Nurse praised for how she handled someone’s unruly child on flight: ‘Absolutely in the right’

A nurse received widespread applause online after recounting her experience dealing with a disruptive child during a recent flight. Shayla Monnier and her husband, Andrew, were on a packed flight from Atlanta to Denver when the girl seated in front of them began blowing raspberries, spraying spit onto Shayla and her husband multiple times. Despite the parents' lack of intervention, the child continued the repugnant behavior.

Expressing her frustration on TikTok, Shayla questioned the prevalent trend of gentle parenting when faced with such behavior. The child, estimated to be between 3 to 5 years old, had been asleep between her parents for most of the flight but demonstrated defiance once awake. Efforts to halt the spitting proved futile as the girl persistently fought against her parents and directed her spitting towards Shayla and Andrew.

The situation escalated when Shayla's husband, reaching his limit, sternly called upon the parents to control their child. He also inquired why the girl was not wearing a mask despite both parents being masked. In response, the mother rebutted with a remark about understanding if they had children of their own, to which Shayla's husband proudly stated, "We have five children and six grandchildren, and I promise you not one of them would do something like that."

Fortunately, a flight attendant intervened upon hearing the commotion and insisted that the girl wear a mask. Subsequently, the child fell back asleep for the remainder of the flight. As a gesture of goodwill, the flight attendant rewarded Shayla, her husband, and the other passenger in their row with complimentary flight miles.

Shayla's TikTok account became inundated with supportive comments, with viewers hailing her response to the unruly young passenger. Many dismissed the notion of gentle parenting, emphasizing the importance of setting clear boundaries and offering structure to children. Consequently, Shayla and her husband received widespread praise for their handling of the situation, with online participants noting that they were unequivocally in the right.