Walking.
Which, I guess, means I can't technically call her a baby any more, she's a toddler now. A toddler who demands to be put down in Costco, and doesn't understand when she hears the word no.
"No, JG, there is no way I am letting you walk around - people will run over you and I will have to clean your brains off the concrete."
Because, with me, everything is about JG's brains.
Unfortunately, for me, she did not understand this logic and spiraled into a screaming fit. In which she screamed the entire time we were in Costco.
What is my approach when it comes to my child throwing a fit in a public area? Unfortunately, for the other customers, I just let her.
Look, when it comes to tantrums the first rule is to let them know that their "approach" will not get them what they want.
Sometimes I will laugh at her (which doesn't improve the situation). But, mostly I just endure the dagger eyes others throw our way - today it was more along the lines of "please shut your child up so I don't have to listen to what sounds like a goat being gutted."
Anyway, back to my first point.
My child is freaking WALKING. I really need to get some video, but as you may have deduced, I am not the best mother and have yet to do it.
Mainly because my chin is still dragging on the floor.
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1 comment:
You are too hard on yourself in your self mposed definition of what a "good mother" is. You're an amazing mother. take for instance your brilliant use ignoring. If you want a behavior to continue you give it your attention. If you want a behavior to abate, you need starve it of attention. You make the action irrelevant. J will learn that screaming fits will not give her what she wants and she'll realize that its not an effective way of interacting with you, and she'll seek out other ways, (less publicly embarrising ways) for her to "ask" you for what she wants.
Ignoring takes immense patience- a very admirable quality, one that even the "best" of mothers have trouble with.
You're already practicing it. You're ahead of the game sweetie- Own it.
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