I waited, hoping he’d tire out or his parents would notice and handle it. But the kicks continued, more deliberate now. After about an hour, I couldn’t bear it anymore. I turned around with a polite yet firm smile and said, “Excuse me, would you mind asking your son to stop kicking my seat?”
The mother barely looked up from her phone, gave me a blank stare, and said, “He’s just a kid!” before going back to her phone. I tried to explain it was uncomfortable for me, but then the father, engrossed in a video, just shrugged and went back to his screen. The boy, sensing his parents’ indifference, kicked even harder, giggling all the while.
I bit my lip, trying to stay calm, but the kicks were getting on my nerves. So, I pressed the call button for the flight attendant. When she arrived, I explained the situation calmly. She approached the family and politely asked them to make their son stop kicking my seat as it was disturbing me.
The mother lazily nodded and the father grunted in acknowledgment. For a short while, the kicking stopped. But as soon as the attendant left, the boy resumed kicking, even more vigorously.
I stood up, turning fully around this time, and said louder, “Excuse me, could you please control your child?” The mother rolled her eyes, repeated “He’s just a kid!” more forcefully, and the father muttered something unhelpful. The boy just laughed and kicked harder.