In the grocery store parking lot, I was that mom whose kid yelled at the top of her lungs: "OW YOU'RE HURTING ME! YOU'RE A BAD MAMA!!!"
Awesome.
I was walking to the car holding Eliza's hand and two bags of groceries*, and she wiggled her way from my grasp. We have a firm parking lot rule about holding hands with a grown up, so of course I immediately told her she had to hold my hand and tried to grab it. She darted away from me and so, I did what any parent would do... I grabbed her arm. As I did so she turned, thus making it so I was was essentially twisting her arm. Great. Not what I was trying to do! And that's when she lost it and started screaming that I was a bad mom. Right there in front of the five o'clock yuppie rush.
Sigh.
On our way home, I explained to her that I wasn't trying to hurt her, I was trying to keep her safe and when she runs free in a parking lot, I can't keep her safe, blah blah blah... I was being all calm and explaining all this to her in a soothing way, in my best "mama loves you" sweet mama voice, apologizing for accidentally hurting her... mommy would never hurt her... etc...
And then, from the back seat:
"You're a bad mom."
Seriously? Those words? Almost made me cry.
Ugh. This parenting stuff is hard sometimes!
*Stupid Whole Foods Paycheck and their no cart caddies in the whole entire freaking parking lot... you have to leave the grocery cart at the front door and haul your bags to your car, or leave your kid in the car while you go return the cart. Guess I know which I will be doing from now on! And also, as long as we're on the subject, why must you be so gosh darn appealing, Whole Foods? Why? You and your organic blueberries that taste so damn good I must go back for more as soon as I run out. You and your amazing salad bar for $7.99/lb, your 2/$5 sale on my favorite Kombucha. I swear to MOSES I went in there today and I just needed, like, 2 lemons and a box of cereal, and somehow I left $30 poorer. How does that even happen? Do I enter some sort of time and money warp when I walk through your sliding doors??? WTH????
6 comments:
My heart breaks for you! I do not look forward to hearing those words!
So heartbreaking! I'm hoping she was her normal sweet self soon after to make up for it!
Ugh, that must have been horrible.
And I leave the cart next to my car if there is no cart caddy. It's the store's own fault for not realizing that caddies are needed.
o.m.g. that is my biggest nightmare, when E can talk to me like that. I'm sorry you had to bear witness to your first 'bad mommy' comment from your little darling - being parents, being a mom, is so NOT easy sometimes and I'm glad you were able to still show her that you love her and would never intentionally hurt her. Hopefully she learned something that day too.
WTF re: the shopping carts?
Same thing happened to me at preschool pick-up yesterday! Adam just bolts away from me and I end up picking him up as he flails and screams-- yesterday he clocked me in the face and I yelled super loud and passerby were DEFINITELY judging. I have no idea what else to do. This may be a question for Lani??
I realize I am late on this. But once I read it I had to say something...
Please don't let that kind of comment really get you! They are our kids, they love us and we love them, but they are really clever, and (in a harmless way) they try to manipulate us! Eliza is so smart! Do you think she didn't remember about the "no running in the parking lot" rule? Even more, do you really think she believes you hurt her on purpose? Of course not!!! She was just angry and she knew that comment would get you!!!!!!
I hope I don't sound judgmental. In fact I had a "bad mom" moment yesterday at the bank. I'm just saying this because I KNOW what a sweet mom you are and what a great job you are doing, and you really shouldn't feel bad at all!
-Mari
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