Child on airplane demands to use stranger's $1300 gaming device, his mother insists he play with it: 'The kid starts screaming and wakes up everyone'

Author image for JR Atkinson
JR Atkinson • Writer and Editor
Dec 2, 2025 10:00 AM EST

Just because they're your child doesn't mean they're entitled to everything. Some parents think their child can do no wrong, and in the end, that type of thinking actually does them a disservice. Children need to learn to respect other people's boundaries, even when it's inconvenient for them. If you just give in to a child's every single want and desire, they won't learn anything. They will grow up thinking the world revolves around them, and we certainly don't need any more of those types roaming the streets. But not every child will learn this from their parents. 

Some parents just don't have the backbone to discipline their children, and the rest of us have to suffer for it. That's what happened in this story, in the setting where you least want to deal with other people's kids: an airplane. Airplanes are already stressful. Everyone is crowded in and paid way too much to be there. Tensions are high, and it only takes one altercation to set everything ablaze. That's what happened in this story, when a mom refused to discipline her child. 

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  • A child smiles with toys on an airplane.
    via Unsplash+ (Getty Images)

    The image does not depict the actual subjects of the story. Subjects are models.

  • An adult man was eager to use his new gaming system, so he brought it out on a long flight from China. But when a little kid behind him wanted a turn with his device, he didn't want to risk the damage. But some of the other passengers couldn't quite handle that. Read on for the full story and see who was in the right. 

  • I refused to let a random child play with my toy.

    My gf and I flew to China to visit her relatives. Somewhere along the way, I stumbled upon a Lenovo Legion GO 2, a $1300+ handheld gaming device that plays PC games. Something that I have been waiting for to be readily available in the US. Apparently they halted production because the pre- order demand is too high. Of course I had to buy it on the spot.
    via u/R6MemoryLane
  • On our way back, I decided to take it out. It was a 14 hour flight, and I needed something to keep me occupied while my gf was watching FRIENDS on her iPad.
    via u/R6MemoryLane
  • As soon as the screen came on, this kid behind me climbs the back of my seat and starts bugging me if he could play. I laughed it off, politely said no and put my headphones on. 10 minutes later, the kid starts kicking the back of my seat, and so I turned around and asked his mom politely to calm him down.
    via u/R6MemoryLane
  • To my surprise, the mom tells me "why don't you just let him play it?". At this point I'm already pissed because I shouldn't have to explain myself, but I do explain anyways, politely. Told her how I just bought it, doesn't even have any games in it blah blah blah. In the middle of me explaining, the kid starts screaming and wakes up everyone. A flight attendant comes. Again I explain
    via u/R6MemoryLane
  • everything. Then my gf chimes in and explain to both of them in Mandarin. I decided to put the damn thing back in my backpack and call it a day. Then the kid on the back chucks a small cup of water and it gets this dude across the aisle wet. Dude stood up and gave the mom an earful. I was smiling until he turns to me and asked me why didn't I just let the damn kid play. I really had
    via u/R6MemoryLane
  • enough at this point. I try to sleep it off. The kid throws a tantrum for another 2 hours while kicking my seat and finally falls asleep. Surely I wasn't the a** in this situation....right?
    via u/R6MemoryLane
  • A young boy looks out an airplane window.
    via Hanson Lu

    The image does not depict the actual subjects of the story. Subjects are models.

  • Commenters had some choice words for this parent.

    Decent_Bed_ • 17h ago The mother is a piece of shit and her kid's going to be even worse. No of course you don't need to let some random snot nosed brat touch your very expensive device.
    via u/Decent_Bed_
  • ExaminationKlut... • 17h ago NTA. I hate when people raise their kids to be entitled and throw tantrums when they don't get their way. It was a thousand dollars game. What if he damaged it? They never think of that when demanding. You were not in the wrong. It's good you didn't give in.
    via u/ExaminationKluty326
  • M... 17h ago Edited 11h ago . . The guy got mad at YOU? Since when do people let random kids play on their game consoles?
    via u/MexicanA**Lord69
  • Useless890 · 17h ago Why don't you let him play with it? Gee, lady, it only cost $1300. Why don't you get him his own?
    via u/Useless890
  • phosphorescent... • 17h ago I woulda went off on her and told the kid to CAN IT! If your mother wanted you to have a game she should've accommodated you with one. YOUR A STRANGER TO ME AND I WANT TO PLAY WITH MY OWN TOY! I'm not obligated to cater to anyone else's kids. To the man at the back, don't tell me what to do with MY STUFF! Tf. Now we all can be uncomfortable.
    via u/phosphorescentEYES88
  • Material_Safety_... . 17h ago Not the assole. His parents are for not raising better kids. People these days just want to do what ever will shut kids up fastest and it's raising awful humans
    via u/Material_Safety_9661
  • GoblinGreenThumb • 17h ago . You failed to bring adequate entertainment for your kid and wanna blame me? Airline travel isnt new Get ur shit together
    via u/GoblinGreenThumb
  • Exciting_Sun3024 · 17h ago . NTA at all. They put you in a bad spot, and in a place where you had no where to go. I hate when parents teach and allow their children to act like that.
    via u/Exciting_Sun3024
  • gordonf23 17h ago . NTA. The fault lies with the mother for raising such a shitty child.
    via u/gordonf23
  • allen243 17h ago NTA. I lived in China for a while, those kids are referred to as "little emperors" and are allowed to get away with all kinds of things.
    via u/allen243
  • LifeNewbie-basi... . • 17h ago Yea that's a hard no for me. My kids always want what someone else has. It's very upsetting. I would never in my wildest dreams expect anyone to hand over THEIR things to my child. That's insanity. If my kids throw a fit I put a stop to it (I'm the
    via u/LifeNewbie-basically
  • mom that leaves the store when their kid starts yelling because we don't act like that) and in tbe few instances someone HAS gone to hand my kid their things, or tries to give them. permission to do something I put a stop to that too. If I say no it means no. They don't have to like it. They just have to listen. And you going against me is making. more problems.
    via u/LifeNewbie-basically
  • The entitlement I see with other parents today is just baffling. We just got my partner a handheld gaming device that's not even close to 1300 and I won't let our own kids touch it. Because it's not theirs. (Don't worry they have plenty of entertainment they do NOT need a handheld gaming device)
    via u/LifeNewbie-basically
  • WarNo9948 · 17h ago Nope. The mom is the ahole. And the kid is the ahole. And the guy that got wet that laid into you about it is also the ahole. You have an ahole, but you're NOT an a**hole.
    via u/WarNo9948
  • RaisedByBooksN... • 17h ago NTA. Kids aren't entitled to other people's things. That's a bad mom and everyone wanted you to take the slack for her being a crap parent.
    via u/RaisedByBooksNTV
  • Popular_Pair_6124 • 16h ago I would looked at the mum and said it's your job to provide entertainment for your child or do you not believe they deserve it and looked straight at the kid and said I'm sorry your mum doesn't love you enough to bring anything on the plane for you and then watch the chaos ensue
    via u/Popular_Pair_6124
  • _kawaiikorekween • 17h ago Nta u don't need a reason to not let another individual use ur things regardless of the situation
    via u/_kawaiikorekween
  • Fast Vehicle_1888 16h ago "Bitch, that's not my kid, not my problem. It's your kid, your problem, be a better parent."
    via u/Fast_Vehicle_1888

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childcare aita kids moms parenting dad cute kids reddit thread video games parent Reddit raising kids Parenting Fail parents children airplane entitled people Parenting FAILS
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