THAT Lady

You know the one I mean. You're in Walmart. She has a screaming 6-year-old, a three year old in tow, and she is trying to keep her cool. This 6-year-old is not just screaming, though. He's hitting, biting the cart, kicking at mom, oblivious to all other's around, and screaming at the top of his lungs things like, "I am SOOO mad at you!" "I just want that toy!" "I am not talking to you again until I am 10--no 11!" "You are so mean!" "You are so mean!" Oh, did I already say that one? I just heard it so many times that it is still repeating in my head. Yes, it was my normally sweet son who was yelling, hanging off my coat, pulling on my purse, and acting like "a bully, maniac, crazy" to put it in his words. Honestly, I was really proud of myself. I didn't lose my cool--even when I got the sympathy looks from strangers. You know, the ones that are thinking, "Oh, that poor woman. I would have beat my child to death by now if they acted like that in public." The stares. That drives me crazy. One lady watched from the optical shop and then walked to the outside door when we went out so that she could continue staring at us as we walked to our car. You can't even beat your children in public now. You can't take them to the dressing room or the bathroom; big brother is watching everywhere. Besides, Daddy had the leather belt on him at work. My knit belt would not have had the same effect. What could have caused such a terrible outburst in the middle of Walmart? A toy. The word "no." A combination of things really, but it was not something I would like to be repeating anytime soon--or ever again in my life for that matter. My kids both received a $15 gift card to Walmart for Christmas. Great! We'll use it as a counting/budgeting lesson. Wonderful! In the excitement to leave for Walmart (as Aidan explained it later), he forgot his wallet with the rest of his spending money. He wanted a toy that was more than $15. No problem. That didn't actually trigger the fit. He wanted a toy that Mommy wasn't so sure was good for him, so I told him I would talk it over with Daddy and then go from there. It sounds reasonable enough. Even logical to my ever-over-emotional brain. Apparently not to a 6-year-old boy. This toy was not something he had even played with before! He couldn't even remember the name of it--just that he had seen the cartoon before (score: 500 for commercialism, 0 for mommy-logic). Needless to say, he will be getting a Daddy spanking tonight, no tv for 2 weeks, and he has to call Uncle D and apologize. Why Uncle D, you ask? Because he is the only one in the store that I know the name and phone number of. If I had everyone else's info, Aidan would be calling them, too. If you happened to be in Walmart this afternoon, let me know and my son will be calling you, as well. The lesson I am trying to teach him is that there are consequences in life for the actions we choose. Today he made some ba-a-a-a-a-d choices. But I still love him.