Mum sparks debate after gifting chocolate to passengers on Auckland flight on behalf of her baby

Publish Date
Tuesday, 2 July 2019, 9:53AM

Every parent will know that taking a baby on a plane is always a battle.

But receiving, eye-rolls and dirty looks from passengers as you board with your little one can make it that much harder.

One brave mum who was flying to Auckland with her little one decided to try to manage expectations of fellow passengers by handing out gift bags with chocolate and an apologetic note written on the baby's behalf.

"Today I am going to Auckland with my parents. I'm a little nervous and scared because it's my first flight in my life, which means that I might cry or make too much noise," the note said.

"I will try to keep quiet, though I can't make any promises. Please excuse me. And my mum prepared a little gift bag for you! It has some chocolate and candy. Enjoy your trip. Thank you."

Taking to Twitter, one of the passengers shared a photo of the gift bag as he thought it was a "considerate and thoughtful" thing to do.

However, other Twitter users' opinions were divided.

While everyone agreed it was a thoughtful thing for the mum to do, many thought it's a shame the mum felt the need to apologise on her baby's behalf.

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"This is a beautiful gesture, but a parent shouldn't feel obliged to give presents to other passengers to pacify them, just because they are travelling with their young baby. Babies cry, we all know this," one Twitter user replied.

"Don't be the kind of traveller who thinks parents should apologise for babies being babies. Be the kind of traveller who saw me heading to the back of the plane and volunteered to take my baby for a cuddle and play so I could pee without balancing a baby on my knee," another person said.

"I so feel for the mother who, it would seem, was anxious about her baby being a baby on a flight," someone else replied.

What do you think?

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