Well Kaybree, you did it. You full on embarrassed me in public. I guess it was only a matter of time.
You see, I have a problem when you throw tantrums. I don't know what to do. I've seen other family members kind of over-react and spank and yell and that's just not me so instead I usually just sit back and let you have at it and cry and cry and scream until you're done and ready to hug it out. Well that works for the most part (like last night when you SCREAMED at me for 30 minutes straight because I wouldn't let you watch the TV show you wanted. You wouldn't tell me what you wanted. We did not watch any TV last night.) but that tactic doesn't really work in a public place.
So last Friday I took you to the I.D.E.A. Museum in Mesa. It's a nice place. Everyone pays $8 to get in and on one side they have crafts and interactive stuff for older kids and on the other side they have a fenced in area full of toys and play houses and giant building blocks and all sorts of stuff for toddlers.
My first mistake was taking you on a Friday. Brittany watches you girls on Fridays and you don't nap at her house. She just doesn't want to be the mean aunt who puts you down for one so--you don't. Normally that's fine but in this case, you were exhausted.
So we get there and start exploring. I pushed Eisley in a stroller and you ran free. They tell you when you get in you must wear shoes at all times but in one area of the toddler area there is a "socks only" place to play. It's hot so you were not wearing socks, but I figured barefoot was close enough and you really wanted to go in, so I let you. But you were only in there for a few seconds when a volunteer came over, pointed out the "socks only" sign and asked me to remove you.
You didn't fuss too much about it so I figured we were good. You went on and played elsewhere but something kept pulling you back to the socks only area. You REALLY wanted to play in there. It was heartbreaking to tell you "No honey, they have this stupid rule and volunteers that watch the area like a hawk so I cannot let you go in there even though there are no other kids in there and you really want to play." Eventually you got so fed up with being told no you decided to fight back so you kicked off your shoes and decided fine, you'd just play with no shoes at all.
That is not allowed and I knew the staff at this little museum would not be happy with me allowing it so I tried to put them back on, but you fought back. I could see you were going to lose it. I tried to stop you, tried to calm you down and ask you calmly to put your shoes back on so you could go back to playing nicely with the other children but you were at your limit. You were tired and cranky and all you wanted to do was play with no shoes on!
You exploded. You started screaming and went into noodle-mode. There was nothing I could do. My only option was to let you scream it out but we were in a very public place. The museum is not large and I didn't want everyone staring at us (they already were) so I tried to pick you up and carry you out. But you were already in the thick of your tantrum, screaming, kicking, hitting, throwing your body on the floor. Eisley was sitting nicely in the stroller but I could not push the stroller and wrestle with you at the same time. It doesn't help that the area were in had a heavy fence so I was trying to unlock the fence, hold open the fence, push the stroller and carry you, kicking and screaming, out the door. Finally one sweet mom offered to help and held the fence open for me.
"No one likes to leave," she said sympathetically.
No, leaving was not the issue. I wouldn't have been leaving if you would just keep your shoes on and not scream at the top of your lungs. I wanted to stay and let you play!
So we get outside and it's 110 degrees and you're still screaming because now you really DON'T want to leave, but I've got to stick with my punishment. I can't let you get away with screaming like that and then going right back to playing.
This tantrum is far from over. Once we get outside it's another solid 10 minutes of screaming, kicking, throwing yourself on the ground (the very hot ground). I could do nothing but stand by and wait for it to be over. Downtown Mesa is under construction right now but I'm sure people could still hear you over all that noise. I imagine the museum staff watching you roll on the hot sidewalk from inside and thinking "I hope that mother does not come back until she can control that little devil child..."
I topped it off by taking photos on my phone. I know. Bad mom of the year award. This is you hanging from my legs screaming at me that you want to go play. I know baby girl, me too.
It ended pretty abruptly. You stopped, gave me a hug and told me sorry. We had a nice little chat about doing what mommy asks you to do, then we walked to the car--both very sweaty and exhausted. I gave you some fruit snacks, told you I love you and we drove home. I wish everyone could see how sweet you were right after the tantrum! Or a few hours after we arrived home:
I love you, baby girl. These tantrums are ridiculous but I hope once they pass you'll be my little angel all the time and you won't hate me. You have started throwing a "You're mean!" and even "I don't like you anymore!" into your screaming. That kills me. Please don't hate me!
