We’ve all done it before we’ve had a kid of our own and vowed we would never have “that” kid. You know, the one that is screaming at the top of his lungs in the middle of a nice a quiet store, kicking and screaming and flailing his arms. Did I mention screaming? Yeah – that kid. I’ve seen them before and after having kids of my own, and I’ve said to myself and Brad that we’ll never have “that” kid. So many opinions are out there with what to do with “that” kid too.
I set clear boundaries for Landon and have clear consequences for misbehavior. If he can’t walk in the store he has to ride in the cart. If he uses a toy in an inappropriate way (like hitting his brother) it goes away. I can honestly say he’s never been “that” kid, until yesterday. I also want to preface that we really have been blessed with a child that doesn’t have many full fledged temper tantrums. He has many moments of strong disagreement with either the way things need to be or the consequences of his actions, but I can count on one hand the number of times he’s had a “loose all self control, meltdown” temper tantrum.
Back story: Landon’s had some eye gunk that wasn’t going away which started on Friday afternoon. I think he’s getting sick but with the crazy wind we’ve had it also could be his allergies acting up. Saturday evening I got sick with the stomach flu. So the first time I could take him to the doctors was Sunday afternoon. Since I think he’s more in the camp of getting sick I’m sure he’s not feeling 100%. We go to the doctors and swing by the pharmacy after to pick up the meds they prescribed him.
Normally I would have just went through the drive through. It’s so much easier that having to unload the kiddos (thankfully I only had Landon for this trip) just to get one thing. But Brad was starting to not feel good and needed some cough drops, so in into Rite Aid we went. We had to wait a few minutes while they finished “filling” the prescription (it was a tube of antibiotic ointment… I still don’t understand how it takes 10 minutes to put a sticker on tube of ointment…). Landon did great sitting next to me. We looked at pictures on my phone and played musical chairs trying out each of the waiting area’s chairs. Then Landon had to go potty. I got up to take him over, literally right then, the pharmacist said ours was ready. They were also closing in like 2 minutes so I really had to pick it up right then. I asked Landon if he could wait and he said yes, but started inching his way toward the bathroom that was just 30 feet or so away from the counter. I was trying to just quickly pay and go; I asked Landon to stop and wait for me. He looked back with this sly look and kept inching his way over. Right then I knew it wasn’t going to end well. I more sternly told him to stop and come this way. He took another step. I stopped paying and went to go bring him back and he took off running down the aisle (past the bathroom) laughing the whole way. He has NEVER ran like that. Not even when we has much younger and didn’t know better.
I ran after him and caught him and he held my hand (I held his hand…) all the way back to the counter to pay for the medicine. He started screaming “I have to go potty”. I told him we would in a minute. I paid and we headed to the potty. Then the whole meltdown became even more melted down. He wanted to go to the boy’s bathroom (simply because it was not the one I was taking him to). He wanted to open the door, but wouldn’t. All the while he’s screaming about how he has to go potty. I gave him one more chance to go in, then I just scooped him up, kicking and screaming and walked out of the store.
Despite the hour long craziness that ensued (he didn’t calm down until well after we got home) I think it was a good thing – not for Landon, but for me. I’ve now had “that” kid – and I know it’s not the cause of poor parenting, or lack of discipline, but the unpredictable creature that is a 2 year old. I had several people watch as I left, giving that “I’ll never have “that” kid” look, although from some I’m sure it’s the look I’ll have from now on: the “been there done that” look.