Public Meltdown of Epic Proportions

Let me just say that I knew this was coming. Some day, some way, it would happen and it was as bad as I thought it would be.

And it could have been entirely avoided.

I made the rookie mistake of thinking that J Boy had overcome his fear of the grocery store. Over the last few months, the two of us have made several uneventful trips and since I needed something to finish dinner and James was working, I loaded both kids into the car and took off. I had no indication that things would end so badly in the car but as soon as we arrived I should have seen it coming. J Boy requested the massive, practically unmaneuverable racecar cart and because both kids have used it happily, I complied. I HATE that sorry excuse for a grocery cart but it has bought me time and compliance several times over. 

But he wouldn't get in. I bribed him and he relented. 

Not two minutes into our trip, he lunged himself at me the get out and trailed behind us. Seeing his fingers in his ears and his feet on tiptoe, I knew I had to make it quick and get the hell out. We had two more items on the other side of our mega-Publix and I thought we could do it.

Until he ran away. That stupid, over-juiced shopping cart got caught in a crowd (ever-present at the grocery store during tourist season) and he got away.

I don't think I've mentioned J Boy's tendency to run outdoors and into traffic. So I panicked.

I'm good at panicking. It's unsuccessfully pulled me through many frightening situations in life. 

So by the time I got the cart free, a stranger asked me if I was looking for the little boy who was in the pharmacy. Why, yes, actually. Thank you.

When I found him, it was on. Shopping cart ditched, J Girl on my hip, I was flat out chasing him through the grocery store and toward the door. A group of strangers caught him and made him wait for me. 

The best part was only started. He had a mega-meltdown right there as I took his hand: he kicked, hit, screamed, threw his head against the floor, tightened his muscles and continued to try to break for the door. All the while, his sister is standing next to us watching and trying to climb up my hip because he's frightening her. Eventually, I got his hand and got him outside where he could continue.

I tried to restrain him, strangers were stopping to ask if there was anything they could do to help. Which I really appreciated, I just hope they didn't think I was bein unreasonable in my attempt to keep him from running into the parking lot.

We drove to my mother's house when it was over (and could stop shaking enough to drive) and I burst into tears as soon as J Boy went outside to play. 

I have to say, I was terrified and felt sooo stupid. Because J Boy and I had had a few good experiences at the grocery store I figured I could handle a skittish four-year-old and a toddler. I needed the help of several strangers to get my boy under control because he was running from me and didn't even seem to recognize me. AND I endangered J Girl and certainly frightened her. I don't even know what spooked him.

So, there's my parenting fail for the week. What's your's?

 

Comments

[Belle]

When Becks was about J Boy's age, I thought I could successfully take her to a Pow-Wow. I was wrong, wrong, wrong. What you described is exactly what we experienced, and I beat myself up for being such an idiot as to think that I could ever consider our circumstances normal enough to do such a seemingly simple thing. Now that she is older and in better control of herself, we *can* do those things, with a bit of planning and luck, and I'm glad for it. But I will never forget that experience. Never ever.