Woman REFUSES to share snack with toddler. AITA?
When this woman is conflicted, she asks the internet:
'AITA for refusing to share with a toddler?'
I (25F) had to travel to a city 6 hours away for college related work. The trip was pretty tight.
I had to leave on Thursday night by train and reached the city on Friday early morning, was engaged in work till the evening and then take a train to get back home on friday night itself.
When I got into the train at about 10 PM, I still hadn’t had dinner. I was exhausted. I happened to share my cabin in the train with a middle aged woman and her toddler.
There was around 30 mins left for the train to start so I went out of the train, quickly got some snacks and ice-cream and got back to the cabin. I decided to have the ice-cream first because I didn’t want it to melt.
The toddler saw it and starting asking for it. I just looked at the mom and she goes “give it to my son and buy yourself a new one”. I was taken aback because she wasn’t even requesting, she was demanding.
I was wayyy too exhausted to take any crap from anyone (old or young). I continued having the ice cream and told the woman “the shop is right there and they have all flavours”.
The toddler starts crying loudly and I plugged in headphones. The mom started yelling at me and said things like “you’re a brat, hes hungry”, “you’re heartless for doing this to a child”, “you’re trying to make me miss the train” and other things I couldn’t hear because I put the music in full volume.
I did not feel guilty about finishing the ice-cream in front of a crying toddler because I was really pissed at the moment. NGL, I felt bad for the kid sometime later and thought of offering him some chips but I didn’t want to engage in any form of conversation with the mom. The remainder of the journey was in utter silence.
I told my boyfriend about this after I came back home and he thinks it’s hilarious but my mom was not happy about this.
She was more shocked than angry because I have always been great with kids and she couldn’t believe that I would do that to a kid even if the mom was annoying. My mom guilt tripped me so much that my “hangry” state got the best of me. So the unbiased people of reddit, AITA?
Let's see what readers thought:
djer writes:
NTA. 'you're trying to make me miss the train' she said to you? after telling YOU to go to the same shop to get yourself a new ice cream? it's not your fault she didn't plan ahead.
caringb writes:
NTA, Agreed!! It wasn't about ice cream but a little girl once wanted my window seat in the bus. She wasn't politely asking but demanding it. She wants to sit there, NOW! Tbh I was about to get off the bus in 2 more stops so I would not have really minded giving it to her.
But her mom said No, when I told her it would be ok she thanked me but said that she still does not want her to get the seat before I get off because she needs to learn that not everything is hers to take. It was a little awkward sitting there the next 2 stops while the kid was crying but I totally get that , and I applaud to that Mom!!
AHS writes:
NTA, Agreed!! It wasn't about ice cream but a little girl once wanted my window seat in the bus. She wasn't politely asking but demanding it. She wants to sit there, NOW! Tbh I was about to get off the bus in 2 more stopps so I would not have really minded giving it to her.
But her mom said No, when I told her it would be ok she thanked me but said that she still does not want her to get the seat before I get off because she needs to learn that not everything is hers to take. It was a little awkward sitting there the next 2 stops while the kid was crying but I totally get that , and I applaud to that Mom!!
flundaa writes:
I decided to have the ice-cream first because I didn’t want it to melt. The toddler saw it and starting asking for it. I just looked at the mom and she goes “give it to my son and buy yourself a new one”.
'Sure Mom, have my germ filled ice cream. I'm a stranger and you don't know my medical history. I could have Covid, Monkeypox or a STD. I could have tampered with it. Do you really want your child to potentially get infected with something that you have no idea of?
And great teaching your son to take food from strangers- when he turns up missing because he was lured away, be sure to tell the police that you though that this was good parenting.'