Mother refuses to be pressured into taking away her toddler’s iPad on flight

‘What a ridiculous request and an insane parenting decision,’ Reddit user says

Woman refuses to be pressured on flight to take away daughter’s iPad (Getty Images/Westend61)

One mother went viral after she refused to take away her daughter’s iPad during a flight, despite another parent’s attempts to convince her that she should take the device away.

In a recent Reddit post shared to the popular “Am I The A**hole?” subreddit, the woman explained that she was traveling with her three-year-old daughter, while another family sat near them on the flight with a child that looked to be the same age.

“The little boy noticed my daughter’s iPad and was trying to get at it and started crying when the mom told him no. My daughter and I both put on headphones and were just blocking it out,” she wrote.

However, the boy’s mother informed her that she was not allowing her son to use his iPad on vacation, before asking if her daughter could put hers away. The Reddit user simply responded: “Sorry but no.”

“The kid cried most of the flight which was about two hours. The parents kept shooting me dirty looks which I just ignored,” the Reddit post concluded, before she asked commenters their thoughts about her decision.

In the comments, many people defended the mother’s decision to not take away her daughter’s iPad, explaining how others should not be responsible for what a parent chooses to do with their child.

AITA for not taking my daughter’s iPad from her?
byu/Independent_Dream111 inAmItheAsshole

“If they don’t want their kid to use a tablet on their vacation, they need to be prepared for meltdowns like this while he develops the ability to understand that other people will have different rules and experiences than he will,” one comment began. “I feel for them, I know how hard it is to travel with a cranky toddler, but that’s simply not a reasonable request to make of a stranger.”

Another commenter suggested that using public transportation should be the one time parents resort to giving their child a screen – for the purpose of not disturbing those around them.

“The only time I don’t hate seeing a child wearing headphones and staring at a glowing rectangle is on an airplane. You were prepared, you had a quiet, happy child who didn’t disturb the other passengers. You did everything right,” the comment read.

“If the other child was unhappy, it was caused by their parent(s), who failed to prepare. I know it seems crazy, but there was a time before the age of the digital babysitter when parents handed their children a new coloring book and crayons and expected them to stay quietly in their seats with the belt fastened and leave everyone alone. You did a good job. Don’t second guess your choice. Their failures are not your responsibility.”

“What a ridiculous request and an insane parenting decision,” a third commenter agreed. “Nearly every plan I’m on someone is looking at a device, be it a phone, iPad, or seat screen. Did the mom expect everyone in the kid’s eye line to put up their devices? I’m 33 and I don’t give myself the expectation of being on a plane without distraction, why on earth would I give that expectation to a small child?”