"Kid-free Zones" News Stories Invoke Debate

The spate of recent news headlines regarding children, including children in public places and problems in airplanes, among others, sparks heated conversations and responses among parents and non-parents alike.

Public Spaces

The July 13 Good Morning America broadcast segment "More public places are designating kid-free zones" made the most frequently watched hit list on abcnews.com as well as earned a top spot on YahooNews the following weekend because of its showcasing of the announcement that the Chicago suburb of Lake Forest, IL designated 25 percent of its beach as a kids-free zone. Beaches have historically been seen as family friendly areas, which makes this decision that much more conversation worthy. If beaches start, will restaurants, airlines, and shopping centers be far behind? The news coverage of problems with air travel and children is especially likely to invoke strong feelings on both sides of the issue.

Experts say children are seen and heard in places that seemed off-limits to children in past not because children have changed but because they are around a lot more. However, as Deb Geigis Berry, a Contributing Editor for Family Fun Magazine, said in the Good Morning America interview, parents' lifestyles are different than previous generations and they bring their children with them just about everywhere. Geigis Berry defended the practice of "kid-only or kid-free zones" as it sets an expectation for all patrons, and allows the children to have a better time when out in public.

Many merchants have realized that children are becoming consumers in their own right, or at least that providing kid-friendly amenities will encourage their parents' patronage. For example, IKEA has a children's room where parents can drop off their children to play while they shop. Other typical examples are crayons and paper place mats at restaurants and menus with kid-fare foods at restaurants. Outdoor public events like street fairs, art festivals, and music performances offer family-friendly opportunities at primarily adult-centric activities, and while children are generally welcome, parents need to be especially vigilant about watching children.

Air Travel

Even under the best of circumstances, flying with children is a challenging endeavor. Combined, the following three incidents are enough to make any parent reconsider flying with young children. But everyday hundreds, even thousands, of parents fly with their children with no incident and news stories like these are atypical and not the norm.

November 2006: Woman and her family removed from a Delta flight for nursing toddler.

A mother was escorted off of a flight after she refused to stop nursing her 22-month-old daughter soon after boarding the plane. Delta did its best PR spin that the flight attendant had been reprimanded and that its policy is to support nursing mothers. Regardless, the incident initiated rounds of "nurse-ins" where women congregate to publicly nurse their children.

June 2007: Woman and her son have trouble at TSA gate in sippy cup incident.

Despite the ban against liquids, outside of limited amounts of formula or breast milk, a woman tried to go through security at Washington D.C.'s Reagan National Airport with a sippy cup of water for her 19-month-old son. Accounts of what happened vary, but the TSA claims she dumped the water on the floor and was rude about the "stupid" policy restricting liquids.

July 2007: Woman and her son removed from plane for toddler's "bye-bye plane" talk.

A woman was escorted from a Continental Express flight in Houston because her 19-month-old son repeatedly said "bye-bye, plane" at the window. From the sounds of it, an overzealous flight attendant was having a bad day. Though details about the incident are limited, this bad day may end up costing the airline a lot of bad publicity and possibly a lawsuit.

While parents do have the responsibility to control their children's behavior, most passengers are aware that children cry, talk loudly, and make a bit of a fuss when they are anxious, happy, excited, or upset. Despite these incidents, most airline staff already go out of their way to be helpful to parents of young children. Even if the flight attendant is not constantly checking back with families, odds are great that he or she will offer extra pillows, a kids care package if available, or cups of water because he or she knows that a happy child - and parent - will make for a smoother flight for everyone.

A Happy Medium?

Few people are likely to declare themselves "anti-children," even if they do enjoy having a quiet restaurant without the accompanying sound of exuberant children at the next table. But if and when proprietors discourage children in their establishments, they run the risk of grossly offending a wide spectrum of individuals.

How parents respond to their children will greatly impact how others around them will react. Parents have the right to bring their children out with them but also the responsibility to manage their behavior and to take them out if they start misbehaving. Children can and will push boundaries, but they are less likely to misbehave or cause a scene if parents have talked about expectations before they arrive. Similarly, parents need to consider children's schedules (i.e. naptime is not an ideal time to attend a classical music concert at a park) and restrict their time out and about to when their children are likely to be able to behave. Bringing along snacks and entertainment is another important contributing element to content children.

Beyond all of the best intentions, kids will be kids, and the best parents are those who recognize there is both a right time and place to bring them. The beach is a perfect place for shrieks of joy and high energy running around, whether other cities follow the example of Lake Forest remains to be seen.

Sources:

Good Morning America

AP, Mom says she, toddler kicked off plane

AP, TSA denies seizure of sippy cup

Boston Globe, Nursing mother's protest grows

New York Times, At Center of a Clash, Rowdy Children in Coffee Shops