fits in public

Yesterday we had so much fun....went to Sunday Schoo, then out to breakfast & the park. An afternoon nap & then we all went to get some groceries. Which is when cute, bubbly, giggling dd turned into "I NO WANT IT!!" monster. Absolutely refused to ride in the shopping cart, but if I let her walk around she kept running off. Pretty soon we had a full blown 2 yr tantrum, throwing herself on the floor in the store & screaming. I was so glad dh was there to watch ds, but what do you do in situations like that?? She eventually calmed down when dh found the shopping cart with the racecar, thank goodness!

 

I think the "right" answer is, if she keeps running off, then she has to ride in the cart. The tantrum is irrelevant. If she's having such a fit that you physically can't get her in the cart, then you take her to a quiet corner of the store and hold her until she can calm down. At that point I'd give her another chance to walk by herself -- but I wouldn't let her do it while she's still screaming.

In practice, it might not be that easy. If finding a different kind of cart makes her happy, I might just do it, to avoid the public tantrum. But that's giving in to a tantrum, which is a big no-no, so I'd try to follow the "right" answer even though it means everyone stares at us while she's screaming.

 

My kids do not have an option, they ride in the cart and thats it. If one of my kds would have thrown a fit like that, I would of hauled them to the bathroom, or car, for a spanking and a lesson on how to behave at the store.

 

I would probably leave the store and take them away. I would also make them ride in the cart! Not an option! Sorry! My kids LOVE going to the store or Target, so it would be a pretty good penalty to take them away. Good thing DH was with you!

 

Yeah, it was bad enough that I physically could not get her in the cart w/o hurting her. She's learned how to arch her back & lock up her knees so that it's impossible.

 

Since your dh was there I would have either taken her out to the car for a time out and let dh keep shopping or had him take her. If I was alone I would either have forced her into the cart and quickly finished my shopping or left and would go back another time to shop. When My girls were that age we were in the mall and Katrina started having that fit and I took her and my mom grabbed Kira (thankfully my mom was with me) and we left and went home. Kira was also starting to have a fit too. It was because we skipped their naps that day and when we decided to leave I had a whole bunch of people staring at us because Katrina was screaming bloody murder as I struggled to carry her out.

 

I agree with Becky02 - I don't give in to the tantrums. I once physically carried a screaming 2.5 year old football-style (because she was kicking me) to the car from the grocery store (leaving Dad with the other one), put her in the car, and let her scream while I stood outside the car pointedly not looking at her. Dad once took that same tantruming child home from the library visit (somehow DH and I both had our cars there that time) while I continued the library visit with the other one. THAT really shocked her - she wasn't expecting the whole "party" to be over! When I'm alone with them and any misbehaving starts, I ask them if we should go out to the car and that usually stops the bad behavior; I can't remember the last time I had to leave my shopping because of tantrums.

Oh - and I always go over the "shopping rules" before we head into a store or mall: no crying, no screaming, remember to listen.

 

You know what? We have all been there! So dont worry.

My kids have learned to walk with me...and when I mean walk....meaning next to the cart the whole time. If they divert you get ONE chance to listen OR its the cart for you. Usually they listen...if not, they go in the cart.

If it gets so bad they are incoherant...they are done. Bye bye store.....and when they get home, they go right to bed. No comprimises.

 

I saw a mom in the grocery store on Sunday with a 1 yr old (in cart) and a 3 yr old (walking). She had the 3 yr old playing Simon says. Simon says touch your head. etc. She said it's her trick to keep the kid from running away or taking things off shelves. I thought she was Brilliant!

When I have both kids, both strapped in (stroller, shopping cart, etc). If I have 1 kid, we sometimes walk. Syd is better at holding hands. I try to make it as fun as possible (errands). Like zooming the cart around the store, pointing out colors, letters, saying hi to people (especially other kids), etc. And I always, always have drinks and snacktrap cups strapped on to stroller/cart. Keeps away the I'm cranky bcuz I'm hungry or thirsty probs.