Flying with a five-year-old is so difficult, but that day, things were going surprisingly well. My daughter, Ella, was happily watching a show on her iPad, headphones snug over her little ears, completely perfect.
Across the aisle, another boy around her age wasn’t as content. His eyes kept rushing toward Ella’s screen, his fidgeting growing more restless.
“Mom, I want to watch too!”
Entitled Mom (EM) sighed significantly before tapping me on the shoulder.
“We’re being responsible and not giving our son any screen time this trip,” she said.
“Could you put the iPad away? It’s upsetting him.”
I blinked: “No, sorry. My daughter’s calm and enjoying her show.”
EM’s smile disappeared instantly.
“Wow,” she huffed, shaking her head.
“So you’d rather ruin our family trip than take a break from your kid’s precious screen?” Then, just loud enough for those around us to hear, she muttered,
“Some parents can’t say no these days. No wonder kids are so spoiled.”
I bit my tongue and turned away, refusing to talk with her. Ella was peaceful, and I wasn’t about to disrupt her over someone else’s parenting choices.
But EM wasn’t done.
The “Accident” That Wasn’t
EM struggled to calm him, but instead of redirecting his frustration, she decided to solve the situation in the worst way possible.
She reached over and “accidentally” knocked over Ella’s tray.
The iPad tumbled to the floor with a sickening thud.
“Oops! So clumsy of me!” EM gasped.
I wanted to scream, to demand she take responsibility, but she had already change mode, playing it off as an unfortunate incident.
I told myself that karma had a way of working things out.
I didn’t expect it to happen so soon.
Karma Arrives—And It Hits Hard
Not long after the “acci:dent,” EM’s son started crying even louder. But this time, it wasn’t because of the iPad.
“Mommy, I feel bad! I feel bad about the iPad!”
EM’s face drained of color. She hadn’t just upset my daughter—she had unintentionally taught her own son a hard lesson in guilt.
I didn’t say anything. There was nothing left to say. Instead, I focused on Ella.
A Small Act of Kindness
As I reached for the overhead bin to grab a backup toy, a flight attendant appeared beside me.
“I saw what happened,” she said softly. “That was completely unacceptable.”
She handed Ella a small stuffed airplane from the airline’s merchandise with a warm smile. She hugged the toy close, her tears finally drying.
“Thank you,” I whispered.
The flight attendant nodded. “I’ll also be reporting the inc:ident to my superiors. She might be facing some consequences.”
A Surprising Apology
When we prepared to land, I noticed EM shifting uncomfortably in her seat.
When we finally dismounted, she caught my eye. And to my utter surprise, she said, “Sorry.”
I didn’t respond. I just gave her a small nod and turned my attention back to Ella, who was happily squeezing her new stuffed airplane.
“Mom, can we fly again soon?” she asked.
I smiled, squeezing her hand.
“Of course, sweetheart.”
