Yes, this was a statement that I actually heard in Target a few days ago.
Disclaimer: if your 6-8 year old throws temper tantrums in public and you ignore it and continue shopping for 45 minutes then you probably don't want to read my post.
That being said, here goes nothing.
Ok. Seriously? This kid was no older than 8 and no younger than 5. I had him pinned for a first grader. So this kid was screaming at his mother all through Target about getting a stupid iPad for Christmas and why he NEEDED one. Yes, needed one. Why the heck would a first grader NEED an iPad? Do adults even NEED them. I'm 27 and do not have an iPad or a tablet. At least as adults we know the difference between want and need. So anyway, I heard this boy screaming when I went in to the store. His mom continued to do her shopping and spent a LONG time in the electronics area. Ok, WHY would you hover over there where the iPads are? Clearly your son cannot handle life at the moment and you are just baiting him.
Anyway, no matter where I was in the store I could hear this boy screaming about an iPad. It really did bother me and got me thinking about kids and TV and me limiting what my kids watch. I didn't think I'd be that type of parent but seriously? I'd rather my kids not watch TV and not know what kind of products are out there instead of having the kid throwing a temper tantrum in Target.
Of course at checkout this family would be behind me. I did a great job and ignored it. Yep. go me! No dirty looks, I didn't laugh to myself, instead I thought, "thank God this isn't me right now." So in the checkout line was when the real breakdown happened. I heard things like:
"There's no iPad in the cart, we can't check out."
"Why do you hate me?"
"Go back and get me my iPad NOW!"
"You're a mean mother."
and the best of them all
"I'd rather die than not get an iPad for Christmas."
Sheesh. I didn't realize that life as a first grader was so rough. Please tell me I'm not the only one completely bothered by this. I feel bad for judging, but come on. Kids that age shouldn't be throwing tantrums, right? And for that long? I was in the store for almost an hour and he would not calm down. Personally, if I were in that mother's shoes, I'd of picked him up, left my cart full of stuff where it was, got in the car, and gotten the hell out of Dodge. But that's just me.
The sad part is, I bet that kid is getting an iPad for Christmas.
I think the best thing you said was the last line. That's the problem 99% of the time, and that's why your kids aren't going to be like that. You're not going to give in to them. If I had thrown a temper tantrum, I would have been swatted right there in the store. But yeah, I'm with you. A lot of kids today are not just spoiled, they think they're entitled to everything they want. It makes me sad. Keep writing!!
ReplyDelete-Jess