A mother has defended herself after it was revealed that she flies first class with her husband while leaving the kids in coach.
Flying can be stressful at the best of times, and once you add kids to the mix it just really takes things up a level.
While most parents are completely devoted to their kids, it's okay to admit that once in a while you imagine taking a first-class flight without them.
Well, one couple does exactly that, all while leaving their children in coach so they can enjoy the perks of first class without them.
Writing for Insider, the mother, Jill Robbins, explained that her two 13-year-old boys have been seasoned flyers, accompanying their parents on multiple flights each year since they were young children.
The arrangement of sitting separately started when the boys turned 11.
Robbins revealed: "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.'"
Despite encountering raised eyebrows and judgmental glances, Robbins stands firm in her decision to fly premium without her kids. She claimed that both her children are comfortable with this arrangement, with the boys being well-versed in what she calls "the drill," which has become almost as routine as a family car ride.
Addressing concerns about safety, Robbins noted that her children at least travel together, and she conceded that their perspective might change if they were down to just one child.
She also mentioned that if her kids had anxiety about flying, they would explore alternative arrangements, but fortunately, that's not the case.
"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," Robbins said.
Robbins emphasized that the point of their travel experience is the family vacation itself, where they spend five to seven days together, despite sitting a few rows apart on the plane.
She added: "Plus, premium classes are wasted on my kids. They don't need extra legroom and can't enjoy the free alcohol, either."
She argued: "I 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."
It seems like the kids are safe and the parents get to enjoy the leisure of first class, so could this be a win-win situation?