All children will throw a temper tantrum, with the exception of those that are abused. It is not right, but it is one of the many things we as parents need to teach our children not to do. Like picking your nose in public, or not swearing.
By the time I had read this article, there were over 90 thousand views. Dear Mom of the Tantruming Toddler in Target. Why was it so popular; because as parents we have all been there and we have hoped that those looking on were sympathetic, not judgmental.
I realized from the numerous comments at the bottom of this article that the majority of the parents agreed with the author and think we should all be patient and kind to those parents who are dealing with a child that is throwing a temper tantrum, and I agree. I applaud the author as she is taking a stand and saying, ‘hey we have all been there, so don’t judge’.
For those of you that say you haven’t ever had a child misbehaves in public, I say you must be blessed to have been born with the baby Jesus as He is the only child I know that was born perfect. The rest of us have all had children that needed to be taught how to behave and when. We learned from our parents through discipline and/or consequences what was acceptable and what wasn’t and we are now responsible to teach our children.
The article doesn’t let us know if the parent tried to do anything to stop the temper tantrum or if they just simply decided to leave without addressing the issue of the child’s behavior.
As parents, we are hesitant to discipline or give a consequence in public, in fear someone will report us. I have heard many parents complain about the fact that our children have become the ‘me’ generation. By allowing this kind of behavior without any consequence, we the parents have been the reason for this generational attitude. We are supposed to teach our children right from wrong, what is acceptable and when. We don’t need to agree on how the child should be taught, but we should all agree that something should be taught.
If you are in control when you discipline and do not lose your temper, handling the situation rationally, we should not have the fear of being reported to Childrens Aid. If we see a parent working to teach their child in a public setting and someone comes up and starts to say something to that parent in a condemning way, let’s stand up for the parent. Let’s not be a hindrance to other parents while they are doing their job of raising their children to be well behaved, respectful individuals. And let’s all remember that it will take time, so be patient with a parent who is trying their best.
We are all different and think differently about the best way to discipline. I know for me there are times I think perhaps I can do better than my parents and I will try a different parenting style. At other times I think ‘I turned out pretty good’ so then I try some of the methods my parents used. As human beings, we are prone to think about what we would do in any given situation. Unfortunately, we judge when someone is handling the situation different than we would. We think we have a better or ‘the’ perfect answer, and maybe you do, so let’s find out.
If you have ever had to deal with a child throwing a temper tantrum in a public place, what did you do and did it work? Whether you agree or disagree with previous comments is not the issue…..so no judgments, just helpful tips and or suggestion.
Check out this video on Discipline Vr Punishment Vr Correction
Or this one on How to Shape the Will, Without Destroying the Spirit
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