"But imagine what she'll be like in a few years' time!"

[ailbhe]

Today, someone told me I should smack Linnea.

Context: She had just endured a shoe-fitting, including the purchase of a pair of shoes, and wanted to leave the shoe department in the opposite direction to the one I wanted to take. I hel her arm and pulled; she sat down. I picked her up and planted her facing my direction; she turned around and crawled away. I turned her to my direction and pulled her along the floor using her toddler reins, saying "This isn't funny any more," because I had to pretend I wasn't laughing somehow.

An elderly woman said "When my son did that I used to smack him, but you're not allowed to do that any more." I said "Well, I'm hoping to avoid smacking," and assumed that was the end of it. Oh no. She said "But imagine what she'll be like in a few years' time!"

I had no response. I mean, I had a few afterwards - "Yes, she could be the kind of person who tells random strangers to hit people!" and so on - but at the time, I just sort of stood there in shock, then continued dragging Linnea another couple of paces. In total, it took less than ten steps before she got tired of being dragged (initially she thought it was funny), and another two before she decided to stand up and walk where I wanted her to.

Her jacket and padded dungarees were a bit grotty afterwards. Ho hum. Such is toddlerhood.

The shoes, by the way, will have to be returned. A few hours' wear shows that a fitting on the buckle leaves red marks on her ankles. I can't handle this show thing any more. Can't I just cut off her little toe so she fits in normal shoes?

Comments

[flybabydizzy.livejournal.com]

I tried hard not to smack my kids.
(I failed; mainly, I think, because I had 2 very headstrong children and a husband who allowed the kids to do whatever they wanted, until it annoyed him, when everything then became my fault, because I was a useless mother who couldnt make the kids behave.)
Certainly not for something like that. One way I used to cope with awkwardness and tantrums in public was to sing AT the kids. The Terrible Song. ##Oh what a terrible song, sing us another one, just like the other one, sing us another one do!## Just threatening them with the Terrible Song was often sufficient. I found it useful, because a mother who is SINGING to her child can't be bad, can she? Even if she is dragging a screaming child by the reins.