I have eleven brothers and sisters, so my mother had to "rule the roost" with an "iron hand" and, boy, did she. The six most feared words in the English language she could utter if she couldn't handle a situation were "wait until your father comes home!" We didn't hear them often.

We were fairly well behaved, even when we went out, which was often. My parents were often complimented on their well-mannered children. However, there were times when we misbehaved and, brother, did we pay the price. Corporal punishment was alive and well in my house.

My parents also seemed to have eyes in the back of their head. We couldn't get away with anything. As we got older, we learned the tricks of the trade and passed them on to our children.

The use of corporal punishment should be brought back, both in the home and in school. There is nothing worse than ill-mannered and unruly children and I'm a firm believer that "children should be seen and not heard". One of my favorite quotes from my father was "I brought you into this world and I can sure as hell take you out of it."

Start training early, correct often and reward good behavior. Your children, more than likely, will grow up to be honorable and productive citizens. Either that, or use them as fish-bait.

i spank their ass/

Swatting is highly underrated in this modern age! My kids were well behaved in public - they learned early "the look" that said "any more of this and you will definately get punished." I was their mother first, and became their friend when they were teens and adults. I have also noticed that kids who are misbehaving in public are the ones whose parents are NOT in charge, and who say "okay?" when they give them an order in public - as in "Don't hit me, I don't like it, OKAY???" Of course the kid is going to say NO!

My children are quite clear as to who is in charge. They have never had any questions from the time they were first told NO! when they touched something they were supposed to leave alone. I definitely believe in a swat on the backside as an attention getter. I have raised two well rounded productive citizens (so far) and they know right from wrong. There are NO grey areas. I get flack from "touchy feely parents" for spanking my children...but it has worked quite well.

If you laugh when they do this and they see they get no big bad or any reaction to it other than laughter they may stop. Do not laugh meanly but chuckle and say do you know how silly that looks? If they are smart enough to have a tantrum to get what they want, then they are smart enough to realize that you are laughing not to be mean but to lighten the problem. They may react badly at fisrt but they will get it soon enough and it should difuse the issue and that is accomplished without yelling or hitting. Does anyone agree? My daughter is 24 and is not scared by this. To me even though we argue, she lives with me and her girlfriend lives here also but pays nil but it doesn't bother me. ?

I really look forward to your responses. Have a great day and PEACE

Temper tantrums are a symptom of poor parenting.  If you are too irresponsible to properly rear your children then you deserve children that throw temper tantrums.  I personally think those parents should be jailed.  Teach them from the git-go that tantrums will not be tollerated under any circumstances and you will never have a problem with them in public.  The key is be a parent, do it for them and do it for the rest of society.

Temper tantrums are a natural part of what a child tries out growing up. It's an attempt to control his or her environment. The 'terrible twos' are when this usually starts. If you as a parent EVER give in, the child learns that a tantrum is a good control technique to use, and I don't want you and your child on a plane with me. The discipline you use is less important than the bottom line - if your child gets a tantrum response from you that is anything other than a calm, assertive "NO," you're toast.

We're on our way out for a walk. My son wants a cookie. I say no. He drops to the floor and imitates a Tasmaniam devil at high volume. I walk out of the room and sit down to read a book. With no audience, he's toast, and the tantrum is over quickly. He creeps sheepishly into the room and asks if we're going for the walk. I tell him we might be able to do that if he can manage not to make ugly noises. He watches me read for a few minutes and the point is made. We go for a walk later and enjoy it. The parent who gives up a cookie for temporary peace is the one I don't want on the plane with me. While entertainment devices are fine to bring for your child on a flight, if you don't have the upper hand as a parent, nothing will work to stop a tantrum anywhere.

Well mannered children on a flight are a continuation of well mannered children before and after the flight. I agree with many of the above comments. My three year old is the 10th child I have helped rear. In our house my word is my promise. If I promise to do or give something, I faithfully follow through. If that is discipline, that is also a promise. If I say you will get something: good or bad, you will get it.

My three year old has been on 8 flights and looks forward to going to the airport. He knows we are going somewhere he likes. We enjoy the excitement of the adventure and the experiance of the flight. Sharing an IPod with preloaded children's apps and movies on a laptop or DVD player help, too. I have seen many parents share their electronics with their child. The in-flight catalogs and magazines are another good thing to share. You can look through the catalog at all the pictures and explain them. Carry on snacks help just like in church. Many times, the attendants give well behaved children extras. Kids remember this.

Between the 'look' that said 'I dare you' and the odd swat on the backside...end result...6 well behaved children who are now grown up civil people with families of their - and who also practice the 'look' and who tease me about it now and its 'effectiveness' on their behavior.

A well behaved child is a joy to behold and brings honor to their parents and family.

