By Amy
O. M. Gosh. My adorable and sweet toddler just threw the most epic fit at the store. It was ugly. I am beyond mortified.
This doomed outing began because the weather was SO glorious today. I decided to take Hayden on a walk, which he LOVES. Walking is my prefered form of exercise (sorry, I'm not intense enough to be a marathoner or cross-fitter), but lately, (I'm almost in my third tri) I kinda feel like I've been kicked in the groin whenever I walk for longer than 10 minutes. However, as with my last pregnancy, I am in a life or death battle with back chub, so exercise I must. For some reason, my body thinks that, along with the baby in my uterus, I'm carrying a little mini baby in each love handle. (Oh, and don't forget the baby in each boob...I've gone up 3 freakin cup sizes in 6 months! It's out of control.) Ok, ok, I'm not actually carrying 5 babies in my body. It's probably just that my body is convinced that I will soon become stranded in the Siberian wilderness, and that I and my unborn child will need to SOLEY live off of my muffin top for weeks. Ugh. So, I keep trying to walk and do a little exercising most weekdays. And I'm trying to lay off the Oreos.
But, lets get back to the store tantrum.
To get myself out the door, I decided we should walk to the thrift store. (I have a mild obsession--ok, addiction--to thrifting. We po', but unfortunately, we like to spend money and hunt for treasures, so we end up at lots of garage sales and thrift stores...ha, other peoples' junk is the only treasure we can afford!)
To get myself out the door, I decided we should walk to the thrift store. (I have a mild obsession--ok, addiction--to thrifting. We po', but unfortunately, we like to spend money and hunt for treasures, so we end up at lots of garage sales and thrift stores...ha, other peoples' junk is the only treasure we can afford!)
We had a nice walk, Hayden pointing out trees and dogs, and we enjoyed the sun. At the thrift store, we're cruising around finding a couple little things here and there...then, I see a bassinet in decent shape for $8! WAHOO! I figure I can take it home and clean it...and since we borrowed a bassinet when Hayden was tiny (thanks Sherie!) we've been on the look-out for our own.
So, I'm up at the counter paying, and my son suddenly decided he had reached his limit for shopping and started throwing a fit. He was crying to get down and push the stroller. I had to finish paying, so I set him down, telling him to stay by momma...and he immediately runs back behind the counter. The clerk is getting agitated, so I apologize and run back to grab him. OOOOOh boy, that made him mad. So then, I'm trying to hold him while signing my receipt, and he's kicking and screaming bloody murder. And then we have to take the "sold" sticker all the way to the back of the store to put it on the bassinet since I didn't bring my car and would have to pick it up later. I let him push the stroller with me, so he was calm for a few minutes, but then on the way back to the front, I am trying to get him to cooperate and not grab crap off of shelves and I am suddenly very hot and very aware of my awkward pregnant coordination and I'm already embarrassed....I just want him back in the stroller. Like, NOW. So, I try to man-handle him into the buckles, and he's FA-REAKING OUT. Back arched, screaming "NOOOO STROLLERRR!!!!" SO, I tuck him under my arm, crazily try to push the stroller with the other hand, and lug him right out of the store, trying not to make eye contact with the people watching. It was a LOOOONG walk up that aisle, with his screams echoing through the store. There was no calming or reasoning with him at this point--I just kept thinking to myself, "JUST GO, GET HIM OUT OF HERE." Everyone else was probably thinking, "Yikes, is she really ready to have another one?" Oh gosh. He was WAILING and kicking with snot streaming, and he's so heavy, (he's not really, but 25 pounds of fury is not easy to hold on to) and I'm trying to make my face look like I'm enjoying a pleasant afternoon tea party...but inside I am mortified.
Good grief. I'm sure I'll face worse in the future, when I have 3 kids all throwing fits in the store at once and somebody just peed their pants and somebody just puked....but, today it was my first really big store fit and it was not fun.
