The Joy of Parenting in the Friendly Skies

Oh no.

I groan inwardly as I slide into my seat on the crowded Southwest Airlines plane. The only remaining isle seat is not just at the very back of the plane. It’s also next to a woman sitting next to her preschool son.

Her loud preschool son.

This is going to be the longest hour-and-twenty-minutes of my life, I gloomily predict.

I am wrong.

As time literally flies by, I am first amazed, then awed, and finally deeply moved by the vibrant relationship I witness beside me.

After we land, I wrack my brain for a way to tell this young mother what an amazing job she’s doing. The best I can think of is, “You’re a great mom!” which I keep to myself because it seems so cheesy. Not until I’m in the shuttle, heading to my car, does it hit me. I wish I’d said,

“Ma’am, I know you don’t know me, but on behalf of your son’s future teachers, I want to say, ‘Thank You!’ for what an amazing mother you are to him. He is so blessed to have you as his mom!”

I’ve spent plenty of time in airports and plans, but never before have I had such an urge to compliment a parent. Most of the time, in fact, it’s just the opposite. I sympathize but am ultimately annoyed by all the whining, demanding, and yelling (…and their kids’ behavior is even worse!)

What impresses me so much about Patrick’s mom?

1. She listens to every word he says and reflects back his key concepts to demonstrate that she’s truly heard him.

Patrick:  “The red crabs, they hated me. But the blue crabs, they loved me!”

Mom:  “So red crabs don’t like you but blue ones do.”

Patrick:  “Yeah.”

2. She doesn’t answer his (hundreds of!) questions immediately; rather, she encourages him to spend time thinking for himself.

Mom:  “Patrick, you have to keep the tray table up. They just told us, and we have to follow the rule.”

Patrick:  “Why do we have to keep it up?”

Mom:  “That’s a great question. Why do you think we need to keep it up?”

3. She predicts a positive outcome.

Mom:  “I’m going to tell Daddy how cooperative and helpful you were on this flight.”

Patrick:  (As we land, to the woman in front of us) “My Mama is going to tell my Daddy how cooperative and helpful I was!”

 

I think what inspires me the most is how this mom demonstrates such respect for her little guy (who, I am informed – at full volume – is a “big boy” who will turn five in July!) And she so clearly enjoys him (evidenced by plenty of chuckles and outright laughter, in spite of her evident fatigue.)

One thing I’ve learned in more than eighteen years of parenting is that being able to enjoy my kids is one of the greatest, well, joys of parenting!

And if you happen to know Patrick’s mom – she was on the 5:50 PM Southwest flight from Las Vegas to San Jose on Wednesday, April 29 – please tell her that someone thinks Patrick is an amazing kid!

And he owes a lot of that to an awesome mom.