Flying with my 5-year-old daughter, Ella, was usually manageable. She’d watch cartoons on her iPad, headphones on, while I enjoyed a moment of peace. But this flight turned chaotic when a mom across the aisle decided to make it her business.
Her son, around Ella’s age, kept eyeing the iPad and whining loudly. Finally, his mom, who I’ll call Entitled Mom (EM), tapped my shoulder. “We’re avoiding screen time for our son during this trip,” she said. “Could you please put the iPad away? It’s upsetting him.”
I was shocked. “I’m sorry, but Ella’s calm and enjoying her show. I’d rather not take it away from her.”
EM’s smile disappeared. “Wow, so you’d rather ruin our family trip than give your kid a break from screens?” she muttered loudly. “Some parents just can’t say no. No wonder kids are so spoiled.”
I ignored her, but things got worse. Her son threw a tantrum, and then EM “accidentally” knocked over Ella’s tray, sending the iPad crashing to the floor.
“Oops, so clumsy of me!” she said, smirking. Ella burst into tears, and I was furious. But with EM playing innocent, there wasn’t much I could do. I focused on calming Ella down, hoping karma would handle the rest.
And it did. Not long after, the flight took an unexpected turn.
