Originally Posted by
indyfabz
Got home yesterday afternoon and was relaxing on the back deck with the cat. The kid two doors down started throwing a tantrum, screaming “I don’t want to go outside!” (She was already outside.) This went on for a good 5 minutes until who I think was a nanny brought her back in. It was odd because both their kids are usually well behaved. I am pretty sure it was a nanny because the adult had a European accent.
Another couple whose house looked onto mine had a kid who would often throw tantrums in the morning. I used to think about what dealing with that most mornings would be like while enjoying my morning coffee. They moved maybe a year ago.
Shortly before his brother was born, Mrs. GJ and I took The Older Boy (2 1/2 year old then) to the Mall. I took him to the toy store while Mrs. GJ shopped. He was OBSESSED with trains, so the place with the Brio train set for kids to play with was a favorite. One day we went there and he saw what was at the time, for him, THE WORLD'S GREATEST POSSIBLE TOY. It was a toy steam engine, that had a button you could push to make the wheels turn, smoke come out of the stack and it would make a "whoo-whoo" whistle and chugging sound. The boxes were open on the front, with the button labeled "Try Me". He stood there for at least 10 minutes pushing that button.
Mrs. GJ came back, and we agreed that while we did want to get that toy for him at some point, it would be best for him not to get everything he wanted when he wanted it. When I told him it was time to go and we weren't going to buy the toy that day, he literally grabbed the box and RAN toward the cashier. When we made it clear we weren't going to cave, he had a HUGE meltdown. I ended up carrying him, all the way through the mall, with him crying "Go backwards!" He was still going when we got home, and for a good half hour after.
I can't recall any more meltdowns as bad as that one. But it did make me think - every person we passed let us walk out of the mall with a screaming child. That was NOT a comforting thought.