32 Comments

Truth! Stand strong, parents! What a great little story, Sharron. And an important lesson for sure.

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Yeah!, who is in control here anyway? I see way too many parents letting their kids rule. It shocks me. Ah, well, they'll turn out okay, right?

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Now ya tell me. Haha, I remember those cringe moments!

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Yeah. Sometimes we just had to abandon the groceries and get that baby out of there! You are trying to teach your child a lesson, but other adults don't want to put up with it there and then. SO embarrassing!

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Nice story Sharron. Brought back memories for me too.

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It is funny, now that it is over, right? But I remember well a couple of humiliating days in the market...

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Its hard being little. No control over life. Little kids have no logic, no sense of budget fer pete sake. Who pays 5 bucks for 4 bowls of sugar. Every mother has been in the same place. You were there too eh? Good script Mom. ))

Actually saw one yesterday. The cart was FULL of cereal boxes. She's the neighborhood fun Mom. Either she likes to see kids freak out on sugar or its revenge for other Mom's sending their kids to her.

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Yikes! Those poor sugar-addicted kids. It is an addiction that lasts a lifetime. The number one cause of type-2 diabetes... a gift from the parents.

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I was lucky enough with both of my now estranged daughters. They were both perfectly "adult" at the market, and any shop we visited, when they were still walking babies. Little did I know what was in store 3 decades later.

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Sounds like there is a story there for you to write AT, just under the surface. I am curious.

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Little ones can make it really tough to say no-especially these days with so many choices.

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Giving in to the tantrum has far reaching effects, doesn't it! We are teaching them "Scream loud enough and long enough, and you will get what you want." Life does not work that way, however....

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So true.. and if it works once why not keep it up- louder and longer.

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Oh my gosh...... ha ha ha ha. I'm still laughing, not at that poor mother, but at memories of my 'oh so sweet, but not very perfect' kids.

And grocery stores are so cruel....they put all those tempting Tic Tacs, gum, and Candy bars at the check out counter, right at eye and grab level. I blame them for at least an occasional melt down!

Thanks for digging up these memories!

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I think a lot of parents can relate to this. We learned the hard way. I see a lot of younger parents falling into the same trap. It is funny whenI look back, but it wan't so funny when it was happening.

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I agree. It definitely wasn't funny when it was happening. But so important to set the standards. Being a good parent isn't always about being liked by your kids.

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So true. A parent is a parent, and not necessarily "popular".

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Yes, cruel is the word! Most of the marketing geniuses that strategically place meltdown-inducing products to tempt kids are parents themselves, yet they go on exploiting weaknesses in child/parent psychology just to move sugar from shelves into little mouths.

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Sugar should be on the controlled substance list. Parents of the country - UNITE!

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Ever hear of the book by Dr James Dobson; the Strong Willed Child? You may have captured chapter one!

(and now I have to put that box of Cap'n Crunch back.)🙄

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I don't know this book! I will check it out. Ah well, Ron, they say that what doesn't kill you makes you stronger, right?

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This is so lovely, Sharron - I've come across scenes just like this myself! 🤣 Soooo beautifully observed.

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Thanks. I think this slightly longer, more detailed version was better than the 50-word version I submitted to Justin Deming's challenge https://alongthehudson.substack.com/p/fifties-by-the-fire-come-closer-im/comments . I love his contests!

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They're definitely a Friday highlight!

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Very nice, Sharron. I saw a meltdown the other day. The parents handled it nicely, I was expecting the young one to win.

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Thank goodness they grow out of it. Most of them anyway. I HAVE seen/heard a few whiny aggressive teenagers in stores with their moms, though. Scary.

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Agreed. Parents need to be parents. Now, grandparents are another story... 🤣

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hah!

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That was great !

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Thank you for dropping in Jo Jo! Glad you liked it. You have similar memories yourself, I am sure. Happy day to you.

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I watched a tv commercial in Holland where a guy took his four year old son shopping at a grocery store. The kid pulled whatever he wanted from the shelf and dropped it into the shopping cart. The dad patiently removed the items and returned them to the shelves as the kid came to full boil, dropped to the floor and raged as other shoppers looked on with a mixture of pity for the dad and venom for the brat.

At that point in the commercial, the words “use condoms” flashed across the screen.

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Hilarious! That would have convinced me. A small nuisance now vs a HUGE nuisance later.

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