When you are a parent with kid

"When you are a parent with kid"

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Who says that first class must really be  safe and sound when parents use it with kids?

My long-haul flight to Europe was a complete disaster! 😭✈️

I always heard people say that first class offers more space and a better environment, ensuring that the kids stay quiet.

But after experiencing it firsthand, I know that it is a complete lie.

This flight to Europe was an unforgettable, heartbreaking experience.

I was traveling to Europe with two 18-month-olds.

As an incredibly anxious mom, I made thorough preparations.

Three of us were involved in caring for the two children.

To ensure their comfort, I even gritted my teeth and booked first class with Emirates, thinking the spaciousness and privacy would prevent the kids from getting too fussy.

But reality hit me hard.

The preparations before departure were like war preparations, leaving no room for complacency:

Two weeks in advance, the whole family stayed indoors, avoiding all public places, fearing the children might catch a cold and delay the trip; 120 in-flight apology gifts were prepared, including small notes and candy, translated into Chinese, English, and Spanish, to avoid disturbing other passengers and to express apologies in advance; a comprehensive children's essentials bag was packed, containing six brand-new toys, four sticker books, a tablet filled with animated videos, and a bag full of the children's favorite snacks; before boarding, the airport was filled with running and jumping to burn off energy, and the children were fed well, all in the hope that things would be calm on the plane.

My ideal scenario was that the children would sleep peacefully on the plane, allowing us adults to leisurely eat and rest, arriving smoothly in Europe.

However, the reality was completely out of control.

Both children took turns breaking down in tears, causing a commotion for over two hours, their cries echoing throughout the entire cabin.

Except for the takeoff and the landing, when my child was strapped into his seat, I barely sat down.

I spent the entire flight pacing back and forth in the aisle, acting as a "human cradle" to soothe him.

This long haul flight consisted of two segments: Taipei to Dubai and Dubai to Europe.

My husband and I barely ate anything properly the whole time.

I was so anxious that I could not even swallow a bite.

I, who never gets air sick, felt nauseous and wanted to vomit.

I did not dare to drink much water, afraid that if I went to the restroom for even a minute, my child would not see me and I would completely lose it.

This was a scene I had never witnessed at home.

I would spent a whole month preparing, thinking that I could really control everything, but at thirty thousand feet, all of my careful preparations were rendered useless, leaving me feeling utterly helpless.

Clutching the small apology gifts I had  prepared beforehand, I distributed the apology gifts around like a child who had really done something wrong, with my face full of guilt, afraid of being disliked and hated by the other passengers.

Just then, a flight attendant came over me, and she looked at my exhausted face, and she said something that instantly brought tears to my eyes:

"You really do not need to apologize like that. Children are children; tantrums and crying are perfectly normal. Most passengers understand. If anyone complains, just tell them to come to me, and I will go handle it. That is life. Every child does that; they have already done their best."

Even a foreign lady sitting diagonally behind me came over to comfort me as she disembarked, praising my child for being so well-behaved.

But only I knew how much my child had cried on the flight, and how guilty I felt.

Finally, we had arrived at the European airport, and my son inexplicably burst into tears for an hour.

My husband thought that he was not feeling well and we rushed to find a doctor, only to find out that my husband was just exhausted and he had fallen asleep in my arms while the two babies are crying.

The online atmosphere of child abuse is getting increasingly intense.

I can not help but think that if a passerby had filmed this scene, I might have been met with a barrage of criticism:

"If you can not raise your own biological child, do not even take them out,"

"Why are you not watching your child? They are so noisy!"

"Why did you not try to soothe your two biological kids?"

What the netizens would not be able to see is that, we had already given our everything and had given the kids all we got , and we had almost risking our lives to care for our child.

At that time, I was even so anxious that I thought I should just immigrate and charter a private jet, never taking my child on a commercial flight again.

Actually, my child is usually very well-behaved and obedient at home, but in the oppressive and unfamiliar environment of the air, they are just helpless toddlers, and it is perfectly normal for them to lose control of their emotions.

I am writing this experience not to seek sympathy, but simply to say that :

as parents, we never need to explain ourselves to strangers.

We are just trying our best to live our lives well, like everyone else striving to live.

A little more understanding and a little less criticism is enough.