'Patient And Kind' Professor Holds Single Mom's Toddler During Class

College classes can be difficult enough to juggle without kids at home. Imagine having to bring your toddler to class with you because you had no other options?

Amanda Osbon is a student at DeVry University in Nashville, Tennessee. When she couldn’t find childcare, she decided to take her son to a class rather than miss it. At one point, her son got up and asked Professor Joel Bunkowske to pick him up. The professor complied without missing a beat. “Most of us in the class are parents, so everyone was very understanding that he was there,” Osbon told News 2 Nashville. She shares that Bunkowske “was amazing, patient and kind” in agreeing to the toddler’s request. Two-year old Xzavier got a front-row seat to the lecture as the professor carried on. The professor even reminded an embarrassed Osbon that “everyone struggles.” Can we give this guy some kind of medal? Take a look at this adorable photo taken by Osbon:

Everything is just a little harder for single parents. Daycare is incredibly expensive, as is going back to school. The juggling act to keep up with a job, kids and school is a very delicate one and these moms deserve all the help they can get. Instead of considering her toddler a distraction and asking Osbon to remove him from the room, Bunkowske made her feel welcome. Because of his patience and understanding, she got to stay in class rather than fall behind by missing part of it. In the long-run, her learning the material was more important to the professor than eliminating this “distraction” in his classroom. That’s the mark of an amazing teacher dedicated to helping his students succeed.

Was it ideal that Osbon had to bring her son to school? Of course not. In an ideal world, she would’ve had childcare. But life isn’t always ideal and we have to handle obstacles as they come. No doubt, some of the students might find this distracting, but it never hurts to have compassion for other people. Moms like Osbon do their school work with kids around and at times, that must be a very tall order. Being kind and understanding won’t kill any of us, but it can make someone else’s life a little easier, even only temporarily.

Hopefully, this viral story will inspire others to act with more patience. If the professor is alright with it and doesn’t let this tiny interruption break his stride, his students should follow suit. What a lovely real-world example to set. Everyone has their own struggles. We would all do well to keep that in mind as we navigate life.