They no longer pretend the cart is The Polar Express. They used to yank the seat belt and say, "Stop the train! We're on ice!" Then make train sounds all throughout the store. At first that was cute. It didn't take long before that was annoying! Especially when they'd yank the belt, while I was trying to push. Strangers would walk by, and giggle at the boys.
They've generally been good with not having tempers in the store. If they ever wanted anything I would say, "Ok that does look like a nice toy. Let's put that on your birthday list." Then after their birthday it was a Christmas list. I would actually get paper out, and write it down. They seemed satisfied of the idea that someday they'd get that toy. Soon enough they'd forget about that toy anyhow.
There was a time where Mica was in general careless about where he went, and would run away. I had to watch him like a hawk. I was so worried he'd run into a little old lady, or a little old man. He would sometimes yell out, "You can't catch me I'm the Gingerbread Man!" I'd run over, and grab him in the football hold.
They would pick on each other in the stores sometimes. This summer that to got better.
I think over all compared to other kids, my kids are pretty well behaved. There's no crying, or yelling in the stores. Sometimes there was singing. That's better than crying, or yelling in my book.
For awhile I'd give the boys packaging for things we buy. I'd cut out just the title/label out of a box. They were their coupons. They'd have to look for those things. They liked to feel important.
It's nice when there's small carts for them to put things in. I absolutely hate the big gigantic car carts. My kids would see other kids ride them, and whine to me that they wanted to ride one to. I was firm with my, "NO!" They are hard to steer, look germy, and most of the time they have signs on them that tells you, you can't leave them outside. How's that going to work with kids? "Ok you stay here in the car, while I go take this monster of a car cart back in the store." I don't think so!
Yesterday when we were waiting in line the boys were trying to show me how to jump, and twist. Daddy thought it was crazy I was letting them twist jump. I was just happy they were happy. There was no body behind us. If there was, I would have told them to knock it off right away.
I think as a parent you have to choose your battles sometimes. Kids are going to be kids.
9 comments:
I'm pretty lucky too. My daughter did go through a series of tantrums when she was little (thank goodness it was brief) and we'd calmly leave.
We all know what happened to the Gingerbread man in the end!
I caught a kid once in the grocery store who stood up and fell out of the cart while mommy was six feet away looking at the shelves. I was able to snag the little guy before he hit the floor but it scared me worse than the mom, who was pretty casual about the whole thing. I had visions of busted teeth or a busted noggin. Kids get hurt easily.
You really do have to choose your battles!
I am with you. As long as they were having fun and there was no one else around that would have been disrupted by it -let them have their fun.
Oh my mother so used to dream going shopping with me when I was a little boy...she still has emotional scars!
broxton likes to try and run off... drives me nuts...
Bo and Obi are still doing wherever they want sometimes...but in public, they seem to understand that not everybody appreciate running around and screaming..so, they learn their lesson..
Allison was such an ass when she was little. I remember having to cart her out of the store a time or two. Thankfully, she's grown out of that stage. I agree though. If they aren't hurting or overly annoying someone, let them be kids!
One time my Grandkids wouldn't listen to their mom and I when we were shopping. They kept running off. We hid from them where we could see them but they couldn't see us. They got so scared thinking we left them that they never pulled that crap again.
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