It’s 4:30 p.m. on a Thursday afternoon. I’ve ran several errands with two of my children. My tween daughter and I, with my Autistic 4 year old set out to Lowe’s, Wal-Mart and then Pet Smart. All were planned to be quick, efficient, and all without pushing my youngest sons comfort levels overboard. A total meltdown with him leads to me fighting a panic attack…there’s been a few shopping trips that have left us both sobbing for a few minutes after we were secured into our seatbelts. But we do the best we can do.
So, we’ve ran these other errands and he’s done so well. He was good in the store as I picked out the fish and plants I wanted and I was feeling so accomplished with our outing. We get to the counter and there is the woman who has worked there for many years and has just always been an unpleasant woman. I could really care less but she’s rude to my children and corrects them like a parent should…a total stranger, disciplining my children? I think not...
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2 comments:
Would it be helpful at all to ask if the parent would like (not "need") any help? Maybe I could just watch the child for the moment while the parent pays the cashier. Or if the child is having a tantrum, I could stand there and talk to the parent to give a semblance of normality to the surreal situation. I wouldn't want to be in the way but sometimes a little company can be welcome.
I think ASKING a parent if they need help is totally acceptable...and even kind. It's just so hard when people stare as if your child is some horrible monster or make comments about how the child "Needs a spanking," etc. I, personally, have watched a woman struggle with a toddler tantruming all thru the store and then as I made my way to my car, I noticed her a few cars down, crying...she was trying to get him out of the cart but he was tantruming so violently she couldbarely manage and was obviously distressed from the whole ordeal. I did not have my children with me so, I walked up and said,"It looks like you could use an extra hand," and began loading her groceries into the open trunk. After she got him safely buckled in the car, she came right up and hugged me and thanked me profusely. I just wish others would treat me the same as I treat them. Ya know?
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