When you're on a plane, there are definitely a few things you don't want to happen. You're in such an enclosed space, that any confrontation and arguments that may occur can be seriously awkward, so you'd do anything to avoid it. But sometimes, the issues come to you.
One passenger was left baffled when a child kept throwing things at them, especially when a couple of times the toys hit them. At first, they were keen to return the toy back to the child to be kind and help out - but after the fourth time, they'd had enough, and they "totally ignored the toy."
They explained that they'd paid more for a "more spacious" seat on the plane, and they explained there was a mother and her child, a boy, sat behind. "From the start of the flight her kid kept throwing his toy" - but it was going over their seat and landing in the space in front of them.
They wrote on Reddit: "The first two times, I picked it up and gave it back to the kid. The third time, I kindly asked the mother to stop her kid from throwing it over. It was a total nuisance, and he actually hit me on the head the second time.
"She rolled her eyes at me and told me that her kid was just acting like a kid. I told her that if he did it again then I wouldn't pick it up.
"Lo and behold, he threw it over a fourth time and this time I totally ignored the toy. I put on headphones and just pretended I didn't notice. The mum tried to get my attention, but I pretended to sleep. Within several minutes the kid started to wail and freak out."
The mum had to call a flight attendant to fetch the toy as the passenger in front had had enough, but "her kid did it again" and because the child had a meltdown whilst waiting, the mum put the toy away and gave her son an iPad.
But after the flight, the mum confronted the passenger, lecturing her and telling them that they're an a**hole.
They continued: "Anyways, after the fight, the mom started to lecture me in line, saying that I was an a**hole for making the flight so difficult for her and her kid.
"I told her that she's responsible for her kid, and that I wasn't a babysitter or a butler, and she was the rude one to expect me to keep picking up her kid's toy (plus, I actually went to sleep at one point, so I don't know what she expected).
"One of my friends has kids though, and she thought I was being unreasonable, so I'm not sure anymore. I can be honest and say that I don't have kids. I understand it's difficult traveling with them, but I've never experienced it myself, so I'm not sure if I was an a**hole."
In the comments, people assured them that they'd not done anything wrong, and that they were right to highlight they're not a babysitter or butler.
One wrote: "It's not your job to babysit other people's kids and their toys. I would've done the same exact thing. Besides that, you even asked her to make the kid stop, so I don't know what she wanted from you."
Someone replied: "Well considering she called a flight attendant over to get it the last time as well instead of getting the toy herself just shows what a self-entitled woman she is."
Another said: "I have young kids and I can say with 99% certainty that as soon as that kid threw a toy and saw someone give it back, it became a game to them. That kid was not going to stop until they got bored after a million throws or someone took the item away.
"And most parents will know the parenting technique implemented with kids who throw things for fun - don't pick it up! Sometimes they get upset about it, but they're just going to think it's a fine game if you keep participating. (If I were that parent, the first thing I'd have said after the kids chucked the toy would be 'you can't throw your toys on the plane. If you throw it again, I'm putting it away and you won't get it back until after we land'.
"And yes you might have to deal with some crying if they have to face the consequences but that's how it goes. They won't throw the toy next flight and they will take you seriously).
"You did exactly the right thing, original poster. Kids do get upset sometimes if they can't have their way. But parents should be used to dealing with that and comforting the kid without letting the behaviour continue.
"It's literally one of the more frequent things you have to do as a parent of young children. And it seems like she was able to distract/comfort the kid and he wasn't upset for too long."
What would you have done in this situation? Let us know in the comments.
