A Family With Three Kids On Vacation Tried To Throw Themselves A Pity Party, Got Roasted Instead

Some folks think that because they are going through hardship, they have the right, perhaps even the imperative, to make it everyone else’s problem, never mind that it’s their own fault anyway. Normally, the vast majority of us can just avoid these cases, but sometimes circumstances, for example, a flight, force us to be around them.

A family went viral online for all the wrong reasons recently, after a dad posted a rather self-righteous video, mocking other airline passengers for trying to relax while his three children (all under three) were causing a ruckus. Netizens banded together to call him out for thinking that having kids entitled him to some sort of special treatment.

Passenger parents and kids wearing headphones on an airplane to reduce noise during the flight.

Image credits: DC Studio/Freepik (not the actual photo)

But one dad thought it was smart to mock folks in headphones on a flight

Parent comforting toddler on airplane while another child plays on the floor, highlighting airplane parents kids noise challenges.

Image credits: dadlifeluke

Flight attendants inside an airplane cabin managing parents and kids while addressing noise during the flight.

Image credits: Pew Nguyen/Pexels (not the actual photo)

Airplane approaching at sunset with bright lights, illustrating the noise challenges for parents and kids during flights.

Image credits: William Lopez/Pexels (not the actual photo)

You can watch the full video here

@dadlifeluke It was at this point in the flight we started to question our life choices.. Travelling with 3 under 3: 10/10 for character building. Meanwhile row 18 is having the sleep of their LIFE. #dadlife#familytravels#adventurefamily#babytravel#3under3♬ original sound – dadlifeluke

Some folks are unable to see past their own problems

Image credits: Andrea Piacquadio/Pexels (not the actual photo)

The modern airplane cabin is a pressure cooker of human emotion. You are strapped into a metal tube hurtling through the sky at thirty thousand feet while inhaling recycled air and sitting inches away from a stranger. It is already a stressful environment. Now introduce the variable of small children. We all know flying with kids is a Herculean task that requires the patience of a saint and the logistical planning of a military operation. Most people are sympathetic to struggling parents. However that sympathy evaporates the moment the camera comes out. The aforementioned video perfectly encapsulates a growing phenomenon better known as parental entitlement.

This behavior stems from a psychological concept called egocentric bias. It is the tendency to rely too heavily on one’s own perspective when considering things. When you are in the trenches of parenting it feels like the most important thing in the world. Your stress is the only reality. You forget that the person in seat 14B has their own life and their own stressors. They might be flying to a funeral or recovering from a night shift. To the entitled parent their refusal to engage with the chaos feels like a personal insult. They view the headphones not as a tool for personal comfort but as a rejection of their children.

Social scientists also point to the shift in how we view parenting today. We have moved toward a child centered culture where the needs of the child often supersede the comfort of the community. In previous generations children were expected to adapt to the adult world. Today the adult world is often expected to bend for the child. When this expectation hits the reality of a commercial flight friction occurs. The passengers wearing sleep masks were adhering to the social contract of air travel. You buy a ticket. You sit in your seat. You try to survive the flight with minimal interaction. They were not being rude. They were just existing.

The vlogger’s reaction also highlights the toxic side of influencer culture. Everything is content. Even a stressful family moment is an opportunity for engagement. By framing the passengers as the villains he was trying to create a narrative where he is the heroic martyr. He wanted his followers to validate his struggle and condemn the selfish strangers who dared to sleep. But he miscalculated. He forgot that most people relate more to the exhausted traveler just trying to get some rest than to the parent demanding an audience for their struggle.

Self-righteousness isn’t generally an admirable trait

Image credits: Ketut Subiyanto/Pexels (not the actual photo)

There is a distinct difference between asking for help and demanding attention. If a parent asks a neighbor to help pick up a dropped toy most people will gladly assist. That is community. But silently judging strangers for shielding themselves from sensory overload is entitlement. Those noise canceling headphones are not an act of aggression. They are a coping mechanism. Just as the parent uses an iPad to distract their toddler the stranger uses Bose to distract themselves from the toddler. It is a fair trade.

The backlash to this video serves as a necessary course correction. It reminds us that having children is a choice that comes with immense challenges. One of those challenges is managing them in public spaces without expecting the public to co-parent with you. The village it takes to raise a child is a voluntary association. You cannot draft strangers into the village at thirty thousand feet just because you are overwhelmed.

