Having a peaceful flight is sometimes challenging when little kids are aboard the plane. Most people grin and bear it and hope the little one calms down and falls asleep, but there are times when you’re not so lucky and that baby on board is frustrated and inconsolable. On one particular flight, when a little girl was upset, a man was able to calm her with just one easy trick — no doubt the fellow passengers were forever grateful by the kind man’s attention to the matter.
Whether a kid is scared about flying or suffers from the pressure they experience when taking off, or just the prospect of having to stay seated for an extended period of time gets them antsy, flying and kids don’t always agree.
Wesley Thomas, his brother, sister-in-law, and niece were traveling on a flight to Florida when the little girl began to get fussy. The girl got a reaction from a nearby male passenger who turned around in his seat, with the family certain that the man would be upset by the fuss, but instead he offered a helping hand. They were so surprised by his reaction!
Instead of being frustrated, Wesley explained: “He turned to what we thought would be a scolding, but says, ‘Would she like to draw?’” The man then got a tablet from the overhead compartment and gave it to the girl. The man was so understanding because he could totally relate about the struggles of traveling with kids, explaining: “I have 4 daughters.”
When someone’s walked in those shoes, of course they get it!
Wesley took some photos of the man helping his niece settle down on the flight and later shared them on Twitter, where his tweet went viral. One of the man’s daughters even replied to Wesley’s tweet, sharing photos of her and her sisters with their dad, agreeing that their father is awesome.
Those who weighed in with comments were impressed by the man’s kindness, with one person writing: “I really just love to be around genuinely kind people and I really appreciate it when I see genuine kindness in older people. I admire the fact that ugliness in the world didn’t get to their hearts and it gives me hope.”
The man even responded to the photos Wesley shared, noting: You’ve humbled me by tweeting this… I was just sharing love as I was taught by my parents. Always remember, we can change the world one small act of kindness at a time. Bless your family!”
Another Twitter user noted: “What an amazing testament to how people in this country have hearts of gold that shine through just at the right times. We need to just actually see more of this right now in our country. Thank you for your inspiration and for being YOU! Lovely story!”
Another person shared their own personal experience with a fussy traveler and the kindness of strangers: “Flying back from China with my oldest daughter (15 months at the time), she started to SCREAM the second we boarded. I was lucky, this inexperienced dad had every mom, dad, grandma on that plane offering help, toys, cookies, a ped RN checking her temp. The kindness of strangers.”
