Some of you may have read about the Portland diner owner who made national headlines for screaming at a toddler in her diner because the child was being unruly. I'll be honest - I didn't read her side of the story, or even much of the story itself. I knew what the gist of it would be. Some people would praise her for her actions, and some would be appalled. Me? I was indifferent.
And why? Why, as a mother, would this not upset me to read about? Because I'm not surprised. We're all guilty of it. Judging other moms, telling ourselves that we can do better, that we WILL do better. That I won't let my child pick out a toy every time we go to the store because I don't want her to learn that she gets whatever she wants. My child will know what it means when I say no. My child will listen.
Cut to my 2 1/2-going-on-16 year old toddler girl, who hears the word "no" on a daily basis, and gets put in time out, and is forced to eat "just one more bite" before she's allowed anything sweet after dinner. I do all of these things. I try. I try to be a good example, and not give in, and teach her to say please and thank you and have some semblance of patience.
And you know what? She would have also been screaming her head off in that diner. And not because I'm letting her win every time, but because SHE'S TWO YEARS OLD.
You know what my daughter ate today so far? A cup full of Trix cereal, some orange slices, a fruit juice box, some torn up cheese and maybe one saltine cracker in it's entirety. That's two meals, people. And not because I didn't give her some turkey, or offer her a muffin, or try for another fruit. It was all there for her. But short of me shoving it down her toddler face myself, she wasn't having it.
She pitches fits in the grocery store and lays on the floor crying. She gets overtired in restaurants when she's off her schedule and throws her food. And sweet servers will ask me, "Is there anything I can do? Does she not like the food?" and I'll look at them like the angels they are, and say "Thank you, but the only problem we have here is that she's two years old." Those are the good times. Other times I will get the stares from people who think I'm letting my child run all over me. How can I not control her? Did I just order her CHOCOLATE MILK for her dinner? I must be young/single/or spoiled myself.
Here's the truth, people. All children behave badly at some point. Even on the days when they slept 12 hours, had a two hour nap, have recently eaten and are clean with a brand new toy in their hands. These are all merely stalling mechanisms. And let's be honest, how often does this perfect storm of toddler happiness REALLY happen?
Yes, it is very possible to be an above-average AWESOME parent, and have your kid be at total jerk to a stranger, in public, or even to you. Sometimes all three at the same time. They can't control their emotions as adults we learn to do. They feel what they feel, when they feel it. I often look at my daughter lying on the floor crying crocodile tears, and think "How GREAT would it feel if I could just allow myself to do that when I got angry, or hurt or sad? I envy you, kid." And then I throw her into the superman position while she kicks me and fly her out of the place quickly. Maybe I'll promise her something if she agrees to get in her car seat. Maybe I'll threaten. Maybe I'll sit in the parking lot for ten minutes just to let her have it out. No matter what, it will pass.
So let's all give a little grace, ok? And let's not make national news out of one person's outburst. All that will do is strengthen the debate, and feed the mommy wars. Meanwhile, real issues, like the deplorable maternity and paternity laws that exist in the US and NOWHERE else, are rarely circulated. But that's another issue for another day.
Happy Thursday, everyone! May your children have a happy day. And go to bed early.
Love,
Dominique
No comments:
Post a Comment