I was flying with my 5-year-old daughter, Ella, who was quietly watching her iPad with headphones on when the boy across the aisle kept glancing over and whining. His mother—let’s call her Entitled Mom (EM)—tapped my shoulder and asked if I could turn off the iPad because they had chosen not to allow their son screen time and it was upsetting him.
I politely declined, explaining that Ella was calm and content. EM’s friendly tone vanished, replaced by judgmental muttering about “spoiled kids” and “lazy parenting.” Things escalated when, during her son’s tantrum, EM “accidentally” knocked Ella’s tray, sending the iPad crashing to the floor. She smirked and muttered an insincere “oops” as Ella burst into tears. I was furious, but I stayed calm—because what happened next changed everything.