'Some people can't control their own kids': Passenger gets blamed for annoying kids next to her while their actual parents sitting behind them do nothing

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Ben Weiss • Writer and Editor
Sep 16, 2024 2:00 PM EDT

Sitting next to a screaming child is the worst nightmare for most airplane passengers. Well, it's between that and a chatty adult who refuses to leave you alone over the course of a long flight.

Most parents try their best to relax their disruptive kids, but there is only so much they can do. In this scenario, however, we have a couple who refused to do anything at all. In fact, they sat behind their screaming children and made it seem like the passenger seated next to the little miscreants was the incompetent parent to blame. That passenger received dirty looks from other strangers throughout the entire plane ride. The worst part was that these weren't even young children on their first flights. They were nearing double digits and were certainly old enough to know better.

Keep scrolling below for the full story and for the best reactions from folks in the comments section. For more, check out this post about a gas station Karen's outburst.

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  • 01
    BOD
    via Alev Takil
  • 02
    Two parents intentionally sat behind their poorly behaved kids on the airplane while I was seated next to them.
    via h**uvaresearcher
  • 03
    Everyone assumed they were my kids and glared at me/made comments. I didn't know them nor do I have kids.
    via h**uvaresearcher
  • 04
    I had to take a flight home this weekend unexpectedly because my dad just suffered a stroke. I spent the entire weekend deep cleaning the house/meal prepping for my mom and then having quality time with my dad when they eventually discharged him.
    via h**uvaresearcher
  • 05
    By the time my flight back came around, I was emotionally and physically exhausted. I had managed an aisle seat on booking the ticket and assumed the two blocked out seats next to me would be a couple. Wrong.
    via h**uvaresearcher
  • 06
    They were two kids, later elementary aged, and their parents sat together in the seats behind them so they could sit together as a couple. These kids whined the entire flight and fought. They made crjokes and used electronics (iPad, phone, Nintendos) without headphones.
    via h**uvaresearcher
  • 07
    They fidgeted in their seats, wrestled each other, and were LOUD. It was also a late evening flight, so I was hoping to get a nap in or close my eyes before my fiancé picked me up for the drive
    via h**uvaresearcher
  • 08
    home. However, even with my noise cancelling headsets, I got no sleep due to them yelling or their arms/legs hitting me during their "wrestling." They were definitely old enough to know better. I
    via h**uvaresearcher
  • 09
    looked back at the parents once during the 2.5 hr flight and asked them if they could quiet down their kids please. They shot me a bad look, said "kids" half-seriously once, laughed, and went back to drinking.
    via h**uvaresearcher
  • 10
    The mildly infuriating part? Due to a few factors: our ages, my engagement ring was on, us all sitting were together in a row, and them having the same hair color/skin tone as mine, everyone near us assumed they were MY kids. Even the crew. I got so many bad looks and comments around
    via h**uvaresearcher
  • 11
    me for "how loud I was letting them be" and "some people can't control their own kids” but I don't even HAVE kids. Their parents were behind us drinking seltzer and I was getting flack for their poor parenting.
    via h**uvaresearcher
  • 12
    So on top of an emotionally charged weekend, I not only didn't get to rest and relax on my flight back, but also got flack for kids that aren't mine. I probably could have said more, but I was mentally exhausted and zoned out.
    via h**uvaresearcher
  • 13
    TL;DR Parents intentionally sat behind their poorly behaved kids on the airplane and I was seated next to the crotch gremlins.
    via h**uvaresearcher
  • 14
    Everyone assumed they were mine and added stress via glares/comments while I was dealing with my own stressors. I don't even have kids.
    via h**uvaresearcher
  • 15
    andicandi22.22 hr. ago I was going to say something similar. I'm a C petty with a voice that carries so I would have been loudly replying "OH SORRY, THESE AREN'T MY KIDS." Or "DON'T LOOK
    via h**uvaresearcher
  • 16
    AT ME, THEIR PARENTS ARE BEHIND US." Any time someone shot me a dirty look. that noise. I have zero tolerance for parents that won't parent.
    via h**uvaresearcher
  • 17
    Oldpuzzlehead 23 hr. ago Horrible. I've sat next to a mom and her kid so everyone looked at me like the dad who didn't do anything for their kid but for the parents to sit behind them and still do nothing is disgusting. Sorry about your dad, hope he is doing better.
    via h**uvaresearcher
  • 18
    Oivaresearcher OP. 23 hr. ago Thanks for the well wishes! He's doing a bit better.
    via h**uvaresearcher
  • 19
    And yeah, I was pretty mad. Had I been a bit more awake and not so exhausted from the deep cleaning and an emotional weekend, I would have put on my imaginary Karen wig
    via h**uvaresearcher
  • 20
    and insisted a parent sit with each kid. Or talked to a FA separately. It was just so uncomfortable.
    via h**uvaresearcher

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entitled parents kids flight parenting kids these days entitled reddit thread Reddit Parenting Fail entitled people
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