The quirks of being a toddler.

I went on a solo trip to Target tonight, while the boys went to the gym. Usually I would be thrilled with the idea of getting to go to my favorite store in the whole entire world by myself; however,  today I feel like crap and shopping was the last thing I wanted to do. I knew it was bound to happen, since Jack has been fighting a cold for over 2 weeks now and Matt caught it from him over the weekend. Anyway, on with my story. When I was in line waiting to check out, a mom and her 2 children were in front of me. The younger of the 2 kids, who was a few months older than Jack was being a little turkey and not listening to his mom. First, she wanted him to put his coat on and he had a huge tantrum, and all I could do was laugh because the boy looked absolutely ridiculous, yet adorable at the same time. The entire time he was doing this, all I could picture was Jack. Then after finally calming down, still not wearing his coat, the boy bolted for the doors, as his mom was swiping her card and he nearly made it outside before she could catch up to him. When she came back, she scolded her son and made him sit in the cart, so she could quickly complete her transaction and be on her way. Meanwhile, I had been in line for almost five minutes, waiting to check out. She looked at me with an ashamed, humiliated, overwhelmed face and said "I am so sorry!" Thinking to myself that in a few months that could just as easily be me, I said "What are you apologizing for? I've been there too. I have a 21 month old and I know how difficult it can be to shop with a toddler, which is why mine isn't here with me." Afterwards, I instantly saw her breathe a sigh of relief when she was reminded that she isn't the only who has an precocious toddler in the world and it can happen to anyone. I think it's so important for us parents to stick together and sympathize with one and other rather than cross blame and judgment. With that said, I believe that it is all in how you as a parent handle the situation and the message you choose to send to your child. For me personally, I am ten times more likely to commiserate with my fellow parent if they remain calm and level headed rather than immediately shouting at the top of their lungs, causing shame and embarrassment for their child and only escalating the situation. I am not going to deny the fact that there are times when I am at my wits end and all I want to do is scream, but then I think about what good it will really do. I only hope that in the coming months as Jack continues to learn more about what he is capable of that I will continue to hold onto these values.

My computer is about to go dead, but if I could take a moment to remind my friends and family that I am participating in The Tomorrow Fund Stroll, a charity that is very near and dear to my heart, on April 27th and your contribution, of any amount, would mean the world to not only me, but to so many other families who need our support. I am not going to leave my link on this page, so if you would like to learn more about the organization and how they helped us, then be sure to check out my Facebook page. Thank you so much!