You see, I have a problem when you throw tantrums. I don't know what to do. I've seen other family members kind of over-react and spank and yell and that's just not me so instead I usually just sit back and let you have at it and cry and cry and scream until you're done and ready to hug it out. Well that works for the most part (like last night when you SCREAMED at me for 30 minutes straight because I wouldn't let you watch the TV show you wanted. You wouldn't tell me what you wanted. We did not watch any TV last night.) but that tactic doesn't really work in a public place.
So last Friday I took you to the I.D.E.A. Museum in Mesa. It's a nice place. Everyone pays $8 to get in and on one side they have crafts and interactive stuff for older kids and on the other side they have a fenced in area full of toys and play houses and giant building blocks and all sorts of stuff for toddlers.
My first mistake was taking you on a Friday. Brittany watches you girls on Fridays and you don't nap at her house. She just doesn't want to be the mean aunt who puts you down for one so--you don't. Normally that's fine but in this case, you were exhausted.
So we get there and start exploring. I pushed Eisley in a stroller and you ran free. They tell you when you get in you must wear shoes at all times but in one area of the toddler area there is a "socks only" place to play. It's hot so you were not wearing socks, but I figured barefoot was close enough and you really wanted to go in, so I let you. But you were only in there for a few seconds when a volunteer came over, pointed out the "socks only" sign and asked me to remove you.
You didn't fuss too much about it so I figured we were good. You went on and played elsewhere but something kept pulling you back to the socks only area. You REALLY wanted to play in there. It was heartbreaking to tell you "No honey, they have this stupid rule and volunteers that watch the area like a hawk so I cannot let you go in there even though there are no other kids in there and you really want to play." Eventually you got so fed up with being told no you decided to fight back so you kicked off your shoes and decided fine, you'd just play with no shoes at all.
That is not allowed and I knew the staff at this little museum would not be happy with me allowing it so I tried to put them back on, but you fought back. I could see you were going to lose it. I tried to stop you, tried to calm you down and ask you calmly to put your shoes back on so you could go back to playing nicely with the other children but you were at your limit. You were tired and cranky and all you wanted to do was play with no shoes on!
You exploded. You started screaming and went into noodle-mode. There was nothing I could do. My only option was to let you scream it out but we were in a very public place. The museum is not large and I didn't want everyone staring at us (they already were) so I tried to pick you up and carry you out. But you were already in the thick of your tantrum, screaming, kicking, hitting, throwing your body on the floor. Eisley was sitting nicely in the stroller but I could not push the stroller and wrestle with you at the same time. It doesn't help that the area were in had a heavy fence so I was trying to unlock the fence, hold open the fence, push the stroller and carry you, kicking and screaming, out the door. Finally one sweet mom offered to help and held the fence open for me.
"No one likes to leave," she said sympathetically.
No, leaving was not the issue. I wouldn't have been leaving if you would just keep your shoes on and not scream at the top of your lungs. I wanted to stay and let you play!
So we get outside and it's 110 degrees and you're still screaming because now you really DON'T want to leave, but I've got to stick with my punishment. I can't let you get away with screaming like that and then going right back to playing.
This tantrum is far from over. Once we get outside it's another solid 10 minutes of screaming, kicking, throwing yourself on the ground (the very hot ground). I could do nothing but stand by and wait for it to be over. Downtown Mesa is under construction right now but I'm sure people could still hear you over all that noise. I imagine the museum staff watching you roll on the hot sidewalk from inside and thinking "I hope that mother does not come back until she can control that little devil child..."
It ended pretty abruptly. You stopped, gave me a hug and told me sorry. We had a nice little chat about doing what mommy asks you to do, then we walked to the car--both very sweaty and exhausted. I gave you some fruit snacks, told you I love you and we drove home. I wish everyone could see how sweet you were right after the tantrum! Or a few hours after we arrived home:
I love you, baby girl. These tantrums are ridiculous but I hope once they pass you'll be my little angel all the time and you won't hate me. You have started throwing a "You're mean!" and even "I don't like you anymore!" into your screaming. That kills me. Please don't hate me!
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