Shove a gag in the brat's mouth - and when the brat sees the gag the next time the brat will shut up immediately.

It is unfortunate the airlines apologized. I suggest the next time passengers, who are made to listen and watch undiscipline two years and older children, demand they receive an apology from the airline and an credit voucher. As for the parents of this child, how dare you feel the rest of the passengers need to listen to your child's tantrum, when you failed to teach it is not polite to distrub others. Well-behaved two years olds are a joy to be around. Raised mine, traveled with mine, and always received compliments. Thank goodness there are still parents, whose children understand the "LOOK" or a well placed slap on the bottom.

My children and grandchildren knew that the punishment fit the crime, if they were loud and pestering they were spoken to with their FULL NAME so they knew I was serious, then they were told to speak in a quiet voice so he/she did not disturb the others and would try to keep them distracted by books, small toys, etc.  If it happened again I gave them the look, If it continued without interruption they were removed to another area where they would not disturb anyone else and I would cover their mouth being sure they could breath and told to get it out of their system, then we would stay in this area until it was time to take off.  This gave them the chance to get the excitement out of their system and kept me from getting a migraine.  By the time the plane was ready to leave they had settled down enough that everyone could enjoy the flight and my child has not been brutalized and he has learned the lesson that if you are annoying everyone else you need to find an alone place until you can control your emotions.  This usually took only a minute or two, no time out, no spanking, no 'punishment' for normal behavior.  And the rest of the people are not annoyed either.  If this does not work I remove us from the plane and DRIVE to my destination. I took them on short trips say across the state for a day first, then overnight until they learned self control.  It worked for me.  And my children learned a lesson that lasted longer than a spanking.  My 'spankings' are the last resort not the first.

I am sorry Southwest apologized, what happens next time?? Does the child take over the plane and crash it?? Do you then apologize to the family for taking the plane to high?? Come on folks, Laughing at the child just teaches him to laugh at another child who is hurting. Spanking without letting them know what is wrong and not getting a chance to correct it is wrong.

My mother told me only one thing about raising my children into good people, that do not lie, cheat, steal, or bully, but do work for a living and love their family. 'If it is not acceptable at 16 stop it at 2, if you do not mind a teenager cursing at you, ignoring you, etc let them do it at 3'

Making an ass out of you on the plane is not acceptable, what happens when they are on the plane as a teenager?? Do they smack other passengers and you laugh or ignore them until they stop and then when security is called do you cry because they were mean to your poor innocent baby and blame everyone else for what happened??

Please for everyones sake, teach your child self control and respect for others, including you.

I get their attention and with a firm voice tell them "i am the father and you are the child and have to do what i tell you...do you understand? when you grow up you can be the father but now you are only the child!!!

Great job Southwest! Please continue to enforce this action. It is

uncomfortable enough traveling on an airplane. As an adult I can't

make loud nosies. People should learn to control there kids. If they can't

contol a small child. What are they going to do with this kid later? Be a parent

-not a friend.

My children were well behaved when they were little; however, once I was waiting for an airplane and 2 kids were being loud, screaming, throwing things. I just learned my daughter had cancer, I had a screaming headache and I was flying home in a rush. Finally, I couldn't stand it anymore. I told the little "dears" to stop throwing that toy and sit down and be quiet. They looked at me as if "who are you to tell me" and started to throw the toy again. I said in my stern, but not loud, voice: do not throw that again and sit down. I gave them my mean look and down they sat quiietly. 2 people smiled and said thank you. The parents said nothing. I just do not understand people who allow such unruly behavior in their children. A trip to the rest room and a good smackk on the behind will work wonders. It won't damage their little psyche, it will teach them that good behavior is a good thing and bad behavior means something they won't like.

Good manners have become extinct! Parents are so lame they NEVER discipline their children, and I find it appauling. The airline SHOULD have kicked them off and offered NO APPOLOGIES or compensation!!!!

We got the look in the early/mid 70's and THATS ALL it took....and a spanking if we didn't behave...I still feel there's NOTHING wrong with a spank on the butt...and before all you "abuse is never the answer" people come out the woodwork...nobody said "abuse"....hell back in the day we even got the paddle at school! That's what's wrong with parents today ....what the HECK happened from when we were young to now...all of a sudden you feel "sorry" for your kids and think "talking" does the trick...hardly! you must teach your children YOUNG and quit letting your children run YOUR lives!

It is sad that you have to be sexual assaulted by TSA workers. Some of them dont just pat you down. Some who appear to enjoy the same sex go a bit to far. To be search by someone like that is wrong. My peace of mind comes from known "what goes around-comes around". We as American use to have a back bone. Now, we give up our rights just to have comfort. Unfortunately, this is just the begin of what our Government is doing to us. Next, they will work on taking our religious beliefs.