What would you do? Hypothetically speaking of course.
The Bean's Dad | February 22It’s now clear that we all parent for our own reasons. Some out of family/peer pressure. Others out of a desire to produce adults who play-well-with-others. Whatever the reason, let’s put it to the test. I’ll describe a situation, hypothetical of course, and you tell us what you would do. Please be honest, The Parenting Police aren’t going to knock down your door unless your answer includes whips, chains and a basement.
You just left a toddler birthday party where your 2 1/2 year old ate her weight in cake and ice cream. Before heading home, you stop off at Cost Plus World Market to look at some furniture. Roughly 14 seconds after entering the store, your child starts running like Forrest Gump. Up and down the aisles. Not touching any of the myriad items at arms reach. Not screaming. Just running and laughing– juiced up on cake frosting. There aren’t very many people in the store so she’s not really bothering anybody.
I know what I did would do. How about you?
I’m not the norm, but I would probably ask said child if they wanted to race. Hypothetically of course
I’m seeing my Monday afternoon at Sears flash before my eyes…
Keep track of toddler, making sure that you don’t lose them/they don’t get snatched. If the toddler becomes disobedient to commands of “don’t touch that” and “come here right now”, then it’s time to pick up and go. At that point, the kicking and screaming usually commences.
My daughter discovered that she is just small enough to hide in racks of jeans, which made both me and her aunt crazy just trying to keep at least one set of eyes on her. Her brother was in the stroller, or I would have popped her in there. We got out of there as quickly as we could, because it was past naptime and I - um, I mean she - was tired. When we got back to the car, she announced that she was tired, and promptly fell asleep as soon as the car started (we weren’t even out of the mall parking lot yet).
So you’re saying that threatening to chain them up to the faux leather (or is it pleather?) sofa, and lashing them with a roll of blackberry bamboo blinds would not be appropriate???
How about hiring a stockboy to tackle them mid-romp, followed by a Bob Baker-esque “the price is wrong bitch”, thusly scarring them for life to never step out of line in a retail establishment.
No dice either?
How about pleading with them to “pleeeeeeeeeeeease stop running through the store, lest Daddy’s head explodes”.
If none of those are working, I think it best to let the little tyke experience World Market in their own special way (as long as they are not effecting/annoying/breaking), get your furniture info ASAP, and get out of there before the manager tracks you down on the store security camera, then pray that Little Tyke falls asleep on the way home…
…but that’s just me.
It’s like a pitbull going at it on your leg. Sometimes it’s best to just ride it out…
I’m with Rick & Chad. Sugar highs are a bitch.
break into the nerf display and use her as moving target practice?
Hypothetically I would just keep an eye on said toddler and as long as running was the only thing she was doing, let her go to it! What better place to burn off a sugar high than a store with lots of cool stuff all in rows for you to run along? I’m sure the employees have experienced much worse, and hardly even noticed it - or would have, hypothetically of course.
I’m with Genuine. I’d probably play along. If it were crowded or the kid was visually disturbing others, then I might put a stop to it but otherwise, what’s the harm?
Follow at a safe distance. Just far enough back that when the few people in the store begin to wonder, Is this kid chaperoned? I step out from behind the chest of doors. Yes she/he is.
It’s like smoking… if it’s not bothering anyone then there’s no need to stop. Just make sure you’re not blowing smoke in anyone’s face (or in this case, make sure the kid isn’t playing “magic carpet” on the imported asian rugs).
But also, what about people who are just “anti-happy children” (mostly old people)? You know, the kind of people who shoot you dirty looks for bringing your kids to a (family) restaurant. Should you stop your kid from having a little harmless fun just to please someone who is being way too quick to act annoyed?
I would probably let him run off the sugar as well. (following close behind) If he’s not touching the stuff, or making lots of noise, or bothering anyone, whats the harm? As soon as the behavior shifts to not-so-nice its time to leave tho.
Well, I gotta weigh in on the other side of this debate.
First, why would you let your kids eat that much cake in the first place?
And what planet are you from thinking that a running toddler doesn’t make noise or touch things? I have teenagers that can’t keep their hand off of things!
Second, why would you subject the public to the ranting and running of your kids? When did a public store become a playground for your sugar-jacked kid? Take him home and let him tear up your own crap.
So when do you start to teach your children that there is a certain way to act while in public? Or is that a lost courtesy?
I have [4] boys and have seen my share of problems. They have all acted up in public, but were taught that it was wrong. We always taught them that it is better to act up at home, than in public.
