"An Entitled Mother Insists That I 'Share' My Nintendo Switch With Her Child On My Flight"

We all get it – moms always want what's best for their kids. But there has to be a line somewhere, especially if the kid wants something that’s not theirs. Like, this Nintendo that Redditor Artlanta brought on a Southwest airline flight.

“I was sitting in a window seat next to two lovely women, and directly horizontal from us was an empty seat, a mom, and her son,” the Redditor wrote in her post on the Entitled Parents subreddit. It was not long before that mother unbuckled while the plane was taking off and moved closer to the author.

“Sorrrry,” Atlanta wrote, “I just wanted to know if there was any way that my son could use that game for a little while.” Understandably, the author did not feel comfortable with sharing her Nintendo with the kid she didn’t know, and more so, she brought it for herself.

That’s when the real scene began and it was clear that the mother was just not taking ‘no’ for an answer.

Bored Panda reached out to Artlanta, the author of this story, who said that she has flown a lot in her life, but this was the first and only time she had actually encountered someone that acted like this. “I’m really thankful that the people around me agreed that this mother was stepping out of line. My situation would’ve been so different if the people around me wouldn’t have cared to speak up for me.”

Artlanta said that “so many people fly in one day… so many different kinds of people get on one plane. You never know who you’re going to end up sitting next to, it really is a gamble. I think my story is one of those horror stories.” She added that no one wants to have to encounter someone like this. “I think that’s why so many people were interested in my story, because arguing with a stranger on your flight is often the worst-case scenario for travelers like me.”

According to the author, the incident initially ended when one of the women in her row tried talking this entitled mother down with logic. “It’s no one’s responsibility to take care of YOUR children but YOU. At the end of the flight when the mother felt the need to make that snide comment, it actually made me laugh pretty hard to myself. I knew that mother felt defeated or she wouldn’t have said something so nasty before she walked away.”

The author also added that she didn’t have a problem with the “entitled” woman initially asking her if her son could borrow her Switch. “I understand that completely… but when I said no, that should’ve been the end of the conversation. Her child could’ve learned a lesson somewhere in that interaction, but instead, it became an uncomfortable moment in my flight that I’ll likely never forget,” she concluded.

Bored Panda also reached out to Lynn How, the experienced educator and author of “Positive Young Minds” who specializes in supporting parents, teachers, and children navigating through mental health issues and prevention, who shared her point of view of this whole situation.

“I’m really glad the woman stood her ground and did not share what was hers. Although in many instances, it is kind to share, there is a line that can be crossed,” How said.

“Even with my own children, I do not insist that they share items that are important to them or if I think their things would not be looked after. I would certainly not have the audacity to ask someone else on a flight to borrow something for my children because I had not managed to plan ahead and take my own,” How commented.

Most passengers on planes, if they were asked, would not choose a seat next to a family with babies or children. This doesn’t mean they hate kids, per se, but flying is already a daunting task, being cramped up in a claustrophobic place, already tired from the commute to the airport and security checks. A hyperactive kid next to them may take the last drop of the patience they have.

Some parents are aware of that fact and even purchase a round of drinks for neighboring passengers or pass out ear plugs to drown out any child-induced noisiness. Having said that, the best thing parents can do when on board with children is being prepared.

That includes removing the child’s shoes to prevent them from kicking fellow passengers, giving them toys and games to keep them busy, and handing out some snacks for ‘emergency purposes.’ Like throwing a tantrum for that overpriced chocolate bar a neighbor seat passenger is having.