Spectacular tantrum

[dalekboy]

So, yesterday we were at Belconnen and I got to sit and watch a really amazing tantrum. Not sure how old the boy was, but he was a fair size. No idea what it was about - I think he didn't want to go into the supermarket with his mum.

Anyway, there was the screaming, the tears, the throwing himself onto the floor, making himself oh-so-heavy any time his mum tried to physically move him. After at least five minutes of this, his mum gave up on trying to reason with him, and trying to drag him by the hand. She started trying to physically pick him up and carry him.

It was a slow, painful process, not to mention amusing because it wasn't me. She's lift him and get maybe one step before he would throw his weight down so that he slid from her arms to the floor. Then she'd pick him up again and get another step. He was screaming and yelling the whole time.

She got him over near the supermarket, then realised she wasn't near the entrance where you walk in. It was at this point where, just once in amongst all his "IIIIIIIIiiiiii don' waaaannnnnnaaa," and "NNNNNNNNnnnnnooooooooooooooooooooo!" that he came out with "Fuuucking biiiiiiiitch!" He then returned back to the rest of his screaming.

She kept going, one step at a time, trying to get him to the entrance. Pick-up, take step, pick-up, take step... then he got completely out of her arms, and threw himself on the floor, pressing himself up against a supporting column. This time, as she tried to move him, he started yelling for help, and when that didn't work, tried something different.

"Haaaalp! Haaaaaaaaaaaaaalp! Haaaaalp!" Brief pause then - "Raaaape! Raaaaaaaaaaaaaaaape!"

Comments

[purrdence.livejournal.com]

Where the hell did he learn that?

[dalekboy.livejournal.com]

We figured he'd just hit on it as something someone says to get attention, with no idea at all what it actually means.

[mireille21.livejournal.com]

Holy crap!

[sjl.livejournal.com]

I don't know about you, but that, to me, is a kid begging for a smack.

[dalekboy.livejournal.com]

I'm not adverse to a smack in the right circumstances, and I reckon that was definitely it. That said, I'd be likely to throw a tanty back first.

*Danny throws self on floor at kids feet* "Yoooou have to goooo! You do! You dooooooooooooooo! You're go-ing-ing-ing!"

Sharon likes that idea of recording such a thing on the camera phone and playing it back later.

My favourite response to a tanty was in a bank. The kid was going off, and it's mother was saying, in the sweetest voice, "Everyone here thinks you're very funny. They do! They're all laughing at you!"

[sjl.livejournal.com]

I like. Both of them.

[ariaflame.livejournal.com]

I once came across a comic strip that had the parent's answer to kids misbehaving in supermarkets was to perform the Village People's YMCA. With actions. Until the kids desire to misbehave was overcome by their desire not to be embarrassed to death.

now that is ..

[ozdragonlady.livejournal.com]

Evil ...just Evil!

[duntov-475hp.livejournal.com]

I see things like that time to time. I work in a deli in a grocery store... nothing quite so severe and entertaining. (I do get the childish and indignant customers who want to speak to the store manager to have me fired because someone else bought all of our fried chicken legs and it takes us 20 minutes to make a batch. As if it will make it any faster.)

[ariaflame.livejournal.com]

Yes, I read a lot of that sort of stuff on customers_suck

[satyapriya.livejournal.com]

TeenGirl chucked one huge public whammy when she was about 2. So I sat down and let her get on with it. When she'd exhausted and frightened herself, I picked her up and we got on with our shopping.