time the plane took off, both mums had screaming toddlers and older kids who were bugging them to adjust channels on their screen. The dads were completely oblivious and glued to their screens.
Introducing our new podcast: Mum Club! Listen and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts so you never miss an episode.
"When the seatbelt sign was switched off, I waited to see if the dads would step in. But nope. They looked over to their crying kids and struggling wife, and went back to their screens.
"I couldn’t take it anymore. I settled my kids, unbuckled myself and stood up to help a fellow mum in need .I deliberated long and hard whether I should say something to the dads. I so desperately wanted to be snarky but I knew it wouldn’t help.
"When we landed, I chatted with the mum in front of me and told her what a good job she did with her kids.I get it that kids usually choose to sit with Mum instead of Dad. But if you flip the situation around, would Mum ever sit at a corner and watch Dad struggle with the kids?"
RELATED: Woman refuses to swap seats with toddler on plane
"Flying solo with your kids"
The post resounded with so many parents - for example, this one who wrote:
"Saying “wow you’re so amazing for flying solo with your kids!!” Really loud - and when she corrects you - “ I had NO idea! He must be seated far away or I know he would help!”
Another woman shared a similar story: "I was just on a flight like that ! On the way back from Paris .. mum behind us with two young boys.
"She handled everything. Food, toilet breaks, meltdowns .. I honestly thought she was alone with the kids. Literally, an hour before we landed, I realized the fella across the aisle was the dad. He had done nothing.
"Not even bring the boys to the loo. He sat there the whole 13 hours watching TV or on his phone or sleeping. I was aghast."
But others urged the mum to not be so quick to judge a situation she didn't know.
"Some mums control this and want to be the parent sitting with the kids. Sounds like you aren’t one of those! Everyone has their own system and you should mind ya business," one told her bluntly.
And another added, "I wouldn’t judge the dad so fast. Sometimes the dad wants to help but can’t.
"The mum has to relinquish some of the responsibilities at home in their daily lives. Some mums don’t do this. And then during these moments when they need the most help they expect the dad to help when kids only want her. I have seen this real life."
More Coverage
Originally published as Mum 'enraged' by 'unfair family dynamics on flights'