I was flying with my 5-year-old, Ella, and she was happily watching something on her iPad with headphones on. Across the aisle was this boy about the same age, but he kept eyeing Ella’s screen. His whining got louder, and his mom, who I’ll call Entitled Mom (EM), finally tapped me on the shoulder. “We’re being responsible and not giving our son any screen time this trip. Can you put the iPad away? It’s upsetting him.”

I was stunned. “No, sorry. My daughter’s calm and enjoying her show.”

EM’s smile dropped fast. “Wow, so you’d rather ruin our family trip than take a break from your kid’s precious screen?” She muttered, just loud enough for everyone to hear, “Some parents can’t say no these days. It’s no wonder kids are spoiled.”

As we prepared to land, I noticed that EM was trying to engage with her son, perhaps realizing that her approach might need changing. Her son, still looking guilty but also relieved to have confessed, finally calmed down. When it was time to disembark, EM caught my eye and, to my surprise, mouthed a sheepish “Sorry.”

Although the trip had its turbulent moments, it ended on a slightly more hopeful note. As Ella and I walked off the plane, she squeezed her new toy and looked up at me. “Mom, can we fly again soon?” she asked with a hopeful twinkle in her eye. I smiled, knowing that despite the challenges, these moments of resilience and forgiveness made it all worthwhile.