A Happy Child Is Noisy, Restless, Cheerful And Rebellious

A happy child, who enjoys interacting and discovering the world, is noisy and rebellious. However, in recent times a movement has emerged that has caught our attention and that worries us: “child phobia” .

Some time ago there was an increase in the type of offer in certain hotels that offer “child free” accommodation. In other words, during our stay we didn’t find babies and other minors that bother us at night with their crying or mess up the pool with their games.

The same happens in some bars and restaurants. This is a different offer for all those who want to spend moments of peace away from the presence of children.

This type of movement is having great repercussions in the United States and the United Kingdom. So, this invites us to reflect on a complex issue.

Have we forgotten what childhood is? Do we have so little empathy that we are unable to connect with these wonderful, noisy, rebellious years that define childhood?

So, we invite you to reflect on this in our space.

When children annoy us in public spaces

We’ll start by explaining the case of Canadian singer Sarah Blackwood. She went through a situation that marked her and that she denounced with the expectation that, based on her history, society would reflect on something important.

She was supposed to take a plane trip with her 23-month-old son. She was 7 months pregnant and, although it wasn’t the first time she would make this trip between San Francisco, USA, and Vancouver, Canada, on that occasion, the story was different.

When the plane had not yet taken off, his son began to cry. Gradually, all the passengers began to look at her with discomfort. It didn’t take her long to hear phrases of disapproval saying “that she was a bad mother”. Who didn’t know how to take care of his child.

It wasn’t long before the stewardess came to talk to her, asking her to calm her son down because the passengers were complaining, and they might consider getting her off the plane with the child if she didn’t shut up.

The young mother was almost out of breath.

Her baby’s cry only lasted 10 minutes, because after that time he went back to sleep and didn’t wake up until landing.

Do people no longer know what a child is? Doesn’t anyone remember that babies cry, laugh, scream and speak loudly?

To think that a child who cries is the result of bad parenting

This is just a small example of what many parents suffer from day to day. Going to the supermarket, spending time at the mall, eating at a restaurant…. If a child screams, cries or draws attention from other people, it is because their parents are “doing something wrong”.

• It is an incorrect and stigmatized idea. Each child has their own personality and their way of interacting in their closest contexts. There are some who are more restless and others who are more relaxed, but this is not always the result of parenting.
• Babies cry, and crying is the essential language for asking for something, for communicating. It’s a natural thing that every mother understands.

We need to be more empathetic and respectful when, on a bus or plane, we see mothers and fathers trying to calm their babies while traveling.

“Childphobia” is causing many leisure spaces in the United States and the United Kingdom to start banning the entry of minors. However, by doing this they also prohibit parental entry. It’s something worth reflecting on.

It is clear, without a doubt, that in terms of tourism, each company can offer the service they want, and if a person wants to spend their holidays without seeing and hearing a child, we must respect their preference.

A happy child is a child who runs, who screams, who catches our attention

Children want to touch everything, experience, feel, laugh, learn…. So if we force them to be silent, not to cry, to speak softly and not to move from their chair, what we will actually have are frightened creatures that they won’t dare explore.

• The cries must be attended to, not censored. If a child wants to touch something, we will protect him from getting hurt, but it is necessary to encourage his behavior of exploration, curiosity, interaction with his environment.

• Childhood is noisy by nature. You don’t have to go to a nursery or a primary school at recess to remember what it’s like to be a child.
• They will have time to grow up and be quiet, to be quiet in the seats of an airplane without disturbing anyone.

In the meantime, let us respect their parents in their task of educating and be more empathetic with their children.