So, Tired Mom was too tired to go to a big grocery store today, plus we need lots of food, and we do not have lots of money, so naturally we had to go to.....ALDI!!!Am I the only parent that lets their kids run around smaller stores? I keep them in sight (or they're in trouble), and I don't let Danger Boy bark too loud at people or let Kid Catastrophe get to screechy. I think, "heh, they're getting their exercise at least!". Seriously, I think making the kids walk (or run) themselves is a good thing, but then I worry that I'm not being considerate of others since they are little kids, and they act like it. Danger Boy had a really short day at preschool, or I would not have had to take him on the big bi-monthly grocery shopping anyway.
One woman said to me as I was bagging groceries that she was watching as the kids and I went around the store and she thought the kids were really sweet and nice. The kids were playing some game where they whispered together while "hiding" in the bottom part of the cart (you know the part where you put sodas and heavy stuff) so they did not notice the nice older lady. So, then I thought, some people may be annoyed, but other people get a kick out of little kids like this nice older lady.
Maybe I'm just rationalizing my parenting technique, but on the other hand, it's a free country, even for little kids ;)
7 comments:
The game is darling. I love it when my kids act like they like each other...especially in public! It makes all the, "Keep your kids away from your newly neutered cat, you idiot!" comments feel like they carry even less weight than they did originally. And it's always great to have a nice person point out when things are going well.
I have guilt over a plane trip I was on a few years ago, where I heard a woman reaming another woman over the behavior of her children during the 2 1/2 hour flight. The woman was so hateful to this poor lady, everyone in line behind them thought it was over the top and uncalled for. All I had to do was lean over to the lady and tell her that she needed to ignore the hateful woman, because she only made herself look bad. But I was about to miss my connecting flight, so I hurried by. I missed my flight anyway, and I could have done something nice for someone who had just had a terrible experience, but I was too concerned about myself to do the good thing. I think it's important to point out when people get it right, because you never know what they just got from someone else. Your elderly lady sounds great.
you are a braver woman than i, lol! i just don't think my kids would stay in sight, or not touch anything, or play nicely with each other...
Ok, Liz, of course they touch things and try to run too fast, so I have to say stuff like "don't touch that! don't pick that up! don't try to crawl into that (or under that or on top of that!). I just set up some ground rules, and they mostly obey.
Main ground rule this time: if I can't see, you're in trouble. That got QQ a swat on the bottom when she turned a corner without me.
Oh Mary, I'm sorry for your regret! I think sometimes God let's us mess up one time so we'll be sure to be braver after that.
LOL! I just read this thing in Parenting magazine it was the top 10 things you'll probably never hear yourself saying, and number ten cracked me up! "Thank you so much for the advice about everything I'm doing wrong with my kid. I found it really helpful." Time to commit that one to memory! I know it doesn't pertain to this particular episode, but you never know when you'll need it.
And T- you may be right. I won't ignore something like that again. I'm already hating on myself for doing it once.
i once parented a child two feet from his mother. we where in martial arts class. the kid was being a brat and his mom was telling him to do some thing when the kid reached out and kicked her. i am one of the senior instructers there so i do have some grounds for atority so i shoved the kid to the ground and told him to start doing push-ups until i felt better. then i remimbered his mom standing there. i told her "sory, i should let you parent your own child." she said, "no problem." i was a bit releaved she seemed fine with what i did. i didnt even think about it. it was an auto responce. a kid i have charge over broke one of the cardinal rools. you never hit your mom, especially in front of me.
As long as you can see them, and they are behaving relatively well, it's all good.
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