So the next time you see a parent struggling on a plane offer a smile or a helping hand if you can. But if you see a passenger putting on an eye mask and tuning out the world do not judge them either. They are just trying to get to their destination with their sanity intact. And if you are the parent, maybe put the camera away. The internet does not need to see your neighbors sleeping. Focus on the toddler trying to eat the safety pamphlet instead.

Commenters didn’t hold back

Commenter Michelle Kisner responding to the suggestion that parents use headphones to block airplane noise from crying kids.

Comment about parents and kids on an airplane dealing with noise, questioning relaxation expectations during travel.

Comment from Klara expressing fear of being near a family with young kids on an international airplane, highlighting airplane parents kids noise.

Comment from a parent expressing frustration about taking kids on vacation and the challenges with airplane noise and travel.

Comment on social media saying the post about airplane parents and kids noise is not going as expected, with laughing emojis.

Social media comment expressing sympathy for people covering ears and eyes, related to airplane, parents, kids, and noise.

Comment by Pips expressing frustration about the assumption parents and kids cause airplane noise and others must tolerate it.

Comment on social media expressing frustration about airplane noise caused by kids and parents during travel.

Comment criticizing parents for expecting accommodations due to kids' noise on an airplane, expressing exhaustion with the situation.

Comment expressing opinion about two groups responsible, not blaming people at a spa retreat, with a skull emoji.

Comment about escaping noise from screaming kids, relating to airplane parents and kids noise frustration.

Comment about parents managing noise from kids on an airplane, highlighting challenges of traveling with young children.

Comment on social media by user abbielark about noisy situation, related to airplane parents kids noise topic.

Comment on social media post about airplane parents kids noise, expressing frustration humorously about flight noise escape attempts.

Comment saying three under three is lowkey irresponsible, highlighting airplane parents kids noise concerns about managing young children.

Comment from Kristin Finucane questioning if having kids is mandatory, reflecting on parents and kids airplane noise concerns.

Comment by user with pink hair expressing misery and spreading negativity, relating to airplane parents kids noise frustration.

Commenter andytheawesomeee sharing a humorous remark about noisy airplane parents and kids in an online discussion.

Comment from user TiffanyValentine with a humorous remark about preferring a noisy airplane with kids over a spa retreat.

Social media comment expressing frustration about airplane parents and kids noise during flights with a sad emoji.

Comment on social media about entitled parents, related to airplane parents kids noise frustration and reactions.

Parent dealing with airplane noise caused by kids, sitting with hand on face showing frustration during flight.

Comment on social media about airplane noise affecting parents and kids trying to stay calm during flights.

Comment by user starm990 discussing spa retreat versus parents ignoring mistakes, visible on a social media post with 44,874 likes about airplane parents kids noise.

Comment from user SPE expressing that airplane parents and kids are being kind and minding their own business despite noise.

User comment discussing parents and kids on an airplane trying to drown out noise politely in a social media reply.

Comment from user Tenebrae_Temporis about managing noise with airplane parents and kids during chaotic moments.

Comment by user HatPolice expressing concern about noisy kids on an airplane and the impact on innocent bystanders.

Comment from parent about challenges of flying with kids and managing airplane noise during travel.

Comment on social media by justmyopinion stating we all make life choices, highlighting airplane parents and kids noise issues.

Comment on social media discussing the importance of respecting privacy and not recording people without permission, related to airplane parents kids noise.

Comment about parents managing kids noise disruption while on an airplane shared by a user named KVS.

Comment on social media saying it’s not someone else’s job to raise your children, related to airplane parents and kids noise.

Comment from user Fanfan_angela explaining that airplane passengers, including parents and kids, try to ignore noise and commotion on planes.

User comment expressing frustration about airplane noise from kids, suggesting adult-only flights for parents seeking quiet travel.

Comment from user Vii expressing frustration about airplane noise from babies and kids disturbing nearby passengers.

Comment about parents and kids struggling with airplane noise, trying to block out the loud sounds during the flight.

Comment on social media with a profile picture of a horse, expressing frustration humorously with an emoji.

Comment from user banana_pie expressing gratitude humorously about birth control for the day, with 1350 likes.

User comment on app expressing why they never want children, relating to airplane parents kids noise frustrations.

Screenshot of a comment mocking the idea to wear headphones to block out airplane noise from parents' crying kids.

Comment discussing parents’ obsession with projecting relaxation while others mind their business, related to airplane parents kids noise.

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