So today I took the big boy to the grocery store with me. Really it's one of them super-center things, like a super Wal-Mart or Target, but not those stores.....I typically do all of my shopping during the week and usually in the mornings. I needed a few things so we ran together. This store has toys to amuse the boy...but I digress.....
This post is about another mom and her two sons. My son (the small one was at home napping with daddy) and I were in the ice cream aisle, to get ice cream. There was another mom and her two sons, dressed nicely, as if they had just left church. I would guess the boys to be about 2 and 4. Her younger one was in the cart, but kept trying to climb out. The older one had put some ice cream in the cart and she was telling him no. The boy got very upset and began screaming for the ice cream. Mom told him she wasn't getting "that" one, and that there was some in the cart already. She told him it was time to go, and began to walk away. He wouldn't follow her. He opened the door and got the ice cream back out. She tried this again, 2 more times.
At first my brain started judging....kid needs a good talking to, mom should just pick him up....and on....but then I stopped and really thought about it. I felt bad for the boy because at one point she said if you want that ice cream you need to tell daddy to get a better job :( My heart broke for both of them! And while I haven't thought my husband needs to get a better job, I have thought about a job needing to find my husband. I remembered those super scary months when no one in our house had income or employment. I can feel her pain.
And so I decided to take control of my thoughts and offer some compassion. My son and I were done getting our ice cream, and as I walked past her, and her screaming tot, I looked at her and said, "Been there, Done that-I hope that your day gets better after this!" And you know what? You could see her visibly relax ;) She smiled and said thank you. I don't know if the boy got the ice cream he wanted, but I did hear mom talking to him about why he didn't want the one she had. And maybe she just needed a little reassurance that it's okay that kids through a fit in the grocery store, they are kids after all. It was 98 degrees here today and it was about 2:00 in the afternoon...the kid was probably tired. I know that just having someone say that to me, when my kids are having a rough day (usually in church because they are supposed to be kinda still and kinda quiet) makes all the difference to me ;)
So I challenge all of us out there to extend a kind word to the next mom you see struggling in the grocery store or even just a smile. Her kid might not be undisciplined....they might be having a REALLY bad day....your kindness could be all that is needed to turn that around!
No comments:
Post a Comment