Do you think the World would be a better place if more kids got lumps of coal for Christmas?

And a good lickin'.

A five-minute look at a child's behavior tells you nothing about how that child usually behaves and you've said nothing about how the parent responded. 

A few weeks ago, I was out shopping with my younger two and we were all toast. The five-year-old was abnormally grumpy. They know what they can and can't have when we go to the store, but this time he wanted everything and was throwing a big fit over every "no."  By the end of the trip, which probably took a full 60 minutes extra because of the behavior issues, I was beyond snappy. We were just about headed to the register when my youngest "tripped" and claimed he couldn't get back up. I helped him up and started walking and he went down again right away. By this point, he was already causing quite a scene. I tell him I'm leaving, and his sister and I start walking away. He continues to wail and doesn't get up.

By this point, I'm livid. There's no way in heck I'm breaking down and giving him the donuts that started the fit, but the kid isn't getting up and I obviously can't leave without him. I also can't drag him out because I'd just had surgery less than a week before and, at that point, I was in pain from all the walking, too. So, instead of snapping at him and demanding or yelling, I go sit down on the floor with him. Right there in the middle of the produce section. I say nothing. After a minute, I hold out my arms and my son comes and climbs on my lap. We sit for a minute until his tears subside and then I say, "We're both being pretty crappy, aren't we?" "Yes," he responds. I tell him I'm sorry for being short and nasty with him throughout the store and he offers up his own apology. We get up and start going towards the checkout when one of the clerks approaches me. I'm thinking she's going to start crap with me over the way my kid was acting. Nope. Her eyes filled up with tears and she told me what she watched was beautiful... I didn't even know anyone was watching. 

This isn't to say that I'm supermom. I was being a crappy mom. I was done. I hurt. I was not being in the moment with my child. When I gave him the time he needed, he chilled out. I think maybe, if more people focused on being in the moment with their kids- hearing them, trying to understand why they might be behaving like they are, far less discipline would be needed.  

I think more coal would make the world a crappy place. A very crappy place indeed. 

Yes