not my best parenting demonstration...BUT...

**gegele** · 21-09-2012, 03:36 PM

DS is just 4 and has just started school full time. after collecting dd, mindee and him from infant i walked to junior to catch up with cm friend.
DS came to me with half a leaf and ask me to put it in buggy,look around and realised i didn't have lo today so no buggy!
he asked me to carry it and i said put it in your pocket, i haven't got any hands letf as i'm carrying book bags, coat and bread.

he said no put it in my book bag, i gave him his bag and asked to do it himself as my hands were full...

Well he got himself wound up and started shouting whilst doing as he was told, once the leaf in he threw the bag at me!!

i told him to don't think so... and refused to pick up the bag...

he went in FULL MELTDOWN MODE he kicked his bag, screamed, lay on the floor...

and my reaction as i look at my little boy first ever public display? when i look at his eyes getting bright green with frustration??

I burst in fits of laughters, tears rolling down my face

the look of the parents wasn't great. A part of me was feeling un professional, the other part of me thought "being a childminder doesn't mean i'm nanny Frost" and the other one was thinking " yeah right what would you do Nanny mcphee?"

at the end of the story he did say please for me to take his bag, he cried because he didn't want to walk and 200meter later he was fine and playing, all was forgotten.

what would you have done??/

**AliceK** · 21-09-2012, 04:00 PM

I probably would have stood there and very calmly told him we can wait as long as you want until you are ready to calm down and pick your book bag up, and then just ignored him. Sometimes I say this when I have LO's that don't want to hold someones hand when we come to crossing a road or the older ones who carry on messing about together when I have asked for everyone to concentrate whilst we cross the road.
I remember my DD, she was only 2 having complete meltdown on the way home from the school run, she screamed and screamed all the way home (about 15 mins walk). I was embarassed but had to remain calm (on the outside anyway

)
I think you handled it very well

xx

**sarah707** · 21-09-2012, 04:35 PM

It's always hard when they start school - early night tonight I think!

I think you handled it just fine. Hugs xx

**gegele** · 21-09-2012, 05:12 PM

thank you ladies, but you know THE look parents give you... ggrrr

i had a lo once who was crying in buggy because i stopped her from trying to pull baby's hair... we met new parent with their bundle of joy in hi brand new buggy and they gave me the "OUR child will NEVER display such behaviour in public" and all i wanted to do was yeah yeah yeah keep hold of that dream!!

**PixiePetal** · 21-09-2012, 05:47 PM

been there, done that, got the t shirt!

although I don't remember laughing that much - too busy trying to keep calm on the outside and be firm!

would the other parents watching have preferred you to lose your temper

**bunyip** · 21-09-2012, 07:20 PM

Me?
What would I do?

Well, every morning I wake up thinking I'm Mary Poppins
and by lunchtime I realise I'm Cruella de Ville.

**The Juggler** · 21-09-2012, 10:12 PM

oh hon! i would have done same as you. when dd was 2 and i started she was often to be found kicking and screaming in a puddle in the playground

i had no buggy board so to get home would put her over the buggy canopy and go

not a good advertisement really

dd is 10 now and still 'goes off' regularly on school runs. now I refuse to speak to her until she wants to talk nicely

**gegele** · 22-09-2012, 07:21 AM

Originally Posted by bunyip

Me?
What would I do?

Well, every morning I wake up thinking I'm Mary Poppins
and by lunchtime I realise I'm Cruella de Ville.

ah ah ah ah ah ah ah ah ah

**Two Princesses** · 22-09-2012, 07:25 AM

I have a nearly 3 yr old who does it on most school runs to varying degrees, she wants to go to school with her sister and won't leave the playground.
Last week she stood just outside the school reception shouting "come back here mummy. NOW!"

. After that day I now take fruit and bribe her all the way home!
She won't sit in a buggy as she climbs out while I'm pushing (P&T) or hits mindee (maclaren twin) and screams blue murder. I have been known to sling her under my arm or over my shoulder at times

but luckily everyone knows she's mine and a real handful!
Funnily just recently I've had 3 people comment how patient I am (I really don't feel it when she kicks off!) and how calmly I deal with her

**ninagee** · 22-09-2012, 03:25 PM

My ds7 has been having meltdowns since he was born!

When dd10 started reception class at her old school and he was 2.5 years old, we walked to school every day which was a 10 minute walk. He would regularly sit down on the pavement or in the school playground kicking and screaming and refuse to budge. I lost count the number of times I carried him home in a fireman's lift and everyone saying how patient I was with him. I found it very hard not to laugh and on most occasions could not hide it.

Even now he has the occasional meltdown especially straight after school. As we now have to drive to/from school, I put him in the 'boot' of the Zafira by himself to calm down. By the time we get home, he apologises and says that he can't stop himself feeling angry and he doesn't know why he does it!

Nina

**samb** · 22-09-2012, 04:16 PM

Ooooo my ds is exactly the same - was 4 end of june and just started full time school. He comes out and immediately wants me to do something and is saying mum, mum, mum, mum. If I ask him to wait or don't give him the answer he wants he throws his stuff done, shouts til he is red in the face and hits me!!!

I thought it was just normal though lol!

**zippy** · 22-09-2012, 04:27 PM

reminds me of the first and only time my daughter had a complete meltdown, threw herself on the floor, hands and feet kicking (luckily in our house) me and my husband looked at each other and completely wet ourselves laughing, it was just so funny. She looked at us in complete disgust and marched out of the room, lol. Still makes me laugh now. She's never thrown a tantrum since, she sulks now lol. I'd have done exactly the same in your position, either that or turn my back and walk off, does them no harm to realise how ridiculous they're being sometimes.

**lilac_dragon** · 23-09-2012, 06:54 AM

Only had 1 child so far who would have complete meltdowns in public, lay on the pavement kicking and screaming - After the 6th time in 2 weeks, i took one of those foldup camping chairs with me under the buggy, and when he kicked off, i put the brake on the buggy, got the camping chair out and sat down with a magazine on the pavement.
It went very quiet.
he picked himself up and peered over the top of my magazine and asked me to read him a story!!!

**gegele** · 23-09-2012, 07:22 AM

Originally Posted by lilac_dragon

Only had 1 child so far who would have complete meltdowns in public, lay on the pavement kicking and screaming - After the 6th time in 2 weeks, i took one of those foldup camping chairs with me under the buggy, and when he kicked off, i put the brake on the buggy, got the camping chair out and sat down with a magazine on the pavement.
It went very quiet.
he picked himself up and peered over the top of my magazine and asked me to read him a story!!!

ah ah ah ah ah ah aha ha ah ah