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It happens to the best of parents; a monster toddler meltdown tantrum in aisle three, a smashed cookie on your best friend's loveseat, or a bitten hand. Toddlers do what toddlers do. Their emerging independence, coupled with their lack of impulse control and their inability to verbalize everything they want to say can make for a very volatile world, filled with all kinds of behavior meltdowns and messy situations. At home you can deal with them, situation by situation; but, in public your business becomes everyone's business. When your toddler melts down in public, their behavior problems seem tenfold as the tsk tsks of passersby and the headshakes of Nosy Nellies make you feel like the world's worst mother. But, there are strategies for encouraging your toddler to behave in public and for minimizing behavior problems.

PREPARE AHEAD TO GO OUT
Think ahead about where you are going, what you are doing and when. If you have errands to run, don't plan them to bump right up against junior's naptime. He's bound to get antsy and agitated if you are going to be skipping a nap, a snack or lunch, a surefire meltdown, waiting to happen.

Prep him advance of the game plan too. For example, if you know he's not going to get a treat at the checkout, warn him. Or, if you know you're going to the mall and you'll be passing a toy store that you're sure he'll yank your arm to pull you towards, prep him in advance. Explain to him repeatedly before you leave, in the car and immediately before you pass the store what you are at the mall for and that you won't be going into the store and why.

If you are taking your child to a setting that they will be unfamiliar with, make sure you prepare him for what he is about to encounter in order to avoid any unexpected blunders. If he is going to be expected to behave a certain way, talk to him, repeatedly. Toddlers need to be told things many times in order to retain information. If he is unfamiliar or uncomfortable in a new surrounding, like a home they've never been in, it may not be unusual for him to act out. But, it may be far more unlikely if you've briefed them ahead of time about what to expect.

GOOD BEHAVIOR STARTS LONG BEFORE YOU PREP TO LEAVE
Obviously, fostering good manners and establishing an environment in which your child is familiar with limits and consequences is a good preparation strategy for any public outing. Whether in the home or out of the home, if they are used to these behaviors, they will be accustomed to following this

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