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Monday, March 7, 2011

On Public Meltdowns

I'm getting better at composing myself when Henry gets upset in public but I'm still not "there". Taking him out as a newborn really stressed me out. The thought of him crying in a restaurant was enough to make boxed mac and cheese at home sound freaking amazing. But looking back on those feelings I'm laughing because a newborn cry? SO QUIET! and everyone is all lovey dovey over a newborn baby anyway so they don't really care as much as you think they do (seriously, new moms. stop worrying about it).

However, a screaming thirteen month old chucking food across the table? Yeah, not as charming. We went to breakfast yesterday and Hen was tired and all upset about something dumb and it was an experience, for sure. And I'm bad. I'm "that mom" who's ripping open a box of unpurchased goldfish in the grocery store just to keep my brat child under control. Not that Henry is really a brat. He's just stubborn.


realllly STUBBORN. see?


But I'm working on keeping my cool, even if he isn't. And maybe when Henry is 15 and he yells at me in public because I won't let him drive the car home, I'll look back on these "embarrassing" meltdowns and laugh too.

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19 comments:

deanna@delirious-rhapsody said...

i'm that mom as well. whatever would keep gage content is what i would do. it's not like i didn't pay for whatever he ate.....except for that one time when i got to the car and realized the plastic from his cheese stick had fallen somewhere on the floor before we made it to the register.

gage was a little bit older than henry is right now, but whenever he would be on the verge of a meltdown in public, i would lean in really close to him and whisper, "look at all those people looking at you. they are wondering why you are being so naughty." for some reason that always embarrassed him and he would immediately quieten down.

Amadeus said...

oooooh whooopie, I'm soo looking forward to that!! :)
hang in there!!!

Brittany said...

Can I just say that Henry's sad/angry/grumpy face is the cutest sad/angry/grumpy face I've EVER seen? Seriously, I could gobble him up. And I mean that in the least cannibalistic way...

hannafrancesca said...

Oh god, with an older kid it feels like everyone is judging your parenting too...apparentely kids who are raised properly are not supposed to pack tanties in public...yeah right!

erinlucyloves said...

that last picture of henry with the spoon in his mouth is hilarious.
i was terrified of going out in public when my milo was a newborn, but you are so right, it's way worse now that he's older when he has a screaming meltdown in public. luckily he doesn't do it too often and i can normally stay quite cool calm and collected about the whole thing. distraction is totally the key - don't beat yourself up about being "that mom" i am too, and hey - sometimes you've just gotta do what you gotta do!

Jess Craig said...

omg we went to cheeseburger in paradise 2 nights ago around wyatt's bedtime. worst mistake of our lives. back arching screaming. it sucked.

Lil Muse Lily said...

lol. Lily pulled a few of those on me. i just looked her straight in the eye and told her we are going home because of her bad behavior. then, i dragged her ass (and mine :( ) home.
i think it worked. she hasn't done it in a long time!

Unknown said...

It's so hard because you don't want to cause a scene but at the same time, you also want to teach them "no" and help them learn that they can't always get their way. I'm going through the same struggles. I always get flustered and start pulling things out of my diaper bag like I'm some kind of magician ;)

Cole said...

I am nearing my terrible twos and my public meltdowns make Mommy SO tired... I usually am okay at lunchtime, though - so we just never go out for other meals any more.

bohomamasoul said...

henry is stinkin' adorable, and if i would've been there, i wouldn't have blinked an eye! it was really hard for me to deal with the public meltdown, too. but really? we always think it's way worse than it actually is. and i was always the one ripping open food or throwing toys at the child to get him to calm the frig down. you're doing a great job, mama! keep up the good work :)

emily bilbrey said...

hahaha! seriously took the words right outta my brain! i was SO worried about p EVER being upset in public when she was tiny - seriously though? newborn cries are ADORABLE. toddler freakouts? not so much.

david and i are sooooo those parents, too. the other day i straight up watch my husband tear open a loaf of bread to hand a slice to poppy while shopping at safeway. at least we bought the bread?

(;

XO!

McMel said...

i know exactly how you feel. if ian starts fussing/crying while we're out, i want to scoop him up and hide, but my husbands all like "i don't care what anyone things." and then i feel like i'm the mom who gives in just to hush him up. it's a never ending battle!

Moments and Impressions said...

why did we worry when they were tiny?? silly - now they throw themselves into the floor, bang and kick - and I just trow my hands in the air... :)

Summer said...

Your a good mama. Even in his stubborn ways he is adroable! ha I have not had this pleasure yet... I am sure it is coming since I have a 13 month old as of this Friday.. =-)) Love the end when you said that he is 16...too funny.

Anonymous said...

The only advice I can give on this..is to work around his schedule..and have snacks galore. We never go out in public unless we know Cam is fully rested..but even then it's sometimes a struggle. Now I make sure I have cereal on hand at all times.

Anonymous said...

Loving the spoon in the mouth pic. You manage to catch the best moments on film. zoe

JConstantine said...

hahahaha. that "stubborn" photo is the best!

adorable

don't feel bad about being 'that mom', i give grayson anything he wants to stop a screaming fit when were out! (i might regret doing that later though when he catches on)

Victoria said...

I found it easy before now much harder as she verbally tells us what she would like or wants.
When she's not happy she screams or chucks the biggest tantrum ever.
No matter where we are its lets scream the place done.
But I've learnt to control the situation & strap her in her pram & over her with the sun shade.

Heidi said...

Yeah, that whole wanting to drive my car off a cliff rant from last Saturday? It was precipitated by a three-girl-mega-flip-out in Walmart.

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