Our kids fly frequently and are old enough to be OK a few rows back on the plane on their own.
We're all comfortable with our travel strategy, but we've gotten negative feedback from others.
When we take trips as a family, my husband and I routinely sit in first class or premium economy while my kids sit in coach. This doesn't make me an irresponsible parent, and it isn't as terrible as it sounds.
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I've regularly flown in first class or premium class without my kids, and I don't think that's a terrible thing. Jill Robbins
My 13-year-old boys have been flying several times a year since they were little. We started our current system of grown-ups in the front and kids in the back when they were 11.
Even still, other passengers regularly ask my kids where their parents are on flights and give disapproving sniffs when my boys point toward the front of the airplane. They'll also tell my kids things like, "I can't believe your parents made you sit back here."
I've gotten side eyes and exaggerated looks for leaving my kids behind — but I don't regret my decision to fly premium without them.
We feel comfortable leaving our kids a few rows back, and they're fine with it, too
Sometimes my husband flies for free with my award programs and points. Jill Robbins
When I've posted online or talked with friends about our travel strategies, I've been smugly told by other parents they'd never leave their kid alone on a plane.
But my boys know the drill with flying and getting on the plane is almost as routine as hopping in our family car when it's time to go somewhere. They approach their airplane seat, tuck their backpacks under the chair in front of them, buckle up, and pop their AirPods in.
We've also got the safety in numbers thing going on since my kids travel as a twosome. I'm not sure if we'd approach travel planning the same way if we had one child.
And yes, if my kids were younger or anxious about traveling, I'd sit with them. But they're not.
We do what works for us and try not to be judgmental about situations that don't apply to us
My family enjoys going on vacation together — it doesn't matter where we sat on the plane. Jill Robbins
I also don't think leaving my kids a few rows back in the plane is much different from our day-to-day lives.
After all, with middle school and sports activities, the boys spend time away from me and in the company of others every day. Oftentimes they're much further away than a few rows back on the same airplane.
And if I'm also comfortable letting my child use the public restroom in an airport while I wait outside, they're probably old enough and mature enough to be OK if they don't sit next to me on a plane.
I get that not everyone sees it this way, and that's fine. At the end of the day, my kids are going on a family vacation where they get five to seven days of togetherness with their parents, who sit a few rows away from them on the plane that gets them there.
Plus, premium classes are wasted on my kids. They don't need extra legroom and can't enjoy the free alcohol, either.
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