Mother under fire after toddler repeatedly kicks passenger on board ‘worst flight’ ever
A mother has come under fire on social media after a video showing her reaction to her toddler’s “bratty” behaviour on a plane went viral.
The clip, which has racked up more than 3.8 million views on TikTok, was filmed by content creator Paul Lee during a Vietnam Airlines flight.
Captioned, ‘Worst flight of my life’, the footage shows a young girl wearing sneakers repeatedly kicking Mr Lee’s arm as he tries to sip his tea.
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By continuing you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy.To viewers’ astonishment, the child’s mother can be heard laughing while attempting to restrain her daughter.
“Yes, the mother was laughing at this!” Mr Lee clarified in the comments.
“But rather than let this ruin my whole flight and make a scene, I just waited it out. Fortunately, three minutes later it stopped and I enjoyed the rest of my flight,” he said.
“Some battles aren’t worth fighting. A little stoicism goes a long way.”
Many praised Mr Lee’s patience, with one follower saying, “You handled it well. But she should’ve turned the kids’ legs toward herself. It’s really rude to let your child kick someone else.”
The video has sparked a wave of criticism, with furious commenters blaming “gentle parenting” for the mid-flight misbehaviour.
“I hate annoying parents more than their bratty kids. Control your children, and YES I’m a parent. I would be mortified letting my son do this,” one user wrote.
“Hell no. I would’ve said something. That’s terrible parenting. No courtesy for anyone around her,” wrote another.
Some were blunt. “Letting your kids kick a stranger is NOT ACCEPTABLE!”
Another simply said, “Worst mother ever.”
Air travel etiquette has long been a source of tension, especially in cramped economy cabins. Etiquette expert Jo Hayes recently told The Nightly that situations like this often involve on-the-spot negotiation.
“This is one of those grey areas of life that you figure out/negotiate in the moment,” Ms Hayes said.
She said, as with all things in life, the “Golden Rule” applies — do unto others as you would have others do unto you.
“That means not hogging the armrest (but) being charitable and courteous and non-verbally agreeing to share,” she said.
