Footage of S’pore Girl Spoon-Feeding Boy Went Viral With Mixed Reactions

If you’ve boarded a Singapore Airlines (SIA) flight before, you’d be familiar with the expectation of receiving top-notch customer service, thanks to their well-trained flight attendants.

This exceptional service encompasses everything from warmly greeting passengers and addressing their needs throughout the flight to enhancing the overall travel experience by serving refreshments.

But wait, there’s more to it than that.

Apparently, the list of services SIA flight attendants offer includes spoon-feeding passengers. Just kidding.

Footage of S’pore Girl Spoon-Feeding Boy Went Viral With Mixed Reaction

Posted by Michael Rutherford on Instagram on 5 December 2023, a video showcasing an SIA flight attendant spoon-feeding a five-year-old boy has gone viral. 

The video has garnered over 15 million views on Instagram as of today (11 December 2023).

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Michael Rutherford (@michaelrutherfordonline)

In the video’s caption, Mr Rutherford said, “What would you do if you turned around and saw the flight attendant spoon-feeding your five-year-old son?”

He told Must Share News that he and his five-year-old son were passengers on an SIA flight from Los Angeles to Japan on 4 December 2023.

They were both flying in business class.

As recounted by Mr Rutherford, his son was engrossed in a movie, thoroughly enjoying the flight while he occupied the seat in front.

At one point during the journey, Mr Rutherford noticed an SIA flight attendant kneeling beside his son’s seat, wearing a glove and extending a spoon.

She gently scooped up some food from the tray in front of the child, feeding him while he remained fixated on a screen.

Moved by this heartwarming scene, Mr Rutherford decided to capture the precious moment on video.

But this compassionate flight attendant didn’t stop at just feeding Mr Rutherford’s son. She knelt down next to him and his friend, who sat beside him.

Throughout the interaction, she conversed with them, offered comforting gestures by holding their hands, and shared bites of food, displaying a remarkable level of kindness.

Mr Rutherford expressed his admiration, saying the flight attendant was the most caring cabin crew member he had ever encountered.

He added that she was exceptional and showed genuine concern for the children.

Mixed Reactions from Netizens

The video has triggered a debate on whether flight attendants should assist in feeding young passengers and whether such a task falls within their job description.

One comment on the post, which garnered thousands of likes, argued that the child was old enough to feed himself. 

This perspective aligns with studies, which show that by the age of 12 months, children should be able to feed themselves independently, even if it means just using their fingers. 

Given that the boy in the video is five years old, it’s reasonable to expect him to manage his own meals.

Moreover, there was discussion about whether it was appropriate for the flight attendant to feed the boy, considering they have many responsibilities during a flight. 

Some suggested that Mr Rutherford should have attended to his child’s needs himself, allowing the flight attendant to address her other tasks onboard.

Nonetheless, amidst these debates, one commenter commended the flight attendants for going the extra mile, describing them as “amazing” for their willingness to provide assistance despite their numerous duties.

However, when it comes to responsibilities, many Instagram users were keen to emphasise that flight attendants are not expected to act as babysitters.

Regarding the various comments, Mr Rutherford explained that the intent behind sharing the video was to spotlight the flight attendants’ incredible warmth, care, and exceptional service. 

He claimed that negative individuals attempted to tarnish a positive experience, suggesting that the flight attendant shouldn’t have done that, insinuating that he might be a neglectful parent or worse, implying that his son might be spoiled.

Nonetheless, the trip remained a joyful experience for the father and son duo, who relished exploring a new country. 

Mr Rutherford proudly described his five-year-old as “an exceptionally kind young boy” dispelling any notions of him being spoiled.

He also suggested that people might have rushed to judgment based solely on a brief video clip. 

He said that the flight lasted for 11 or 12 hours, while that video clip merely showed a snippet of 20 seconds, and that people won’t be able to accurately gauge their flight experience from such a brief snippet.