Goodie Bags on Airplanes

Did you fly on a plane with kids this holiday season? As a new parent it can be very nerve racking to take your little one on an airplane. No swings, bouncers or other equipment to help settle them. And you are in extremely close proximity to strangers who may or may not have or enjoy kids themselves.

When I flew with our son, I was almost always very impressed by how other passengers treated us. Other passengers helped zip up my son’s carseat bag, lifted my carry-ons into the overhead bins, and quietly whispered if they could squeeze past me without disturbing my sleeping little one.

So when I read about new parents handing out goodie bags to other passengers on their airplane this holiday season, I just smiled. It was a sweet gesture, but most likely it was unnecessary. It is amazing how many times I’ve heard a friend say that all of their worrying about flying with a baby was for nothing. Their little one slept through most of the flight. Or at least was entertained with apps on a tablet or phone. And rather than moan and groan about sharing a plane with a baby, other passengers went out of their way to help.

Of course, most of us have experienced babies and kids screaming on planes, or somehow disturbing others on the flight. But parents who are worried enough to make goodie bags for other passengers on their flight might also be ones who would use every trick in the book to try to calm a little one down.

I definitely won’t be handing goodie bags out when I fly with my two little ones. But I am not against it. Maybe some parents use it as a way to help calm their own nerves about a possible future tantrum or crying episode.

What do you think about parents making goodie bags for other passengers on a flight?