So, later today I will go pick up the bassinet. I hope it was worth it. Also, I ended up buying probably a stupid purchase cause I was going to decide at the counter, but he was bawling and I was panicked, and I just bought the thing. It's a cool, vintage-y bag with lots of pockets that I thought would be fun as a diaper bag. But, now that it's home, I realize that it smells reallllly strange. I have a cold, with some major stuffed-up sinuses, and thrift stores always smell weird, so I wasn't really aware in the store of the stench of old people, bandages, and spilled... something...that is now eeking out of the bag. Dang it. I don't know if I can put binkies and bottles for my infant in a bag that may have been soaked in formaldehyde. Maybe I can clean it. Hmmmm.
It's cute, right? Right? (Friends, I need reassurance here!) Just... don't... inhale....*gasp*! Ah well, if it can't clean up nicely, it was only $2.95.
Once we got home, Hayden pitched a fit cause he didn't want to eat lunch, and then, through tears, started begging me for his fuzzy blanket and "Momma, I want seep in cwib!" Poor babe, maybe he's growing or catching my cold, cause he's an hour earlier than I usually put him down for a nap, and he's sobbing like he hasn't slept in weeks. But, if he wants sleep, he's getting it! So, I gave him a sippy of milk, sang to him and rubbed his head till he was calm, and then left him to sleep in his room with an empty tummy. Well, what can you do? Toddlers. At least I felt better after the ice cream sandwich and kettle corn. (Bring on Siberia, my love handles will be ready! Ha!)
Oy. It's not like being a SAHM is stressful like working in an E.R., but it comes with it's own kinds of stresses, constant decisions, emergencies, frustrations, angry humans who are beyond any logical thought, and long hours. So, please tell me about your kids' store fits, so I can laugh and feel better! Any helpful ideas for dealing with tantrums in public? And, for those mommas with more than one kiddio, what the crap do you do when you add a crying infant into this mix? I'm a little nervous about that.
And while I was typing this I burned my toast for my tuna sandwich. TWICE. *sob* I think I need a nap too. Seep in cwib, peese!?
PS. Don't forget to SHARE if you have friends who can relate to my pathetic tale! :) Thanks!
Hahaha.... I mean... that sucks :). Rest assured - WE'VE ALL BEEN THERE. My first outing with number 4 went awesomely as well. We were in Walmart at the checkout and one month old Ian pooped through his clothes and was hungry (took longer than planned of course), and Livi and Caleb were wondering off looking at things, and Aleah was throwing a fit over something. I wanted to scream REALLY BAD, but managed to get the things paid for while trying to soothe the baby, grabbed Aleah (same under arm screaming hold) and found Caleb and Livi and made them hold onto the cart and telling myself over and over, "NEVER AGAIN, NEVER AGAIN." Good times. Now with 5, I have only been to the stores without Austin with all the kids twice for a few minutes and it was still un-fun. So I avoid that. BUT - with each kid, you care less and less about the "looks" of others and look blindly forward as you march them out, and guess what - the few times I have looked, I see looks of sympathy and "I've been there" and if I get any other kind of look, I remind myself that they've never been there and have no place to judge and dismiss their look - cause it doesn't matter what they think. I'm being a good mom by NOT taking the easy way of giving in to the tantrum and buying the toy and any parent out there trying to teach self-control and obedience gets it - so don't worry about the rest. The incident stays with you for weeks, but as soon as you left the store, it left the minds of those around you. And don't take Hayden's actions personally - like you said, if he's tired or not feeling well, he just can't handle things well..... and he's still learning. And so are you and me and the rest of us mommas :).
ReplyDeleteAnd the bag is DANG cute so hope it cleans! Try leaving it outside to air after cleaning it well - worth a shot!
Yay!!!! I'm glad you like the bag, cause your taste is more sophisticated then mine, so I trust you! :) Hahaha, I can just see all of your kids doing all of that stuff...so funny! Yeah, maybe some people thought I was a nitwit of a mother, but probably most were thinking, "Oh yeah, I've been there!" Hopefully! :) Thanks SHer Bear!
