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Health & Fitness

Mortification and Dread: My Kid is Flipping Out in the Grocery Store. Again.

We've all seen it. Kid in the supermarket checkout aisle wailing, kicking, screaming, and hollering for a candy bar. What to do if that's your kid.

We've all seen it. Kid in the supermarket checkout aisle wailing, kicking, screaming, and hollering for a candy bar. And if we're being honest, well, we might even admit that the out-of-control snot-faced kid is our out-of-control snot-faced kid. It's happened right? At least once?

 Couple of thoughts:

 1.  Why oh why, super market gods, do you torture parents so? That's the worst possible placement for M&Ms, gum, Reese’s Pieces, and Peppermint Patty’s. Not only for my diet, but also for the rest of the customers who would rather not be subjected to a cacophony of whining, threats, crying and tantrums by a 4-year-old.

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 2. Given that market research probably says that the checkout stand is in fact the BEST place to put that crap (although, TWIX is not crap, it's yummy goodness), what should I do when my kid flips out?

 TRY THIS: There are actually many different strategies that are effective but here are my top two: 

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 1. Don't give in. Tell her that she can scream all she wants but chocolate isn’t on the menu right now, as it is going to spoil her dinner (yes, it will be embarrassing to you, but trust me: Every checker has seen one tantrum—or many—so don’t worry).

 2. Anticipate: Before you go into the store, remind the child that you are ONLY getting the items on the list. No treats this time.

 NOT THAT: Grab a piece of chocolate to avoid, prevent, stop the tantrum from happening and avoid the mortification.

 WHY: By giving in to the child, the parent teaches the child that tantrums work.  “If I yell, and whine, and make a scene, I get that piece of chocolate that I wanted.” By staying firm, they learn that the tantrum strategy for getting what they want is pointless. 

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