What does one do when one is with another person's kid and that kid throws the biggest fit one has ever seen? EVER???
We took the boy to see Disney on Ice today. We also took another child-whom I will call guest. They both really really enjoyed the show. They were completely mesmerized and impossible to distract while the show was happening. It was lovely. They were enjoying their $7 popcorn each, they had juice and cheese strings. All was going really well. Guest asked me if we could go look at the toys for sale. I said fine we could LOOK but not buy.
Then the trouble started. Guest decided she wanted to buy one of the toys for sale. We said no way. The items were all stupidly over priced and if she got something then we would have to buy a piece of junk for our son. That was not going to happen. Her lip started to pout, her eyes started to swell and the tears began, quietly at first, then when we just ignored her she started wailing. I mean screaming and crying to the point that she looked like a crazed lunatic. She was kicking and hitting and it looked like she might almost throw up. This lasted an entire hour.
Now my kids can give it a go. But I have never honestly seen anything like this in my entire life. I don't work with kids and after this episode- frankly I'm glad I work with seniors! and if this had happened pre-kids...not sure I would have had any!
What would you have done in this situation? We absolutely were not going to give in and buy a toy for her- especially after this display of completely spoiled, very unattractive behaviour. We didn't want to show our son (who was actually an angel today, after a previous evening of slightly dubious behaviour!) that this type of behaviour warrants a reward of any kind, as she was our guest we really weren't sure of the limits set for her by her parents or grandparents. Time outs, ignoring her or walking away were not options, what on earth to do?!?! Threatening to call her mother wasn't working, actually calling but not reaching her was problematic - we were really at a complete loss. Once getting past the embarrassment of stares and snickers of passers-by we (I should say my husband, I was in too much shock to actually get past her crazed behaviour) eventually managed to calm her down to point where she could walk on her own and not be dragged along the Skywalk on her knees to the subway! Once this tantrum of epic proportions was over she reverted back to her usual sweet self-very much like Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde.
We then enjoyed a nice lunch at Mr Greenjeans- but did not give in to requests for dessert!
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Oh geez, it's bad enough when it's your own kid, but someone else's kid?! I guess maybe the good news is that she feels comfortable enough around you to act out ;)! I think you did the only thing you could do and you handled it the best you could. The "jekyll and hyde" can be very typical - sometimes they get so caught up in their fits that they often forget why they were so wound up in the first place, and then go on as if nothing ever happened. A girl thing, maybe? I think mine would be too reserved to do that in other company, though. She saves the good stuff for us. Lucky us.
ReplyDeleteyeah our niece won't be coming out with us for a while. Her mom was really upset when we told her but she wasn't surprise-thanks for the warning! Her grandmother (not my husband's mom but from the other side) knew exactly the reason for her fit the moment we told her it happened- she said they have fought before over her wanting to buy stuff and being told no. We think perhaps she gets whatever she wants from her maternal gp's whenever they go out.
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