She had already said “ouch” loudly several times when the child kicked and later admitted to having spoken to the father, who allegedly said “okay” but made no effort to stop his child.
Hundreds of people posted their comments in the comments section, with most suggesting one of three ways to stop the annoying behavior.
The most liked comment recommended involving the crew.
“Press the flight attendant button and tell them in your best adult words what you said here,” they wrote.
Many others echoed this idea, saying it was the most effective way to deal with the situation.
“Realistically, the only thing you can do is let the FA mediate,” one person wrote.
“This is totally unacceptable and you should notify the FA so they can educate the father on his parental responsibilities,” one person added, echoing the widely held opinion that the father is not a good father.
Others, however, advised talking to the father again.
One of them gave the woman exact instructions on what to say: “Excuse me, Dad. Your child is still kicking me. I’d rather not involve the flight crew, can you help me?”
The third tactic was to “directly tell the child to stop kicking your seat.”
Some responses were more creative and comedic, recommending that the traveler ask the people behind the father and child to kick their seats or tell the child that kicking the seat could cause the plane to stay on the ground.
Another said this approach has worked for him many times.
“Many times I’ve turned around and said directly to the kid, ‘Hey buddy, you’re kicking my seat and it hurts. Can you move your legs out of there? Thanks!’ It usually works fine,” they explained.
Several people suggested scaring the child into stopping.
“Yell directly at the child,” one person suggested.
“A stranger yelling directly at him will freak him out and stop him immediately,” one agreed, while a third suggested threatening to lock the child in the bathroom if he continues.