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| I do not take credit for this image |
How many
times have you been in a shopping mall where a toddler has thrown her/himself
on the floor and a panic stricken mother is either standing helplessly, visibly
praying or attempting to negotiate with the screaming child? I have witnessed
the sight a multitude of times and every single time I have thought “Women
please get your sh*t together!”
Now that I
am a mother too, however, it is whole other ball game. While my son rarely throws tantrums in public
places (I got lucky), I have encountered it a few times and I can tell you
without a doubt, it is any mother’s worst fear. Not because we have no idea how
to handle our children, but because strangers are standing around, staring
judgingly just as I was. You have to
understand, you simply cannot prepare in advance for a tantrum, it always
happens when you least expect. But, this post is not for the onlookers. It is
for the moms who have been avoiding going out all together because they cannot
imagine dealing with the dreaded outburst.
Let me
assure you, IT’S NOT PERSONAL. Chances are it is just a case of bad timing: you
probably decided to make the trip close to the little one’s nap time. Or the
large crowd is causing them to be a little restless. More often than not, it
has nothing to do with who you are as a parent. The sooner you realise that,
the sooner you can forget about being judged and that might make defusing the
situation a little easier. Forget about feeling self-conscious and focus on the
child.
Like I said
there is no way to fully prepare for a tantrum, but you can do a few things to
lessen the chance of one. What works for me is feeding before we go shopping
and also packing a few snacks. I also make sure my son is well rested and is
aware of where we are going and what is going to happen. And the most important
thing, I promise him a reward if we get through the trip without any major
hiccups. And if all else fails and he does end up throwing a tantrum, I take
him home. I can always continue shopping another time. Losing my own composure
is bound to make things way worse. Remember, IT’S NOT PERSONAL.
TILL LATER, LAUREN!
