The Frustrating Behavior Flight Attendants Can't Stand During Boarding

If you've ever flown with kids — even if they weren't yours — you've been privy to how difficult it can be. Even if it's two parents with two kids, it's no easy feat trying to navigate flying with kiddos, especially when they're very young. While flight attendants do their best to make the boarding, flying, and disembarking process as seamless as possible for those traveling with children, sometimes parents forget a very important part of air travel: flight attendants aren't babysitters.

"It drives me crazy when people ask me to deal with their kids," flight attendant Nicole Teshara told Yahoo News! "I have an entire plane filled with people to take care of, so it's annoying when someone thinks I'm their personal attendant." Not only is it not their job, but it's worth noting that although flight attendants are aware of who you're traveling with, their main priority is the safety of every passenger, and that's something they can't do to the best of their ability if you're trying to rely on them for help. Because of this, flight attendants can't hold your child, especially while flying. In fact, that's why flight attendants have been pushing to ban lap babies on flights.

"We've seen airplanes go through turbulence recently and drop 4,000 feet in a split second," the international president of the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA, Sara Nelson, told the Washington Post, adding that no parent — or any human — can protect a child in those situations, calling it physically impossible. But thinking it's okay to ask a flight attendant to hold your kid is just the tip of the iceberg.

Flight attendants aren't allowed to hold kids for hygienic reasons, but that's also why you shouldn't think it's appropriate to hand them a dirty diaper. Even before the COVID pandemic, when the world looked at viruses and germs a bit differently, it was never okay to give your flight attendant a used diaper. Nor was it ever okay to change your kid's diaper anyplace but in the bathroom.

"No dirty diapers, no bloody nose tissues, no diabetic needles and nothing else that might have bodily fluids on it — that's all hazardous waste. And gross," flight attendant, Mac A., told Reader's Digest. "The worst is when people try and hand it directly to me... into my hands. Just no!" While you, as a parent, may not see the harm in your kid's dirty diaper, others aren't going to see it the same way, nor should they. Fecal matter may not be toxic, per se, but that doesn't mean there isn't bacteria in there that can become problematic. You may think that disposing of your baby's diaper by handing it to your flight attendant is polite in theory, but it's actually making them hate you.

If you ask anyone who's had a kid, there's a good chance they'll tell you it's the most difficult thing they've done. Managing a company of 500 disgruntled employees probably feels like a walk in the park compared to having kiddos — then trying to mold them into civilized members of society. While that may be fact, if you board a plane heading out on vacation, that doesn't mean you can check out of your parental duties by handing them over to a crew member. 

It's your job to get your child into their seat, belted, and stay that way, which is why you should consider boarding last when traveling with kids. It's also essential to make sure your kid isn't causing disruptions or creating safety concerns for fellow passengers. As much as you may think that your child looks adorable as they waltz down the aisle singing, it's important to know that you're in the minority. It's especially important for aisles to be clear during the boarding process so everything runs to schedule. Flight attendants are busy doing safety checks and preparing the aircraft for departure, so they don't have time to manage your child's behavior as well.

While you'll come across plenty of flight attendants who'll do their best to help a disruptive child (for the sake of other passengers), you need to know that's not their primary job. So, if you've ever thought for even a hot second a flight attendant is free childcare, think again.