Oh, if this had been me…
They’d have been peeling his sorry hide off the floor at Wal-Mart.
My son has meltdowns in public. He’s two years old. Ever heard of the “Terrible Twos”? Yeah…it happens. But you know what? It happens because, often, he wants something – a toy, some candy – that I don’t want him to have. So I tell him “no” and he doesn’t like it.
I, frankly, don’t care if he doesn’t like it. I’m his mother and saying “no” is part of my job as a parent. If he has a meltdown it’s an attempt to get his way and I’m not giving in. If we’re in a place – like a restaurant, a library/bookstore, or church – and he has a meltdown, we’ll move him so he doesn’t disrupt others. But in a public place I’m not letting him dictate the terms of when we leave or under what circumstances.
So I keep him in the cart and let him have his meltdown. A few minutes of ignoring him and he stops.
Once, some smart-alec asked if he needed to call the police, and I shot him a look that silenced him.
But if someone ever attempted to slap or spank my child the cops would be the least of their worries.
