The Tantrum

Oh, wow, somehow a week has elapsed since our last post! I've been in New Orleans for work for the past few days. Worked really hard, but also managed to have a lot of fun too. But it is always nice to be home again.

I thought I'd post the story of Soren's plane tantrum on our way to Michigan. Ooooo-eeee, that one was a doozy. He's generally a pretty laid back and happy kid, but he's also a three year old and well, sometimes isn't fully able to get a full grip on his emotions. Which is exactly what happened on this flight.

When I looked online before we left, the plane didn't look totally full. So, I booked us in a window and an aisle seat in hopes that the seat between us would stay empty. So, we got on board and I sat on the aisle and Soren sat by the window. He was looking around at all the airport happenings. Keep in mind too that I'd had to wake him up really early for the 7 a.m. flight, and we hadn't yet eaten breakfast. I brought it with us expecting to eat it on the long flight. Tired + hungry = not a good combination.

All was well and good until this college student got on and said that he was in the middle seat. I offered to switch so that he could have the window instead, thinking that it would be better for us to have the aisle so that we could get up and down during the flight. He happily accepted and I moved Soren to the middle. Soren was furious. He wanted that window seat! So he proceeded to shout ("I WANT TO SEE! I WANT TO SIT BY THE WINDOW") and squirm and cry. Totaly causing a scene. Oy.

I tried to hard to calm him down. Rationalizing with him about how we could walk around. The poor college kid kept saying "Really, he can have the window seat!" And things pretty much spiraled louder and louder.

Thinking that I could distract Soren with some food, I pulled out some yogurt. He insisted not only on feeding himself but also holding the full yogurt container and reached over to grab the yogurt-laden spoon in my hand. Oh great, I was so ready to not only have the screaming child, but also to let loose a spoonful of yogurt flinging across the plane. When I wouldn't give him the yogurt he yelled and cried louder.

Passengers were still boarding at this point, all walking by us with that "am I really stuck in here for the next few hours with that kid?" look. And Soren just wouldn't be consoled.

I tried ignorning him for awhile. But he wasn't quieting down. And there really is only so long you can let your kid carry on inside a crowded airplane. So, as a last resort, I unbuckled his seat belt pulled him over my knee and swatted him twice on the behind.

I was probably as shocked as he was. We're not spankers. Just hasn't ever seemed like our type of discipline. But nothing else was working. So I gave it a try. And you know what? It totally worked. He stopped carrying on immediately and just sat sniffling in his seat.

Still not sure what I think of that spank. Looking back I see that I could have taken him just outside the plane door to let him shout outside. But I didn't see that option then. I don't like giving the message that it is ok to hit people, ever. So I'm not too happy about that. But I have to say the effectiveness was pretty impressive. And it was probably so effective because we don't normally do it.

There is a funny ending to the story. Once he calmed down he turned back into the sweet boy we all know and love. And he ended up really having fun with the guy sitting next to him. They talked about all sorts of different things. But here's the best conversation. Keep in mind that this was a few hours after the tantrum...

They were looking out the window and saw another plane going by.
College guy: Hey, check out that plane over there. Where do you think it is going?
Soren: Hm, maybe it is going to San Diego.
College guy: San Diego, that would be cool. I like San Diego.
Soren: We go to San Diego too. Do you want to go with us?
College guy: Yeah, sure. That would be fun.
Soren: But when we go to San Diego I get that seat!