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A passenger's decision to have their 10-year-old child sit alone on flights has sparked significant debate online. The parents claim this practice benefits their son's mental health, despite the controversy it has generated.
The parent explained, "I usually sit a few rows behind him and do keep an eye on him. Originally when we adopted him, he had massive stranger-danger due to abuse. We travel quite a bit and found that using the airplane controlled environment is an excellent way to teach him that most strangers aren’t out to get him and how to recognize social cues."
They added that the strategy has been effective over three years, transforming their son from being fearful and needing mild sedation on flights to feeling confident enough to engage with flight attendants and even requesting to sit alone in the middle seat.
