Is it wrong to force your 7yr old to get on an airplane? We are going to Florida, and he is absolutely refusing.
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You know your child better than anyone else. Is there a risk of your child having a full blown panic attack or causing such a scene that they will refuse to allow boarding or having to make an emergency landing? If these scenarios are a possibility then I wouldnāt even try.
Talk to the child, try to find the root of the problem. If you canāt fix the problem (with talking or medication), then you need to decide if you get someone to take care of the child while you go or do you not go.
I was on a plane when I was young that caught fire, you couldnāt get me back on a plane for a very long time. I do fly now, but not very well
Help a mama out and respond anonymously on our forum. Would it be wrong to force a 7 year old on a plane? - Mamas Uncut
Not sure if you believe in this kind of stuff but they could have a feeling
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Heās old enough to tell you why heās so scared. Donāt dismiss his feelings and force him to do that if he has legit reasons to be scared. Also maybe yāall could drive there? It takes more time but itās so much nicer to enjoy the scenery and plan for stuff to do
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I wouldnāt wanna be forced to do anything like that so no I wouldnāt force it
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I wud find out why hes scared if hes actually terrified might cause trauma if forced maybe drive or train?
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Try to reassure him and find out why he is afraid. At the end of the day, he is a child , you are the parent - you make the decisions. I certainly would not alter my plans
Note- I am an older parent and a little more old school
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Heās too young to decide. Make him go.
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You donāt āforceā anyone to do anything they donāt want to do.
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Why is he so afraid of planes? I mean even adults get freaked out by it so Iām not sure if I would make him. Can you drive there? Is there a family member he can stay with and just not go?
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Take him on a visit to the airport for a run thru if they allow it
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Try and contact the airport to organise some desensitisation, first start with visiting and watching, and if they engage a visit around the airport, a stationery plane ect before you go! Lots of praise and rewards and lots of distractions on the day! They may even let you board first or last to keep the waiting time short! Dont ever be shy to make life easier for your child! Good luck 
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Who cares? Force him on the plane because it isnāt his choice. 
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Umm YES you force the kid on the plane. A 7 year old has no valid reason to not get on the plane and he needs to suck it up and go with his family. I personally wonāt get on one again until the BS mask mandates are lifted so we drove over 20 hours to Florida this last time, but have flown there in the past. You donāt let a 7 year old make that kind of decision and dictate what will happen. They donāt get a choice. My son flew to Florida for the first time at 5 years old. Yes he was scared but he ended up liking it.
If he doesnāt feel comfortable then I wouldnāt force him. Hell Iām 31 and I refuse to go on planes. He may be a child but he is old enough to say yes or no
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Give him a Xanax lol Iām JUST KIDDING!!! Iād figure out why heās so scared but I wouldnāt force him but thatās me
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I would ABSOLUTELY make this a fun experience, explain to the airlines what is going on Iām assuming a first time flyer and ask the airlines if they can do the pilot wing program, he will get to meet the pilot go into the cockpit and then gets a pair of wings that is a pin. Super fun for them and will help with any of his anxieties. Start talking to him now and give him a Benadryl before you get to the airport. It will help his anxiety. I would definitely not alter my plans you are the parent this is going to be a BLAST .
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its one of those things here u say. i am the adult. u are the child. u aRe going to do what i say 
why some parents let there kids walk all over them is absolutely ridiculous 
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I mean if he has a fear. You wouldnt wamt to be forcrd to do what youāre scared ofā¦donāt do it to a 7yo.
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Whos the parent. You or him.
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Find out why he is scared. If its his first time he could just be nervous. But at the end of the day your the parent and heās the kids. Yes his feelings are absolutely important but also you have planned this and not everyone has the money or time to drive. Kids have say in choices to a certain point but not to decide hes not going on a family trip.
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I would try to nicely try to calm him down and talk him but by no means I would not cancel the plane they notice Little things in next time they will remember if they were scared they didnāt have to do it so they will not try to do it and get out of it
Leave him home with a relative until he grows up
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Ur the parent not him. If ur going on the plane then so is he he doesnāt have a choice
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I honestly donāt even know how the kids these days will get and keep a job when theyāre older.
