What to Know
Flights of any length with small children can be stressful, so it make total sense that when Dancing With the Stars pro Witney Carson was tasked with keeping her toddler happy and entertained on a long haul flight she took with her family recently, she ran into a few challenges. That part’s not surprising, but the reaction she got from her fellow passengers for playing with her kid is, and now, the situation has ignited a huge debate.
Witney asked her followers for some input on the situation.
In since-expired posts she shared on her Instagram Stories earlier this week, Witney explained what happened on the 13-hour return flight from her family’s trip to Australia to visit her DWTS partner, Robert Irwin (which ultimately turned into a 30-hour travel day, after weather delays).
She and husband Carson McAllister had their kids, 5-year-old Leo and 2-year-old Jet, along for the trip, and while Witney tried to keep Jet entertained throughout the flight, in the end, other passengers made it clear that they didn’t think she was being quiet enough.
“Jet was playing and giggling with me and we were asked to be quiet because a man up in front said he was trying to rest,” Witney wrote in her post (via People). ““ totally get if there needs to be a certain time where we need to sleep, but it’s in the middle of the day. I’m a big advocate of, ‘Worry about things that are in your control and put some freaking ear [plugs] in.’ Am I being crazy?”
That wasn’t the only problem her family ran into on that flight.
On the flight that was also the family’s final leg home, Jet was overtired and crying, but Carson was finally able to get him to sleep by holding him as they walked up and down the aisle, and according to Witney’s posts, that wasn’t good enough for those passengers, either.
Apparently, a woman asked Carson to put a mask on Jet because he looked sick, but he wasn’t sick — his face was just red from crying.
“I’m not going to put a mask on my already screaming two year old after a 30 hour travel day when he’s not sick — get a grip!!!!” Witney wrote.
Witney seems to have sparked quite a debate.
@erikaalane This seems to have sparked a polarizing debate 🤷♀️ #dancingwiththestars #dwts #dwts34 ♬ original sound – Erika Lane
In the comments of a TikTok post that rehashed the situation, some people were quick to come to Witney’s defense, but others had a lot less sympathy for her.
“In my opinion the parents should figure it out and get their kid to behave,” one commenter wrote.
Others pointed out that someone choosing a childfree life does not mean that they’re entitled to a childfree world.
“Children deserve space in the world as well and they make noise,” another commenter wrote. “Noise cancelling headphones exist for a reason.”
