An Open Letter To The Mom At The Grocery Store Today
Wednesday, June 16, 2010 at 4:25PM Dear Lady With Screaming Toddler,
Yes I could hear your daughter even though I was pretending not to. For such a dainty little thing she sure does have a powerful set of lungs. And that trick she has of screaming until she gags and then looks like she's going to barf?
Priceless.
Very, very convincing I must say. Perhaps she shall be a famous actress one day
Yes indeedy I did hear her. I'm pretty sure everyone did.
I want you to know though, that I was not judging you or her. I have no right to do that.
Goodness knows I've been there.
In fact, I once said to a certain male child of mine, "If you don't stop that noise right now I am going to tell your mom that you were a very naughty boy!"
I said that because I wanted the people staring at me to believe that he was not mine.
And y'know what? He was so confused over the implication that I was not, in fact, his mother that he did stop screaming.
For about two minutes.
And then there was the time that a certain oldest child of mine lay screaming and flailing on a hotel room floor for so long that hotel security came to check on her.
Oh yes they did.
I assured them that I was not beating her (though the thought had crossed my mind more than a couple of times). No, my darling two year old was having the mother of all tantrums because I had not let her open the door by herself.
And if my youngest child did not throw any major tantrums in public it was only because, by the time she was a toddler, I was no longer leaving the house with my children if it could be avoided.
So no, Momatthegrocerystore I was not judging you.
In fact, I would like to thank you for dragging your screaming daughter through aisle after aisle because not only did you help me get my shopping done in record time, but you caused a small miracle in my life.
You made me glad that I have teenagers.
For that I thank you.
And good luck with that precious little girl.
I believe you may need it.
Life Lessons, Parenting
Reader Comments (24)
Remember Logan's tantrum on the floor of Sam's Club? That was a good one!
HAHAHAHA!!! Oh, I've NEVER been that mama...right...
Gracious. These things never happen to me and my children. They are, in fact, perfect little creatures. :)
LJW - Creatures indeed! HAHA!
Mindee - I too cherish the moments like those - it truly makes you appreciate teenagers and silence. They still have tantrums, but now they're accompanied by deafening silence instead of screams.
Oh, I so feel that lady's pain. Child rearing is the hardest thing we can ever do!
Oh my, this post had me laughing my butt off!!!!! You are to darn funny.
My oldest did this once, threw himself on the grocery floor. Wailing arournd acting like he had been shot. My husband threw himself down right next to him and did the same thing. It worked, Anthony was in shock that his dad was doing that and got up. I about died that Anthony was doing this and I then really died when Anthonys father dropped down there throwing his fit. All I could do was sit and laugh. Whatever works right??? ;)
Honestly, this makes me scared to have children. Of course, mine will be perfect little darlings who never throw fits. Ha.
Marla @ www.asthefarmturns.wordpress.com
My son had a fit like this once, I popped his fanny but good, yes, that's right, me the child abuse investigator smacked her son's rear in public, he shouted that he was going to report me for child abuse and I told him the phone number to call. He realized he was on THIN ice and settled down. I never again had trouble with him in public, at home was another matter but I just ignored his little "temper tampers"...he hated that.
At this time I could say that if my granddaughter lived in Nebraska, I would wonder if she was the child that you saw. Her parents make no effort at having her behave and it embarrasses the "whale tar" out of me. I was at a baseball game tonight and she was there. She acted out. I wanted to die but I wasn't sitting with her so no one knew that she was mine. Long story but I am not in a position to admonish her, she doesn't know that I am her grandmother. To her I am just a family friend, mmm....that hurt to say. Anyway, I know that there are parents who try to get their children to behave but still have their children throw "wing dings." I am so sorry they have this happen. Then there are parents who just let the children do what they want. They will pay the piper soon enough.
I love my granddaughter with all my heart but sometimes she needs her fanny popped. I just wish her parents would bite the bullet and do it. They won't. I don't know how they will deal with her when she becomes a teenager. The thought scares me.