Boss: Hey man I need you to fly to Chicago to close this deal
Grown kid: Nah man, my mom didnāt make me do anything I didnāt want to do and you canāt either.
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You arenāt parenting if you are even considering letting a 7 year old make the decisionā¦give me a break. 
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Youāre the parent heās a child so make him get on the plane itās that simple.
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Go on the train is more fun for him and more safety, specially if his scare to go on the plane, just take blankets and pillows, the Air condition is to cold,bring some food and snacks and some drinks
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Talk to his doctor about some options to calm his nerves, not necessarily meds, but even different strategies to tryš
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Thanks for all the feedback! This was my question.
He has a fear of the plane crashingā¦ we talked about it and watched YouTube videos on plane rides and heās feeling a litter safer about it.
I was just torn between not wanting to cause him any trauma, but also not completely dismissing a family vacation because of a fear that he could possibly get over.
Thanks again!
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I told my kids we were taking dad to the airport, checked through security and they didnāt clue in until buckling in their seats. Didnt give them time to panic or be scared (our son didnāt handle change in anyway (we were going to Disneyland and even the security asked if they knew where they were going cause they were so calm.).
Yes, itās wrong. Would you want someone to force you to do something?? Just because he is a kid doesnāt mean he shouldnāt be given the same respect. My son was terrified to fly. I promised him Iād never make him do it until he was ready - if ever. Talk about creating trust issues with your kid by forcing them. smh He finally just told me about 2 weeks ago that he was ready to try it. He is 11 now. It took him some years, but he got there.
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You have to overcome your fears. Make him get on the plane. He will thank you later.
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My 6 year old was watching plane crash videos on YouTube, any chance heās seen those and maybe thatās why heās scared? Iād talk and first find out why heās so afraid and you are the adults, so if you have plans of going somewhereā¦heās a child and has to do what you say.
TF, let him stay home with someone then. Cause If Iām traveling and my kid is pitching a fit, they stay home. Or they shut up and take their seat. Thereās really no choice here. Plane or no plane.
Has he ever been on a plane? Thereās a reason he doesnāt want to and heās probably scared. I would find out what heās scared about. I say this from experience the first time we took a plane my youngest son was eight at the time. He cried and screamed because he did not want to get on the plane. Come to find out his two older brothers had been telling him horror stories about planes just falling out of the air. We were able to reassure him that it would not just fall out of the air but he was still scared the entire flight. Once we landed in Florida he was perfectly fine and on the return flight he had no issues.
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Maybe take his tablet and some headphones and get him gum to chew to help the ear popping.reassure him that he will be ok and you will be there beside him the entire time
Chloroform will solve your issue. (Iām joking) But just reassure him its okay and obviously he has to go you got tickets and youre mom.
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Iād tell him fine he can stay with a sitter but we are going. Iām sure he will change his mind. Somethings will always be scary the first time but as his parents you make the decisions.
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Be sure itās settled before you get to the gate . If they are out of control they sometimes wonāt let you board .
My 15 year old said, āmake him get on the planeā. 
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My 8 yr old is the SAME way! Extremely cautious child, gets nervous on elevators, even. Heck, I was even nervous my first time flying as an adult in my 20ās. I would do whatever you can to alleviate his fear, itās great you showed him videos & talked to him about it. A childās fears should never be dismissed. Hopefully heāll see that itās not so bad & heāll be fine 
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Maybe a good idea to get noise canceling headphones and just let him keep entertained on his ipad. I also always bring new toys and surprise them with it on board. Hot wheels or action figures. Best of luck.
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My son has refused to fly as well. We went to florida last week, and I wanted to fly with everything inside of me. I am not a fan of the drive from Ohio to florida, but we did it. I would hate for someone to force me to do something Iām absolutely terrified of, and I was worried he would panic and we would have to do an emergency landing, or get kicked off the plane before it even took off lol.
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Give some benadryl and put his ass on the plane. U r in charge. Hes a child. Grow a pair already
My family has a Florida trip planned and my 6 year old son keeps telling me heās not going because heās not getting on a plane. Have no clue why because we have already flown there twice. Told him he really donāt have a choice. I might get judged for this but whatever Iām going to call his doctor see if thereās something I can give him to calm him down before we get on the plane. He tells me heās not dying on a plane and heās scared of heights now. Not sure if heās developing anxiety but I canāt say much because I donāt like flying either but I do it. I always have to take something to relax me before I fly too.
