I Said No to Sitting Near a Child on the Plane and Faced Unexpected Humiliation

Traveling by plane isn’t always easy: cramped seats, crying babies, delays. Most people do their best to stay patient. But when the situation becomes overwhelming, especially on long-haul flights, even the calmest passengers can be pushed to their limits.

One of our readers shared an experience that left them feeling judged for simply trying to create a peaceful space — and questioning whether they did the right thing.

Here’s their story

I had just settled in for an international flight, hoping to rest after a long week. But about 30 minutes after takeoff, the child sitting behind me began to have what can only be described as a full-on meltdown. She screamed, cried, kicked — and repeatedly hit the back of my seat. At one point, she even knocked my headphones off with a swing of her fist.

I really tried to give her behavior the benefit of the doubt

It was intense, but I understood that this wasn’t typical misbehavior. I suspected she may have had special needs. I felt for both her and her parents, who were clearly struggling. I tried to stay calm, to be understanding. But after more than an hour of this, I was physically exhausted and emotionally drained.

It didn’t get better, so I did what I thought was best

I never raised my voice. The only thing I had said to the parents was a polite request to keep her hands out of the space between our seats. But eventually, I reached my limit and pressed the call button to ask if there was another seat I could move to.

I was shamed for choosing my comfort

The flight attendant was kind and professional. She quickly found an open middle seat about ten rows back. I thanked her and got up — and that’s when things got awkward. The parents gave me dirty looks. Nearby passengers started murmuring that I was being rude and “should’ve just dealt with it.” I hadn’t expected a round of applause, but I definitely didn’t expect to feel like the villain.

I thought I was doing the right thing but now, I don’t know

I didn’t blame the child. I didn’t think her parents were bad people. But I needed space. I’d reached my limit, and rather than lose my temper or cause a scene, I removed myself. Isn’t that the better choice? Still, the way people reacted made me question everything. Was I insensitive? Or was I just setting a boundary?

Here’s our advice

At the end of the day, it’s important to remember that setting boundaries doesn’t make someone a bad person — it simply means they’re taking care of themselves in a difficult situation. If you ever find yourself in a similar situation, here’s what you can keep in mind:

• It’s okay to be compassionate while still respecting personal boundaries.

• Asking for space in overwhelming situations is not selfish, but necessary for emotional and mental well-being.

• People may sometimes invalidate someone’s need to step away, but that doesn’t mean the choice is wrong.

• Everyone has different limits, and protecting one’s own peace is sometimes the kindest option for everyone involved.

We understand that travelling with kids can be tricky, but this isn’t an isolated incident. Here’s another story of a toddler who terrorized passengers on an 8-hour flight.