To all you moms who have been embarrassed. I am sorry. It isn't easy being a parent is it.
Hugs all around,
Mindee's elderly friend, the former Child Abuse Investigator
Ardee-ann
I got a kick out of that! I've watched a LOT of tantrums over the years of having kids and running a home daycare (and I'll have many more I know!).
Oh, that poor mom. She probably WANTED to pop her fanny but the way people are now days she would probably be reported to the authorities for child abuse! Our society is almost as much to blame for children's behavior as we are. Sad, but true.
But I did love your comment about this making you thankful for teenagers! Never thought THAT day would come, did you?!?!
To all the dear moms and grandmas out there who have children who turn evil in public....leave the cart and take said child to the car... when they don't get what they want often enough, maybe it would stop. At least that's what my dtr does - even if they act out at grandma's - - they have to go home and the other kids get to stay and play. Makes it hard to get kids back home (yes, they live close but it is still tricky with car seats and all) but acting out is almost non-existent because of that treatment.
And we all love you! We know you are all doing the best you can with what you have to deal with!
HANG IN THERE! They will be teens soon enough! (((HUGS)))
hahaha! great post! it's hilarious!
I used to work in a store and this one kid came in with her uncle and threw a tantrum because she wanted a toy he said he couldn't afford... when she started screaming, he bought it for her... so she tried it again... he ended up buying 5 toys worth over $250 for her...
I was at the grocery store once waiting in a very long line at the deli when a 5-ish year old boy pushed over his 3-ish year old sister in a way that made her head hit the floor with an audible Wap. I was concerned that she would have a concussion. The 3 year old obviously started crying in pain. The mom let her cry for a bit then turned to the 5 year old and scolded him for "bugging" his sister. She didn't even seem to understand the fact that her youngest was probably actually hurt. I was so upset and horrified that I missed when they called my number. I think I was so horrified that I had to leave the store. It reminded me that sometimes the kids do have reasons to scream. Although I'm sure most of the time they are actually just throwing a tantrum.
So far my four year old has only done one tantrum in the middle of Target. She loves going to the store, so her punishment is that we have to leave ASAP. (AKA - Dump the cart and haul her out to the van like a sack of potatoes while she kicks and screams.)
I held my laughter until we got home and she was sequestered in her room. I think I laughed so hard telling Jeff about it that I almost got a hernia.
With all the bad things parents say about how hard raising teens are, I am looking forward to it for this one very reason.
MAN, you are FUNNY! This is a sleep deprived morning, but that shot of humor did more for me than my coffee. Thank you.
Thank you for not judging her. I'm am shocked by the looks and comments you get when you have little ones with you, whether they are mis-behaving or not. My husband and I were at Target one night with our 3 year old son. I was walking ahead of them and my son was trying to catch up with me, my husband told him to watch where he was going because there was a lady walking right where he was going. She looked at him, looked at me and then said to her daughter, "kids like this are taking control of their parents, I just don't understand why the parents let that happen" He wasn't doing anything wrong!!! My husband had to hold me back from going up to her about her little comment.
Kevin's mom always tells a story of him pulling the fire alarm at a Kathy Mattea concert when he was little, and the cops showed up and tried to question him. Kathy defended him with, "You can't take Kevin! He's a good kid!"
So yea. Now he's stuck with that story.
I always hear/see shrieking babies and feel so bad for the mother. There was a lady in the dressing room the other day trying to wrangle two grappling preschoolers and one itty bitty toddler. I'm not sure how she got any of them to try clothes on. That woman was my hero.
Oh, thank you for your post, because I am often that Mother with the screaming toddler. Yes, my child will scream for reasons that are just insane to me. AND I would leave the store, but that's often what my children want, so to make my point, we usually finish our shopping, as I am cringing with every shriek. I usually hurrying to finish, while quietly wanting to crawl in a hole in the ground.
I try to remember that they will not be so small one of these days and the bad days are just a little blip, in an otherwise great life.
I would like to comment on this, but as a Child Care Professional, I must hold back. This is still a great post!! :)