Parenting 101 in the Candy Aisle

The other day I was at the grocery store and I saw a classic mom “no-no”.  It’s one of those things all moms (and dads) know that we’re not supposed to do, but we’ve all been there and done that. (Or if we haven't actually done it, we've seriously thought about doing it!)  Yes, I'm talking about candy aisle bribery.

 

Here’s what happened…  Mom and her daughter were waiting in line to pay for their groceries.  Mom began a short conversation with the woman in front of her.  The daughter (who was probably about 4-years-old) immediately started to whine and yank on Mom’s coat.  Mom ignored the coat-pulling, so the daughter asked,  “Can I have candy?”, “Can I have candy?”, “Can I have candy?”…   (She was VERY persistent!)  Mom shushed the girl and kept talking to her friend.  

This little girl was not going to be deterred from her mission of getting Mom’s attention, so she upped her game.  And her volume.  She started to yell, “I WANT CANDY!!!!”, while stomping her little foot.  ( If you’re old enough to remember  the original “Williy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory” movie… think Veruca Salt.)  

Mom said, “No!” and turned back to her adult conversation.  I think this is what pushed the little darling over the edge.  Now, the daughter used not only her words to get attention, but also her fists.  She started hitting Mom in the legs. She pummeled her mother over and over again with her tiny fists, until Mom picked up her daughter, held her in her arms and spoke quietly to her. 

This was the beginning of the mother’s fatal mistake.

Click to find out why this was a mistake and how you can avoid making the same mistake!