In Flight Diaper Changing Etiquetteby Michele Cheplic | More from this Blogger 18 Aug 2007 09:00 PM No mother takes pleasure from having to change a messy (not to mention smelly) diaper on board a crowded flight filled with strangers. But, believe me the alternative would be much more unpleasant. Imagine having to deal with a putrid smelling odor and the uncontrollable wails of a 10-month-old. Talk about flying the unfriendly skies. A travel forum I frequent recently took aim at parents who change their child's diapers on airplane seat cushions and tray tables. (By the way, who changes a child's diaper on a tray table? My 3-year-old's Cabbage Patch Preemie doll barely fits on tray table. Heck, the average tray table barely accommodates a drink and a large bag of pretzels. I can't imagine it could hold a full-sized flailing infant.) Some forum participants complained about being "grossed out" by parents changing their little ones diapers in such close proximity to them. Others were aghast that a parent could not simply wait until the flight landed to clean their child's bottom. Personally, I have never hesitated to my child's diaper on a plane. A couple of year's ago I changed my then 6-month-old daughter's diaper multiple times on our 10-hour flight from Chicago to Hawaii. I did so discreetly. We were seated in the window and aisle seat near the back of the plane. I placed her on her changing pad and also laid a disposable, plastic changing mat on the seat cushion to further protect the area. I can change a diaper quicker than a NASCAR pit crew can change a flat, so exposure was never a factor. What's more, I deposited the soiled diaper in a specially designed scented plastic bag and threw it away in the plane's lavatory. (Frankly, the scented bag smelled better than the lavatory.) And, no, I have never changed a baby's diaper in an airplane's lavatory. If you have ever spent any time in an airplane's lavatory you would know why. Airplane lavatories simply don't have a surface large enough to change a baby, and there is no way I would ever put my child (or suggest others put theirs) on the floor of an airplane or on a closed toilet seat. I have flown more than 40,000 miles with my child and I make no apologies for changing a single one of her diapers on an airplane seat. Granted, I'm not saying you should ignore the feelings of your fellow passengers. I simply maintain that a diaper change can be done so discreetly, without "grossing out" other seatmates. Where have you changed your child's diaper at 35,000 feet? What's your view regarding passengers who complain about parents changing diapers in the plane's cabin? Related Articles: Traveling With Children-Learn From My Mistakes Flying with Children: Layover or Not? Tips To Remember When Traveling With Children Even More Tips To Remember When You Travel With Kids More Tips To Remember When You Travel With Kids Traveling With Young Children: More Dos and Don'ts Traveling With Young Children: Dos and Don'ts Learn more about Michele Cheplic  Michele Cheplic was born and raised in Hilo, Hawaii, but now lives in Wisconsin. Michele graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison with a degree in Journalism. Relevanttravel tags User Comments No comments on this article yet. Be the first to comment! Community Tags diaper, diaper changing, kids and travel, Travel, traveling with kids Discuss this article
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