A young boy at work, maybe four, is having a complete meltdown. I think it is over cereal, but I’m not sure, because I refuse to leave the office to found out. Not only that I have put on head phones, because seriously, it is driving me insane. I am SUPPOSED to be out there helping that poor mother. I am supposed to tell her to ‘be calm’ and ‘patient’. I am supposed to be out there diffusing the situation offering up insightful parenting tips and teaching her effective methods. What a freaking joke. I am a lucky first time parent in that I received months of training before my daughter was born. I have worked with hundreds of children from birth to teenagers and have encountered a plethora of behavioural problems. But, now that I am a mom – all I can do is sit here and think SUCKS TO BE YOU! I could walk out there but I am betting you all I could muster to offer is ‘Yeah, this is really hard.’ I mean, really, most of those parenting methods and ‘plans’ are great in theory, and they work as guidelines, but when your child is wailing IN PUBLIC all that goes out the window and its whatever-works-parenting in full swing.
Poor lady. But, if he doesn’t stop I may have to hide in the parking lot
I second the “wine” notion… God I remember those years. And I also remember that I was way too hard on my kids. Now we’re deep in teen years and I have to agree that sometimes it still stinks to be me… I love reading various bits of advice online. Some I reject, because I know it won’t work for me. Others, well, it’s worth thinking about. Jim Fay and Kristan Leatherman offer up good advice on their web site, loveandlogic.com. No matter what your parenting style (and you’ll get help to help determine that) you’ll find what will and will not work with your kids — and some great comebacks every parent should know!