Entitled Mom Breaks My Daughter’s iPad on a Flight—And Regrets It Fast

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.”

I ignored her, but halfway through the flight, her son threw a bigger 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 boiling inside, but what could I do? EM acted like it was an accident, playing innocent the whole time.

I took a deep breath and decided to focus on calming Ella down. I figured karma would catch up with EM soon enough. And it did, sooner than I expected. Not long after the “accident,” her son suddenly started crying uncontrollably. EM tried to comfort him, but he was inconsolable. Amid his cries, he admitted he was sad because he felt bad about what happened to Ella’s iPad. Hearing her own son’s confession, EM’s face turned pale. It was clear she hadn’t expected her actions to impact her son in such a way. Feeling a mix of satisfaction and pity, I turned my attention back to Ella, trying to soothe her.

I was about to get up to retrieve a backup toy from the overhead bin when a flight attendant approached us. She had noticed the entire ordeal and kindly offered Ella a small stuffed airplane from the airline’s merchandise. Ella’s face lit up with a smile, and she hugged the toy tightly, her tears drying up. The flight attendant also mentioned quietly to me that she would be reporting the incident to her superiors, suggesting that EM might face some repercussions for her behavior.

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.

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Yes — the core facts check out. • **Amount & purpose:** Minnesota did pay roughly **\$430 000** in public money to the Washington-based law firm **K\&L Gates** to coach Gov. Tim Walz for a June 12, 2025 U.S. House Oversight Committee hearing on “sanctuary-city” policy. ([Star Tribune][1]) • **Timeframe & hourly rate:** Invoices the Star Tribune obtained cover work from **April 10 to June 12**; May charges alone came to about **\$232 000, averaging \$516 per hour**. ([Star Tribune][1]) • **Funding source:** The governor’s office tapped Minnesota’s **general fund** after getting approval from the Legislative Advisory Commission. ([Star Tribune][1]) • **Political reaction:** GOP legislators Jim Nash and Harry Niska called the spending excessive, while Walz’s staff blamed House Republicans for staging a “political stunt.” ([Star Tribune][1]) • **Comparable cases elsewhere:** Boston Mayor Michelle Wu (up to \$650 000), Denver Mayor Mike Johnston (≈ \$250 000) and others have used outside counsel for similar congressional-hearing prep. ([Star Tribune][1]) So the report that Gov. Walz’s office spent about \$430 000 of taxpayer money on outside lawyers to prepare for the sanctuary-city hearing—and the ensuing partisan flap—is accurate. [1]: https://www.startribune.com/walz-congressional-testimony-will-cost-minnesota-430k-in-legal-bills/601403334 “Walz’s congressional testimony will cost Minnesota $430K in legal bills”

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