Hey Old Lady...Mind Your Own Business!

I cannot believe that Thanksgiving is next week! Being that we are hosting Mark's family (that's 11 people) for five days, Mark and I decided to get a jump start on Thanksgiving preparations.

Thus, after Trent refused to take a nap yesterday (mistake numero uno), we decided to make a trek to Walmart (mistake numero dos) on Veteran's Day (mistake numero tres). Let me preface this story with the fact that we never go to Walmart and I mean NEVER! Yes, the patrons that frequent that store are thoroughly entertaining  and it is so much cheaper than the stores we have in town, it's just always so busy! Not to mention, I always mistakenly stand in the WIC checkout line (thinking, "Sweet, I scored because this line is so short), I start unloading my groceries on the conveyor belt, and then I have to wait like forty-five minutes behind a seventeen year old with two kids who are older than my own, as the checker ensures that each item is WIC approved.

Anyhow, because we have so many groceries to get for Thanksgiving, we decided to brave the crowd so that we could get all of the dry goods before the stores in town start running low. BIG mistake! HUGE! [But I] Had to go shopping now! (Movie trivia, anyone?) Bueller? Bueller?

Moving on...about thirty minutes into our trip, we were doing pretty good. I was checking items off my list and Trent was behaving himself. That is, until he saw a box of raisins. As soon as he saw that red carton, he flipped! He wanted those raisins and he wanted them now. I threw the carton in the cart but that wasn't good enough; he wanted to eat them immediately. Hating when parents allow their children to munch on items in stores that have yet to be purchased, I refused to hand them over to his grubby little mitts and that's when the meltdown really began. The tears....the flailing of limbs...the screaming at the top of his lungs. For the second time in the matter of weeks, we were "those people" in public. Embarrassed, Mark took Trent out of the cart and was going to carry him outside while I finished the shopping. As Mark was leading Trent away, who was screaming at the top of his lungs, the old lady next to me looked me straight in the eyes and said, "Why didn't you leave your child at home with a sitter if he was going to behave that way?" I was shocked. As if I wasn't embarrassed enough, she had to rub it in. I couldn't even answer her. I just pushed my cart away thinking to myself, "Yes, lady. I take my kid out of the house knowing that he is going to have a tantrum and I really enjoy when he does."

A few minutes later, Trent had calmed down and reappeared with Mark, both with smiles on their faces. That is, until Trent saw the carton of raisins again. AHHHHHH! Mark broke down and opened the carton for him. Trent then happily sat in the cart, munching on what you think would be gold. He was as happy as can be.

As we got in the checkout line, I was telling Mark about the rude comment the lady made to me. It was at this very moment that I looked to my left and the old bag was standing in the line next to me. As if on cue, Trent chucked a handful of raisins at her and laughed. Once again, we were embarrassed as we got down on our hands and knees and started collecting the raisins. She had the nerve to turn to me and very sweetly say, "I'm sure the employees will clean that up and he is soooooo cute." We ignored both comments.

Two things came out of this experience, (besides my wanting to chokehold an old lady).

First, I will never take Trent out to a busy public place without his having taken a nap.

Second, I think my husband has a newfound appreciation for how hard (and at times, embarrassing) it can be to deal with an eighteen month old in a public place who has a tantrum!

I have come to the conclusion that those people who roll their eyes at screaming children are either old and grumpy or do not have kids of their own (to the later group: beware...it could be you one day). To both sects, believe, me, parents don't want their children to misbehave, especially in public. It is embarrassing, trust me, and it is not a reflection of how the child acts all of the time. So, please refrain from making comments, smirks, and eye rolls. The next time that a parent in a store has to shop with a tantrum filled child, I will sympathize, smile at the parent and tell them that I know exactly how they feel!