In two weeks, my husband, our three boys and I are jumping on a plane and going as far East as you can go in this great country: Newfoundland. After that, it’s Ontario to visit my family for a week before returning home. All told, we’ll board and deplane four flights.

Parents often ask me if I’ve flown with Indy yet. I have, and so has Jesse. Flying with a baby really isn’t a big deal. But when moms and dads ask that question, they do so with serious faces and wide eyes.

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Why? Because there is a level of stress involved when travelling with kids and baby. But, I promise you, it’s not checking the carseat or gate-checking the stroller that’s difficult. It’s not trying to feed them or worrying about their ears popping that stresses out parents the most. It’s worrying about the reactions and comfort of our fellow passengers, and whether we’re going to get that rare but huffy seat mate who thinks he or she is entitled to a child-free existence.

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When I see a family board a plane, I usually smile. Reminds me of family vacations as a kid. Plus, seeing family togetherness makes my heart warm.

Lots of people, I’m sure, will react that way to our crew. But some people won’t be happy to see parents with three kids on their flight. Especially since we’ll have a 10-month-old baby with us.

Lately, it seems, we’re having all kinds of conversations about where children should and shouldn’t be. And sure, there are a few places where it is inappropriate to bring your kids and babies. An airplane, though, is definitely not one of them.

It’s such a cliché to whine about crying babies on airplanes that people forget that air travel is truly no more refined than public transit.

Perhaps, at one time, the airplane was the height of comfort and sophistication. It is no longer. Airplanes are more cramped than your city bus and comically uncomfortable. As we’ve recently learned, buying a seat doesn’t even guarantee you one, and most airlines reserve the right to bump you from your flight.

If you think that while you sit there, shoulder to shoulder with your fellow passenger, munching on a tiny packet of pretzels and waiting for the flight attendant to fill your cup from the communal water bottle, that you are entitled to some blissful, child-free space, you’re delusional.

Though quiet and calm flights would be enjoyed by all (most especially the parents, trust me), you are not entitled, nor should you reasonably expect, to have a crying-baby-free flight. That is why headphones cost literally $2 and are available for purchase on-board.

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Recently, a few airlines have adopted kid-free “quiet zones.” India’s IndiGo, for example, has a few premium rows where kids under 12 aren’t allowed. According to the airline, the section is for “business travellers who prefer to use the quiet time to do their work.” Air Asia, Malaysia Airlines and Scoot Airlines from Singapore also offer something similar.

OK, sure. But you’ll still hear a crying baby if it’s two rows over, and, it’s 2017 — earbuds have been a thing for decades.

The first time I flew with five-month-old Indy, WestJet upgraded me to the Plus section simply because I had such a young babe. I got the feeling my seat mate wasn’t all that thrilled. I could not have cared less. Dude, you paid $100 bucks extra for unlimited booze and a slightly more edible meal. There isn’t even a curtain that separates you from coach. PLUS, my baby is really cute. Sitting next to him is a privilege.

It’s been reported that at one time Richard Branson tried to create an entirely separate cabin for kids.

Yeah, kids are annoying sometimes. Their impulse control isn’t great and they don’t have the same stare-straight-ahead/don’t-talk-to-anyone “etiquette” that we older folks do (damn their childlike joie-de-vivre!).

But you know who else is annoying? Loud cellphone talkers. People who fall asleep and hang over your armrest. Passengers who don’t close their mouths while they’re chewing. People who recline their seat as far back as they can. Drunk passengers. And the worst of the worst: Aisle-seaters who sit down and promptly put on the sleep mask and earphones for eight hours, paying no mind to their two seat mates who might want to escape, making you awkwardly tap them on the shoulder and shake them awake if you want to use the washroom.

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Hey Richard Branson, can I get a separate cabin that’s a–hole-free?

At the end of the day, if an airline wants kid-free zones, and they think suckers will pay hundreds of extra dollars for them instead of simply buying a pair of good noise-cancelling headphones, then that’s their prerogative.

As the airline industry gets more and more creative, it’s only a matter of time before something like this comes to North America.

But if you’re one of those people who uses the “Well, it was your choice to have kids! Control them!” argument, then I sure wish you had a time machine to see what you were like when you were a kid, or what your now-grown kids were like as young ones.

The vast majority of children are reasonably behaved. Most of the rest will respond to a polite request to stop kicking your chair. Has a kid ever really ruined your flight? Like, really ruined it?

You never know what a parent is going through, or what a kid is going through, for that matter. You might not understand a child’s behaviour. That child might have a legitimate behavioural disorder, for all you know. Their parents love and care for them full-time; you can put up with it for a few hours.

The next time you’re annoyed by a family or a baby on a flight, try having some grace and taking a deep breath. Smile at the family and try not to make them feel worse than they already do. And, hey, maybe try asking the parent if they could use a hand. I guarantee you it will make a much more pleasant flight for all.