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I would explain to him how safe it actually is and then tell him, that he has 2 choices. Choice #1: conquer your fear and have a fabulous time with your family on vacation or Choice #2: give in to your fear and stay home, while the rest of you are going. He can stay home with a relative or friend of the family. If he sees that yiu all are going I bet he will choose #1.
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Has he been on a plane before? Is his refusal legitimate or just nerves? We planned a trip years ago. We started by taking my son to the airport. He got to watch planes take off. Then an employee told us they have a program for first time riders. He got to sit on the plane, eat a cookie on it , see where the bags go etc. At the end he got a badge. They tried to make it exciting for him. (Heās an adult still will never get on a plane. He says if God meant for people to fly He wouldāve have given us wings. ) You can see if your airport has a program like that. You may want to ask your Dr for some anxiety meds as last resort.
He has to know that you also canāt change your mind later on also. Tickets are done ahead of time! Would like to know if there is a certain reason why he is refusing!!
What are you going to do? Leave him at the gate and fly off without him??? LOL
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Like someone said in the previous comments- make it a positive fun experience to ease his nerves! This was my daughter last July! She got to sit in the cockpit while people were getting on the plane (on the way there and back), got a pin and they announced her overhead as their guest! It was super sweet and she was soo excited! Iām sure if you tell them his fears they can make something like this happen!
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Take him to the airport and let him watch the planes. I know ours has a viewing area where we can watch but not go thru tsa. Let him ask questions and maybe find a flight attendant coming off
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Screw itā¦ Leave him at lost&found at the airport
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Iād take him to see airports, airplanes, etc.
Are there any special needs or sensory issues?
Would you want to be forced?
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You can not let your kids do whatever they want and act however they want. Your son needs to know you are in charge and stop disrespecting you by refusing to do as you say. Parents are ridiculous now a days. Tell him to get on the plain or you will whoop his ass.
Does the 7 yr old usually wear the pants? Lmao
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bring a small carry on bag he can carry himself. put coloring book and crayons in it along with stickers and sticker book and an age appropriate small book with pictures in it. keep him occupied.
Listen to uour child. For whatever reason he doesnāt feel comfortableā¦my mom forced me n too this day I refuse to gt onto a plane. His feelings are valid. Dont leave him home either. Drive do much more quality time adventures to see n memories to be msde. Sounds like uour Good parents or uou wouldnāt be seeking opinions ā¦
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I get that children have feelings and they are valid but i also know we are talking about a 7 year oldā¦ think to when u were 7 and tell me what ur parents would have doneā¦ Parents are the one that teach our children. We keep them safe and make adult decisions for themā¦ When did we start to live in a world where a 7 year old runs the showā¦ fear is normal letting the child run from that fear instead of being the adult and coaching them through the process . Might just be me but my parents told me what i was and was not going to do and when it was set i knew i had to do whatever it wasā¦ thats how u parent u teach them to face their fears so they can get past them and not have to deal with the stuff in the future when ur not able to hold their handā¦ i say u tell the 7 yo this is what is going to happen so what can i do to help u through thisā¦ i mean giving kids this age the control to alter a family vacation seems crazy to meā¦
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āYouāre the parent make him goā are you guys kidding me ā¦ obviously heās scared and isnāt comfortable with getting on a plane ā¦.but letās dismiss his feelings right
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My Son who is 19 will not fly. My daughter & I had to go to Mexico without him 
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Well I think the better option would be to figure out why and then educate them to try and alleviate their fears.
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No, just make him fo it and face his fears
Hes 7 why does he have that option?
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How can your child refuse? You are the parent 
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I mean it may traumatize him slightly depending on why he is refusing to get on the plane. But what else would you do besides drive there?
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I think we need more info. Why is he refusing? And why is that even an option in his mind?
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Drive. My sister was forced to fly to Colorado for her step fatherās wedding. The plane crashed 8 miles from the airport. I never forgave any of them, and never will.
Yes it may not be Godley to not nut they killed my sister.
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What movie did he watch?
