Traveling may be stressful, even if you’re going on a wonderful trip alone. So it’s obvious that traveling with little children may be stressful, especially if you feel criticized by other passengers.

As one mother stated in a Love What Matters post:

«People may be cruel and irritable, especially when dealing with young, exhausted children.»

This is extremely true in today’s fast-paced, impatient, and chaotic society, and so disappointing for those with children, especially those who have to or WANT to take their children on a flight.

Unfortunately, when parents board a commercial flight with young children, the majority of other passengers appear to avoid sitting close to them as if they had the plague. The one person who is «stuck» sitting next to them will treat them with reluctant civility (if not outright contempt) for the duration of the journey.

One mother was concerned that her seatmate, a tall, «macho-looking» male in his mid-20s, might have had the same response. However, the opposite was discovered to be true.

When a worried mother boarded Westjet Flight #1221 from Fort Lauderdale at 9:30 p.m. with her young son, her thoughts of annoyance were swiftly dispelled by the wonderful man’s calm and kind attitude toward a baby he didn’t even know.
This was this young boy’s second trip in his whole life, and because it was so late, his mother was concerned that he would be overtired and upset. Although my kid is normally well-behaved and peaceful, I was apprehensive and concerned about how his first departure and arrival flights would go for him, she says in an open letter on Facebook to this stranger.

She then thanks him for giving her kid gum and candies before departure; cleaning up his blanket every time he dropped it in his half-asleep state; allowing him to rest his tired legs in his lap; amusing him; and being a good example of how people SHOULD act toward children.

«We appreciate your making our travel experience one of compassion and understanding for others.» «That young child will grow into a man one day (hopefully like you), and he will benefit far more from your modest deeds than you think,» says An Anxious Mother.

Isn’t this the cutest story ever? Not only does it demonstrate that there are many good individuals out there, but it also demonstrates that you should never judge a book by its cover.

Watch the video below to witness another heartwarming tale about a kind stranger assisting a mother on a flight!