Perhaps it was a bad idea to take Seth grocery shopping straight from preschool. I brought him a snack, and an ice cold drink, and thought he could get through, but I guess he was too tired from his busy morning.
He walked beside me, and did not want to be in the shopping cart, until we were checking out. At that point, I needed to put the bagged groceries in it, to carry them to the van. Still, he persisted, claiming he was too tired to walk all the way outside to the parking lot.
He whined, he pleaded, he clung to the cart. I kept walking, dragging him along. In the parking lot, he threw himself in front of the shopping cart, defying me to run over him. I peeled him off and walked around. He followed, screaming indignantly. When he saw we were approaching the van, and he was out of time, he lost it, throwing himself onto the dirty pavement, in child's pose, refusing to move.
It's sunny, in the 80's here today, and as I loaded the groceries into the van, I smiled at his ridiculousness.
"That pavement must be hot." I thought to myself.
After I got the groceries securely in the van, I turned and picked up my little man, smiling at the amount of energy he put into his tantrum despite the fact that he was too tired to walk. I buckled him in, kissed him and handed him his water. I turned on the theme to Hairspray and put on his favorite song (She's Got Cooties). I smiled all the way home.
Sorry little fella, it might have been a bad idea, but you got no game.
I learned from the best.
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8 comments:
... and how lucky is that little guy to have you as his mom. ;-)
Well handled!
You sound like the living embodiment of Mystic Wing's "waves on the shore" theory.
Seriously, you're all the way "there" when you can see this sort of thing as both observer and observed and respond rather than react.
You rule, Michelle.
Well, some days are better than others. Sometimes I just scream at them.
They really think they can get their way. You showed who's boss. I admit sometimes I do give in. And sometimes I scream at them, too.
wow. i am SO inspired by your calm!
Poor Seth. Lying on pavement is such a final, dramatic move and he got nothing for it. Such tantrum talent wasted on a wise mommy :)
Detachment: a tool I learned in Alanon,---the freedom to own what is mine (today calmness and peacefulness) and to allow others to own what is theirs. (today temper tantrums and hot pavement).
I can detach and still love, still feel. I can take care of myself and let others tend to theirs. I don't have to change anyone even if I think that they are wrong. I can detach wtihout losing compassion.
God's word in Psalm 139 says that I am feafully and wonderfully made.
(not perfectly or flawlessly). I think that the "fearfully" means awesomely which takes alot of trying to be perfect off from my shoulders.
I love you. I think that you are
fearfully and wonderfully made. You are a BLESSING to your family!!!
Love and hugs
Gramma Annie
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