Lesson #87
Triumph over tantrums
If you are a parent that has never seen a tantrum from one of your kids, you are either lying or lucky! I used to be like you. My first son was challenging in many ways but not in the way of tantrum throwing. I felt lucky that I never had to leave a restaurant, ditch my cart at a grocery store or hang my head in shame at a birthday party. I had my share of embarrassing moments with my intense, high-energy, willful oldest son. I had seen plenty of tantrums but never had to deal with them...until I had a daughter.
I would say 90% of the time, Zoey is just a peach. She is sweet. She follows the rules. She never strays or runs away. She is very kind to other kids and loves getting positive reinforcement. But there are also occasions of utter meltdown if you really piss Zoey off.
Last night, I was doing one of my least favorite things, taking the kids out to eat by myself. This was coupled with the fact that I was going to have to bring Miles and Zoey to Max's hockey practice and chase them around a cold ice rink. Needless to say, I was not in the best of moods.
We rolled into Noodles, prepared to order a quick dinner and head to hockey. I had everyone's order ready and promised them they could choose white or chocolate milk as a treat. As I ordered at the counter, the kids perused the milk cooler, picking out their selection. I was a little distracted while ordering and failed to notice that Zoey was opening her own white milk as I talked. I knew she wanted chocolate but didn't notice her error. As she took her first sip, she started screaming bloody murder. "I didn't want plain milk! I hate this! Put it back! I want chocolate!"
This of course was not an option as she had already opened it. I told her she needed to go sit down and the tantrum only escalated. I had considered just grabbing a chocolate as she had just made a mistake in picking the wrong carton. But at that point, I couldn't very well give in to her fit. That would set the wrong precedent for all three of these kids. Instead, I sat in the restaurant with my screaming child, cringing as the employees and customers watched. It felt like forever, but she finally stopped. Once she did, I let her come to our table. She immediately asked if she could have Miles' milk. I told her she needed to ask for a few tastes. Shockingly, he obliged and ended up sharing almost half of his milk.
The night not get get much better overall from there...Miles ran into the kitchen, needed multiple trips to the potty and tried to run out into the parking lot. Not my best night in any way shape or form. But at least I did not let that tantrum win out. A small victory!
Triumph over tantrums
If you are a parent that has never seen a tantrum from one of your kids, you are either lying or lucky! I used to be like you. My first son was challenging in many ways but not in the way of tantrum throwing. I felt lucky that I never had to leave a restaurant, ditch my cart at a grocery store or hang my head in shame at a birthday party. I had my share of embarrassing moments with my intense, high-energy, willful oldest son. I had seen plenty of tantrums but never had to deal with them...until I had a daughter.
I would say 90% of the time, Zoey is just a peach. She is sweet. She follows the rules. She never strays or runs away. She is very kind to other kids and loves getting positive reinforcement. But there are also occasions of utter meltdown if you really piss Zoey off.
Last night, I was doing one of my least favorite things, taking the kids out to eat by myself. This was coupled with the fact that I was going to have to bring Miles and Zoey to Max's hockey practice and chase them around a cold ice rink. Needless to say, I was not in the best of moods.
We rolled into Noodles, prepared to order a quick dinner and head to hockey. I had everyone's order ready and promised them they could choose white or chocolate milk as a treat. As I ordered at the counter, the kids perused the milk cooler, picking out their selection. I was a little distracted while ordering and failed to notice that Zoey was opening her own white milk as I talked. I knew she wanted chocolate but didn't notice her error. As she took her first sip, she started screaming bloody murder. "I didn't want plain milk! I hate this! Put it back! I want chocolate!"
This of course was not an option as she had already opened it. I told her she needed to go sit down and the tantrum only escalated. I had considered just grabbing a chocolate as she had just made a mistake in picking the wrong carton. But at that point, I couldn't very well give in to her fit. That would set the wrong precedent for all three of these kids. Instead, I sat in the restaurant with my screaming child, cringing as the employees and customers watched. It felt like forever, but she finally stopped. Once she did, I let her come to our table. She immediately asked if she could have Miles' milk. I told her she needed to ask for a few tastes. Shockingly, he obliged and ended up sharing almost half of his milk.
The night not get get much better overall from there...Miles ran into the kitchen, needed multiple trips to the potty and tried to run out into the parking lot. Not my best night in any way shape or form. But at least I did not let that tantrum win out. A small victory!
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