Every parent’s worst nightmare! 😱
You’re just about to check out at the store when your kid gets googly eyes for all of the toys and candy by the register. You say “no” and all hell breaks loose!
Suddenly you find yourself in a very public place with a screaming, thrashing toddler and you have no idea what to do. Everyone is looking at you and you feel your face turn bright red! 😳
Here are a few things to remember when this situation happens that can help de-escalate the intensity of your feelings:
🩷 You will never see these people again.
So who really cares if they are giving you evil eyes? Or even if you do see them regularly, your life is in zero way impacted by what they think about you in this moment UNLESS YOU LET IT.
🩷 Every parent feels like you do when this happens.
This is a rite of passage for every mom! You’re definitely not the first mom this has happened to and you’re absolutely not the last.
🩷 You’re not a bad mom for saying “no.”
You didn’t do anything wrong by saying no to your child – you set a boundary and it’s OK to uphold it even when your kid is making a scene. None of this is your fault.
🩷 Your kid isn’t a bad kid – they’re just having big emotions (at an inconvenient time and place).
Your child isn’t naughty. She’s just doing what kids do. Her emotions have gotten the best of her and she needs you to help her learn to regulate them, even in public.
🩷 This will be funny at some point.
It’s so hard to feel it in the moment, but if you can remind yourself that someday you’ll tell this story to your kid and you’ll giggle about it, the tension just melts away.
This isn’t an easy scenario to navigate with your kids, but if you remember these 5 things in the heat of the moment, you’ll get through without feeling embarrassment or like a failure as a mom. 🥰
Be sure to ✨️FOLLOW✨️ me @iambaileemcclellan for more tips and tools for making motherhood more enjoyable and a lot easier!
XO – Bailee