Misbehaving children in public

My son is two and it is becoming harder and harder to go to the store with him. He misbehaves almost everytime. The thing is half the time he wants to run around and get into stuff and its embarrassing. Then I try to put him in the buggy and he starts throwing a fit. One time I had to just stop and leave. Other times he wants me to hold him the whole time which wouldn't be a problem but i have to push a buggy and constantly reaching for stuff it gets hard. So when I put him back in the buggy he starts throwing a fit again because his mommy won't hold him. Yesterday he cried up and down every aisle while I was shopping. Passerby's just glanced. The thing is most people that look know he is throwing a fit but still I feel embarrassed by the time I leave.

Oh my, it takes a lot of patience disciplining a child. I once brought my 5-year-old niece to a department store. All of sudden she started misbehaving. And everyone's attention was on us. The first thing that I did was to get her out of the mall so that she could get some fresh air. I talked to her but she was not responding, so I brought her home. I just let it pass. I talked to her the day after and asked her why, she responded that she wanted to buy all those candies displayed and that I didn't allow her. Kids have a way of getting things done their way, you just have to be firm on them and explain them the reason why.

When my children misbehaved in the store I took them outside or took them home. This was pretty rare, however, because I realized early on that they usually misbehaved because they were either hungry, tired or not feeling well. One of the big problems now is that parents expect their children to follow adult schedules, not their own. Babies and small children miss naps, their meals are past due because mom is so busy, little legs are worn out by walking through miles of aisles. Think of how short their legs are--a step to us is like 2 or 3 to them and they have to hurry to keep up with us. Add to that, their little arms are above their heads for hours as we hold their hands to keep them near--ever held your arm above your head for very long? Not comfortable! With a child under 6, it's best to take them home. Better still, leave them with a sitter (preferably a relative) while mom gets all her stuff done. Children just aren't capable of enjoying the chore of shopping, browsing, etc., nor are they capable of sitting in a cart seat for hours while mom or dad wheels them through several stores. (maybe I should change my name to Granny Lecturer. Subjects like this really get my dander up and I tend to preach)

yep I have had to do this, not too often, thank goodness, but if the child is completely out of control, what else can you do? If you let them continue to misbehave, it will just happen over and over and over again.

I used to let them get on with having a tantrum,people sometimes stare or make comments but i don't care.All kids do it from time to time,and if anyone says their kids aren't naughty sometimes,then they're lying

my mother was vicious when it came to discipline so i knew better but my oldest was a horror in shops so one day when he was throwing an almighty tantrum i frightened him into shocked silence by throwing a "wobbler" of my own. Shocked the shoppers too but it did the job!

I had this a lot when I did daycare. I would just make it very clear that we would leave the store if they did not behave well. They were always glad to be getting out and learned right away that I kept my word. It was also well known that the surest way to make sure not to get something was to beg for it and demand it. Consistency is the key. You only have to make good on your consequences once or twice and they will come to not press their luck.

oH I know that feeling lol My son is 2 and sometimes when he gets tired he will throw a tantrum and yes it is always ambarrassing becuase you feel like everyone is staring at you But I try to brace myself and think that most mom went through that anyway It is still makes me feel bad, one day we were in arestaurant and we were feelign so bad for all the other customers that we had to hurry finishing our plates to leave the restaurant ( no more estaurant now! lol)

It must be something with 2 year olds! lol Normally ours starts up it seems because she wants to walk. Which of course then ends up her wanting us to chase her! I say that is a no no. You then try to get control and they end up screaming like someone is trying to kill them. Oh the joys of parenthood! lol I normally take hubby or my daughter with us shopping that way if she starts someone can take her out to the vehicle if needed. At this age I have found they are trying so hard to be in charge of themselves and independent that it can almost cause you to pull your hair out!

Great topic. I've seen SO many discussions started by people who complain when they have seen a child misebehaving in public. Either these people have no children, their children were unusually passive or the truly whooped their children. Me...I have children. They aren't passive and I don't like whooping them too often (although I have with very limited success). Yes, I HAVE had to take them out of stores for misbehaving. I have returned the favor of public humiliate by scolding the LOUDLY. I have probably also dragged them to the car or bathroom and spanked them (when they were younger) and you know what? They STILL don't always behave appopriately in public. I guess it MUST be the parenting! lol Call child services on me! I hope you find an effective way to handle this situation. Good luck! :-) Cuz if you don't. I promise you, you will get dirtly looks from people who can't mind their own darn business. Who, of course, raised PERFECT children Sorry I had to rant a little. those discussions always get under my skin. Must be cuz I'm a little defensive about my bratts...uh I mean my little darlings. :-)

I always made it a habit to take children who misbehaved out of the public place and return home. Later I would return without them. It didn't take very long for my children to get the point. But I have seen many other parents be totally at a the mercy of a misbehaving child. Until their teen years my children believed I was in charge of their happiness. After teens all bets are off, it's a different world at that point.

Kelly- It's funny because my husband will get upset if I want to take my son out of the store, or should I say he used to. Now he escorts him to the bathroom for a "chat", which solves the issue. Not that our children are bad, they are only three and one! However, when our son gets to pitching a fit he's dealt with immeadiately. We try to use positive reinforcement first, but we all know there are times children simply need to leave the situation. And it's not like he's getting a beating either! It's a chat, a face wash, a chance to let the energies calm down and for him to regroup. If I take him it's a diaper change, a walk around the bathroom, and then back to the table. He's generally well behaved after that, and those incidents are very few. Generally we're the ones receiving compliments about how well behaved our children are. Now, that said, if a child is truly tired or such then the parent should know when to leave. I tend to try to keep my going out times on their schedule, not mine. Meaning, I dont' go shopping if they haven't eaten! I hate to see parents yelling at their kids when the child is obviously tired and hungry. It's unfair to the child. I also don't drag them around to every store in the world. Kids get tired, and getting in and out of the car all day is not fun for them. So I break up my shopping. I also allow them a small treat when we go. We pick it out ahead of time so they know that is what they are getting. The one year old doesn't do this yet, but our son does. If I don't have the extra, I give him the task of getting one thing I need on my list and that's his "treat". Hope that helps a bit. Namaste-Anora

children will always be children no matter how hard you try to stop them from getting naughty and playful, the best possible way to control their behaviour in the public is to thrash them a little, they will cry but that is for some moments, they will get back to their senses

It's inverising when that happens especialy when they trow them self to the flore and start yelling and crying. I try to get them up and to tell them that everything is ok until they stop crying but if that those not work I will say "ok if you keep acting like this we are going to live and you are never going to come with me any more". My daughter was like that when she was small but since I always let her get one thing when went to the store she would stop crying because she wanted something. I don't know how my one year old is going to be but hopefully it wont be as bad. Good Luck hope you can find a way to calm your kid or kids and don't worie there is always a way with out hurting them or yelling at them.