7 Strangers Just Showed The World Exactly What To Do When Another Mom's Kid Has A Public Meltdown

Jan 30, 2019 by apost team

If you’ve ever traveled with a toddler, then you likely already know that it’s a feat only for the brave and armored. Being trapped in a vehicle with a toddler on a road trip is bad enough, but flying long distance opens a whole new can of worms with no “pull over” escape hatch.

Beth Dunnington recently witnessed one young mother finding this lesson out the hard way, and it proved to be just too much for the young mom to handle alone. Thankfully, a group of strangers, including Dunnington, were there to save the day.

Beth Dunnington, an author and editor from Hawaii, was sitting in a boarding area awaiting a flight from Los Angeles to Portland. Dunnington noticed a clearly overwhelmed pregnant woman engaged in battle with a young toddler about 18-months-old. On Facebook, Dunnington describes the situation as a “total meltdown.” The toddler was running around the seats, screaming, kicking, and eventually laid across the floor refusing to board the airplane.

Meanwhile, the mom could do little with the rambunctious and disgruntled child given the mom’s pregnant condition. Dunnington witnessed the mom finally give up and sit down on the floor beside the screaming, crying, kicking child. She put her head in her hands and began to cry along with her child.

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That was the call for all hands on deck several women had been looking for to spring into action. Six or seven women, including Dunnington, who’d been witnessing the events made their way over and surrounded the young mom and her toddler. None of them knew any of the others; they all just felt moved to help.

As if on autopilot, the women knew just what needed to be done. As Dunnington sang a song to the child, another woman was pulling a toy from her bag. One of the other women was busy peeling an orange for the toddler while someone else collected the child’s drinking cup.

Yet, another woman was busy comforting the mom and offering her a bottle of water. Dunnington says the strangers didn’t even collaborate on what needed to be done. They just acted.

Instead of judgment about the mom’s character and parenting skills, this tribe of women rallied to offer support and empathy. They were able to calm both mom and child down, and the mom was ultimately able to get herself and her child on the flight. Once the women saw that the pair were safely on their way, they all returned to their seats without exchanging a single word.

This story really goes to show you that women, strangers at that, can do just about anything, perhaps even save the world, when they simple work as one to solve a problem. Dunnington says it’s a moment she shall never forget.

What an inspiring story, right? Have you witnessed or been a part of such incredible teamwork between strangers? Perhaps, you have your own nightmarish story of traveling with kids? We’d love to hear your stories, thoughts, and questions in the comment section.