I really liked this article. I noticed that all children go through a temper tantrum/attention getting phase. If you give the child the attention they want for negative behaviour, they will repeat it! I mentioned this before, but when we would go to the grocery store with our daughter, she would pitch a fit (not because she was hungry or anything) our solution was to completely ignore the fit. That is not the only step though! A lot of parents think that just ignoring the kids will make the problem go away, nopers. The minute they start acting like the sweet little angels that you know are buried in there, you need to give them attention. When my baby girl finally stopped pitching her fits, we asked her questions about what she liked for dinner, if she wanted to learn how to make cookies, anything that would keep her involved.
Sadly, lots of people judged me based on that week of temper tantrums at the store. While I would never have taken her to a movie, or entertainment place with her in that phase, I did take her to the store. Many people would make comments about out of control children, without knowing what my daughter is normally like. Now she is an angel at the store, because she knows that temper tantrums will not get her what she wants!
One last note, during that temper tantrum phase, she was pitching a fit in the line, and the clerk offered her a sucker (without asking me) That is a huge no-no! First of all, he had just rewarded her for her bad behavior. Secondly, he ignored my rights as a parent to lay down the law, he wouldn't have known that we have a no sweets policy. And what if my daughter had been diabetic? Or had some other problem with eating sugar? He could have caused serious harm. I did speak rather sharply to both him and his boss, letting them know that I did not appreciate what he did. And it actually made the temper tantrum last even longer. So my point is, if it's not your child, don't offer rewards without talking to the parents first! (in general, don't offer or do anything without talking to the parents first... unless the parents are abusing the child, then get the authorities involved!)
Great article! I loved the part about feeling embarassed for knocking into a "little old lady" I just about died laughing! My daughter would have been mortified if that happened to her!
