Ah, January. The time of year when we all start looking wistfully at holiday sites and wondering where might be warm in April.
If your mind has turned to holidays too and you're thinking about travelling abroad with a baby this summer, I hope you're not put off by the thought of taking a baby on a flight.
More specifically, I hope you're not one of those parents who feels the need to hand out treats or 'sweeteners' to the other passengers to apologise for inconveniencing them with your baby's presence.
I was queuing to board a place recently when a mum cradling a tiny baby leaned in close to me and whispered 'Sorry, I promise he's as good as gold'.
When I realised she was apologising simply for bringing a baby on board the plane, I pointed out that the threesome trailing far behind me were my own darling offspring. 'And I can assure you they are far from good as gold,' I said.
It was a funny exchange but it made me feel sorry for that mum. Why, in this day and age, should any parent feel compelled to act apologetic about bringing a baby aboard a plane? She – and her baby boy who was indeed as good as gold – have as much right to be there as anyone else.
And had he not been good as gold but in fact screamed his way through the flight, he'd still have had every right to be there and not a single person would have had any grounds for complaint. Babies cry. It's what they do, and there's something very wrong with a world where we feel we have to contain that so as not to upset someone's moment in a cramped tin tube with an overpriced glass of wine and minuscule packet of peanuts.
I was debating this with colleagues today after someone shared yet another one of those stories on social media of a family handing out sweets and other treats to surrounding passengers after boarding a long-haul flight with their young baby.
Why should a parent feel they have to compensate other passengers for the presence of another human being? I've put up with plenty of inconsiderate behaviour from other airline passengers before now and not one of them has even handed me a goody bag or an apology note in a bid to inconvenience me less.
If you're dreaming of sunnier climes this summer, do me a favour and book the flight. And don't apologise for bringing your baby with you - good as gold or otherwise.
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