by Author Name Withheld 230

Created on: February 12, 2007   Last Updated: April 12, 2011

As a Parent of 2 girls I have tried to raise them with very key words passed down to me from my mother "Raise your children for others not for yourself".

Those words have lingered in my mind since day one.
As my girls approach their teenage years, I have seen the product of this.
I have been on both sides of the stick.

When the girls were toddlers, we went through their meltdowns, and tantrums and honestly, the thought of just letting it go and ignoring the behavior ALWAYS enters your mind...

But then the words of my mother would come to play and the realization that if I ignored it how do they know?

How do they know what is proper behavior?
How do they learn NOT to get carried away with the emotions of not getting that candy at the checkout ISLE!
How do they know it's not OK to scream "I have to poopy"! at the top of their lungs! (And oh boy does this get the stares.)

I think moms are forgetting our role most importantly is to allow our children's individuality's to shine, but manners and self control in no way shape or from compromise this.

It is my personal thought it only enhances it.

These children will one day be in a relationship, or productive citizens, or parents themselves, and what tools will we have in them if we don't at least try .

I remember one time when my oldest daughter was 2 I had just finished grocery shopping and was on my way to the check out lane, and after 2 hours of her whining and cranky behavior I had reached my limit.
Not to mention all the smirks and looks I was getting from employees and other customers, (who had no clue she was extra cranky that day because she didn't sleep well the night before!)

I mean what do they want you to do? Right?

Well the battle continued on as we got to the checkout isle cart filled to the brim, my neck stiff as a board from tension, and the people in front of me squirming every-time she whaled in a tantrum.
Her nose red and covered in boogies from crying so much and the famous gasping for air tremor they get after a full fledged tantrum.
Other people looking at you like YOU have done something wrong.

I looked at her and said "if you don't calm down , Mommy will take you home and come do groceries alone"! ( she loved going with me by the way).

She let out a LOUD NOOOOOOO !

The entire store went silent, I felt as if time stood still, Was I in the twilight zone?
I did feel kind of zombie like at this point...

I just picked her up grabbed my bag and walked right out of there.
I left the cart with all the food,

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