DeleteHey sweetie, take a look at this website. I think I mentioned it before, but it will help. Toddlers cry for stupid weird funny reasons. http://www.studentbeans.com/worldweirdweb/a/wins/23-best-pics-from-reasons-my-kid-is-crying5650.html
ReplyDeleteOH man, those were awesome!!!! YES. It is all true. Hahahahaha!
Deletehaha. Actually when I see other moms with trantruming kids, I feel a little better knowing I am not the only one dealing with such things. I have to admit, for 3 years, I was so scared to go the store with all 3 kids...for a good reason. Once in awhile, I dare to venture out lately on short trips.
ReplyDeletehahaha...yeah, Tyler likes to disappear, huh? :) And, I know what you mean, when other tantrums are going on, I feel bad for the mom cause it sucks, but at the same time it's a little relieving. :)
DeleteMy Mom loves to tell the epic story of going to the grocery store when I was 3, my sister was 1 and a half, and my brother was a newborn. She'd barely walked into the store when my sister decided to throw herself on the floor and begin screaming, I, being the goody-two-shoes 3 year old that I was, stood by looking very serious and disapproving of my sisters behavior, while Mom already had my baby brother's carseat in one arm and her diaper bag and purse on the other. A nice man asked above my sister's screaming, "Is there anything I can do to help you, ma'am?" She said, "Can you pick her up and give her to me?" He handed the screaming toddler to my Mom, and she took all three of us straight back out to the car. No food could be bought that day!
ReplyDeleteHahahaha...wow, that's awesome. Sometimes, you just gotta know when to say, "Forget it!" and walk right back out. What a nice guy. I want to be like that! Great story. :)
DeleteI have many of those. You learn to strap them in with every once of strength you have and randomly say something to the effect of I don't listen to screams in the calmest voice possible. My 7 yr old has DMDD, similar to bipolar, and when he loses it I'm trying to manage a kid half my size full of rage. I had to learn that if we wanted food I shopped faster and bought something for them to distract. Grocery store has free cookies for kids, Target has ICEE and popcorn, also known as $3 sanity. My worst experience is when I had a bad period start and my 2 yr old son saw at the book store. He kept panicking about mommy bleeding and we need to call daddy and go to the hospital. That was the longest walk out of the overly filled store ever! I didn't look at one face and just kept saying Mommy's fine. Mortifying!
ReplyDeleteHahahahah...OH MY GOSH!!!! "Momma's Dying!!!!" I probably would have actutally died... from embarassment! Wow. You are a champion, Kellie!
DeleteYup, been there. It never gets less embarrassing but you do figure out ways to get around it.
ReplyDeleteGlad I'm not the only one. :)
DeleteOh Amy, this too shall pass. We have all been there and if someone with kids says they haven't, it's because they have nannies and never take their kids anywhere. What you do it what ever you can do. With my kids, if I got the older one involved in calming the younger, it helped keep them calm too. About a month ago I saw a lady with three kids and one was having a huge tantrum in the store. She took that child outside and had them sit until they could calm themselves. She had the other two kids just inside the store, where she could still see them. She never raised her voice or anything. I was pretty impressed.
ReplyDeleteThat is a cute bag. I wonder if you can put a bunch of baking soda in the bag for a week to absorb the smell. I would hate for you to have to re-donate it. Kathleen @ Fearlessly Creative Mammas
You crack me up girl! Unfortunately we have all been there and are bound to be there again:) And I am loving that purse..for $2.95 no less!
ReplyDeleteAsh
I'm so sorry to hear about the tantrums of all tantrums. I bet you handled it with such grace. Thank you so much for linking up to the Be.You.Tiful Link Party!
ReplyDeleteThis is funny, in an after the fact sort of way, of course! I love the bag and think it will be great if you can get it smelling good!
ReplyDelete