it’s not just parents either. some people are just like that when they travel.
Dude I flew out somewhere for a work training and it was 11x easier than my parents ever made it out to be. Just read the signs, follow the directions and get there about 1-2 hours before boarding. The biggest hassle was finding coffee in the Orlando airport (I ended up finding it tucked in the back corner of a bar)
The whole experience was more enjoyable than I ever remember flying being and it just comes down to going with the flow and being ready to roll with the punches