Somewhere in your *hypothetical* situation, there was no corrective action involved. If you let them run in an empty store, how do they know that it’s wrong to run in a full one?
That’s my “piece”.
as long as they aren’t yelling and or destroying things, i’d wander along behind and just enjoy it. and right around the time he/she is ready to collapse, i’d start heading towards the check out. i’m sure there are worse places to spend 4 hours.
Nerf practice is an idea, but it would only really be fun if she changed directions when you hit her…
You should start training her to pickup and drop off objects at each end of the run… will come in handy later for fetching your beers, and tossing your empties…
Are we being graded on this?
For the record, I didn’t read the earlier comments. When I do, I’m sure someone ill have a better answer than mine, and I would probly go with that. But anyway…..
First, I would FREAK OUT, since my kid just turned 1 on Sunday, and he;s a crawler. I would proably feed him nothing but sugar until he aced the SAT in 12 or 15 years. If sugar can take my kid from crawling to running amok in 90 minutes or less, what else could he accomplish with a steady diet of Mountain Dew and Laffy Taffy?
Really though? I would likely either laugh my ass off and scoop him up, knowing that his energy was innocent, and that his blood sugar level was my fault, or, I would head for the sporting goods aisle, and run him ragged with some 1 on 1 hoops until he collapsed, or until security asked us to leave.
I suck at ball sports, so it would likely be a pretty hotly contested matchup.
(1) CostPlus is a store filled with fragile breakable things, and “distressed” furniure with hard corners and sharp “antique” handles. No nerf anywhere, and not a “safe” place. Except for the pillow dept - that’s ok.
(2) A running child high on sugar has little control, and will be highly lightly to run into things. Or run into the back room. Or run out that open door. Hmmm…. not good
(3) “Innocent energy” or not, there’s a correct way to blow off energy, and a way not too. Good way: staying with Dad, and laughing, chatting, etc. Bad way: running aways from Dad. Start teaching them early and constantly and you’ll have a much easier time of it. You may think your kid is cute, but it’s annoying the heck out of everyone else.
What would I do: STOP SHOPPING, get the kid and go to a playground.
I’d let her run until she started causing trouble. (Following her of course)
Honestly I hate it when my children run in stores. Because I hate chasing them. So mine would be scooped into the cart or stroller immediately. Oddly enough I don’t usually notice other kids unless they are really, really being bad (like screaming to break eardrums or climbing shelves).
Katie I swear I was never in that store!
I would vote for scooping them up and finding a more constructive place for them to burn off steam (park, indoor playland). Hypothetically it would be your fault for letting them eat to much sugar and you should probably be the one who pays the price of having to skip out on your shopping trip.
Also my son is 5 and he always has too much energy, sugar or no sugar. Eventually you are going to have to teach them there is a place for screwing around and a place not to, typically not a store.
You will also need to figure out what their sugar threshold is, how much sugar can they take before they lose control of themselves. After that you can start to build up their resistance to it
With said store I would never allow my little guy to run. At three he is quick and since he hardly ever gets sugar I can only imagine the running turning into crashing in a blink of an eye. Is there another store we could use as an example. A place that has padded walls?
Given my understanding of what Cost Plus is, I would probably stop them and cary them the rest of the time. Then take them somplace safer to run. Now, in Costco, I’d probably just follow them (maybe try and keep them on the stuff side rather than the food side) as long as there werent many people there.
With the exception of the glassware secton and the wine section, there’s not too much breakable stuff there. Running and laughing is pretty low key; it’s not like driving people crazy with it.
Now if she begins to vomit the cake & ice cream up… grab her and run.
Steve had the same idea that I did — I was sure this story was going to end in a question about vomit on a store item. That’s why I wasn’t going to be going into a store in that condition. Maybe outdoors to run around, easier to clean with a hose.
I think I would hypothetically pretend the child wasn’t mind and I would hypothetically be overheard to say “I really wish parents today would take RESPONSIBILITY!” and then I’d make the verbal equivalent to whateve HARUMPH is and continue shopping.
Those stores have security, right? I mean, it’s not like the kid was (hypothetically) in danger, was she? ;)
Run Forrest, Run! But I would of course also consider following Forrest at a safe distance just in case he goes nuts and starts destroying the sore.
AD
I know this sounds horrible, but when I’m in the mall I take him to the sporting goods section and let him run on a treadmill. While I’m busy looking at something. You know close enought to monitor him, but not close enought to get the dirty looks.
astonishing game con or not: http://www.newsobserver.com/ , greedy tournament is always industrious soldier