Patience: a crucial characteristic of p

[brimomma]

My little guy and I were taking care of some errands where my patience as a mother and adult were fully tested.

Our son is 3 years and 4 months and becoming more and more independent everyday. As parents we know with independence comes the testing of the guidelines and rules we set. Our son decided he was bringing a truck home. I made it very clear it was not going to be today. Usually this works. We paid for our things in our cart,( not the truck) and moved to the side to not hold up traffic. Our little guy has a meltdown….not just any meltdown but in the top 5 of all time.

His tears are running non stop, his voice has gone from an appropriate tone to screaming….and now all eyes are on us. I’m sure all moms or dads have noticed, when one of your children have an absolute breakdown in a public area you now are the main focus and everyone has an opinion. You are a sitting duck.

How do you handle it?

While I'm trying to coach my little one back to sanity...one woman who was behind us in line says “will you just smack him? We shouldn’t have to listen to this.” I replied calmly “obviously you were hit too much as a child, because it has done some permanent damage if you think hitting is okay.” Another gentleman replies, “I was hit as a child and I’m fine.” At this point I’m more horrified at the two grown adults in their mid-to late fifties justifying hitting a child than my little man losing his mind.

We walk out of the store calmly, my little guy still in tears, but functioning. Talking about how he is sad because he couldn’t get the truck. Apologizing because he didn’t listen and was screaming. A good lesson learned for my almost 3 ½ year old. Another guideline reiterated. Score one for mommy. My patience however, took the biggest blow during these enduring ten minutes. My patience were more nuked from the two ignorant bistandards than my son testing the waters.

To all the parents out there that find themselves in these uncomfortable situations, please block all the unwanted, absurd, terrifying advice from people. Believe in yourself as a mother or father and the choices you make for your child. Stick to them. Parent teaching your child respect & guidelines, not obedience. Love and hitting do not go together. By doing this, you and your child can walk out of anywhere with a stronger bond of understanding no matter how old they are. Don’t worry about your patience, it always come back and it will always be tested