Public Screaming

Today, I was walking through the parking lot of the grocery store when I heard a lady (and I use that term loosely) screaming at her child inside her car. At one point, I heard her yell "When I get you home, I'm gonna whoop you across the behind." I am by far a perfect parent but threatening your child with physical abuse is no way to get them to behave. Screaming and going on like that in a public place is unacceptable. (Screaming at your child is unacceptable anywhere but I know it happens.)

How is your child going to learn to behave in public if you as the parent act like that? I know shopping with anyone under the age of 5 is hard and we sometimes loose our temper. But before we raise our voice, we must stop, take a breath and figure out what is wrong and how to resolve it. Screaming at your child is not going to get them to behave and whooping their behind is not the solution either.

If you don't have anyone to watch them while you go grocery shopping, try to make shorter trips. Instead of going for a hour once a week, try going for 30 minutes twice a week. If that's not possible, have them help you by finding items and putting them into the cart. If they act up, warn them you are going to leave and follow through. Yeah, it sucks not getting everything on your list, but you can always go back later when your child can behave.