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I would show him that there is nothing to be afraid of. Show him videos of funny stewardesses
Yes you are the parent just help him with his fears
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Ummmā¦why is he ārefusingā? Is he afraid? There is something off
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Well donāt let your kid watch final destination and there wonāt be an issue
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I would first find out why he feels the way he does then go from there. For instance, if heās afraid the plane will crash then talk to him about the safety of planes, maybe find some videos geared towards kids about this. You can explain how planes are safer than cars and ask how many times did you get to where you were going safely with no fear. Make it an exciting thing, when I took my kids I talked about it for months leading up to it, pointing out every plane we saw saying pretty soon that will be us up there flying in the sky. Just some thoughts. I know sometimes driving is out of the question if itās far and you canāt take the extra time off work for the drive, but you also donāt want to discount his feelings and try to make him as comfortable as possible. Take fun activities and snacks, maybe even give him some Dramamine and he could sleep for the trip. Good luck!!
Nothing to discuss your going.
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Look into a sedative
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Stick your kid on the planeā¦
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Show him YouTube videos of kids on the planes and the cool views
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Lmao at this one. 7 year old running the show.
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Figure out why he is refusing first. Go from there.
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I think it would be wrong. If you Absolutely HAD to get on a plane, then I would find some way to make it excruciatingly PERFECT for him. As in, make a really good deal with him. He gets a HUGE bowl of ice cream for breakfast and soda to wash it down withā:hugs: That should work, and then itās a Win/Win , He will learn to not be afraid of getting on a plane for the next time too 
Good Luck Mama,listen to your Son!!
I planned a Disney cruise when my daughter was 7. She watched titanic with her dad and refused to get on a boat. We didnāt go.
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I mean youāre the parent so itās ultimately up to you.
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have u watched Final Destination? id go by car
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OhMyGodā:pray:I cannot believe some of you āmothersā I will pray for your Children before going to bed 
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Well your the parent. Idk In my house my 6 year old doesnt tell me no or refuse something. He is to young to make that decision
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I meanā¦ youāre going by plane, heās going on plane. Unless you plan on not bringing him along. Maybe do like a simulation? āPackā bags before you go. Have somebody play security. Wait and have some snacks in your living room like youāre waiting to board. Have him make his own ticket out of some paper and hand it to āthe ticket guyā have him sit in a computer chair, ābuckleā his seat belt. shake it and tilt it back to simulate turbulence. Then watch his favorite movie. Let him know what to expect. And if heās still having some anxiety about it, then talk to your pediatrician about potentially giving him Benadryl or something before he gets on the plane to help calm him down.
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I mean you could leave him at home if he doesnāt want to go. Weāve all watch home alone before we know how that works out.
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Call ahead and ask if you can speak to the captain about your situation and get him a tour of the cockpit. I promise you this is a completly normal request. The fear of flying can be extremely crippling.
In any other context I would say the children donāt have a choice of what family activities they get to exclude themselves from, but I have literally seen people have panic attacks, faint, vomit, etc. at the airport because of their phobia.
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Heās 7ā¦ I understand he can be nervous and by all means try to find a way to make it as comfortable and fun as possible but at the end of the day, your mom. He shouldnāt call the shots, heās going. End of story.
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Weāve al seen home alone? What could go wrong right heās seven. How about we stop letting our kids run us
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Be a parentā¦Iām sorry I donāt mean to sound mean but holy hell. Iām sure he is nervous but just talk to him. He doesnāt have a choice. 
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Hes too young to make that decidion. However, you can do a lot tp help him prepare for the flight. That should make all the difference
Good luck!!
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He doesnāt have a choice 
hes 7. If you say heās getting on a plane heās getting on a plane
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Depends why he doesnāt want to go on a plane. If heās scared, I would do all I could to make him comfortable. I wouldnāt wanna traumatize my kid by forcing him to do something that isnāt necessary.
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Give him Benadryl or see if doctor will give a dose of Ativan to calm before boarding
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Yeah your wrong and will probably traumatize him.
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As someone who was forced and dragged into the Farris wheel every year a a child, Iād scream, cry and beg my mom not to force me. Yet she always did. It was traumatizing for me, luckily she never forced me onto a plane but had she I can only imagine. I have a phobia of heights, flying, I always have. To force a child to do something that petrifies them is horrible. Completely traumatizing and unnecessarily.
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