Mommys Who Pretend They Don't Notice... This Post is for YOU!

Are we really gonna pretend we don't notice?

Hello my Dear Friend... I’ve been expecting you!  Come sit down and let me fill your cup.  I’ve made a very special blend of ‘She's a Mommy?’mixed with a nice bit of 'What was she thinking?'  Every now and then we need some reminders to help us on how not to behave when we take our kids shopping.  Yes, yes I do...I've got some Mommy Lessons headed your way...

My goodness... I can’t even begin to express my displeasure in the lack of parenting skills I‘ve been noticing in and around Orange County.  The casual attitude and lackadaisical demeanor is finding its way into everyplace from the malls to the grocery stores and truly, I have one word to describe these parents... Lazy.    

I can accept that kids will be kids and they will behave inappropriately at the exact inopportune moment.  I do understand as I have witnessed it first hand with my own little angel turning ever so quickly into the devil child with a long pointy tail.  Not a pretty sight.  But the one thing I have never done nor will I accept, is to become a lazy disciplinary parent that gives in to a child throwing a tantrum in the middle of Trader Joe’s.  I got the chance to witness this yesterday as I was standing in line behind a Mommy that kept saying, “NO!” as her 8(?) year old son screamed for a chocolate candy bar and she finally succumbed to his demands and paid for the darn bar.  Tssk, tssk, tssk... 

That Mommy needs to be reminded of how she needs to behave so she can set the example for her child to follow suit.  So let’s go over a few Mommy Lessons to make sure that we all behave accordingly so that our little duckys follow behind...

Lesson #1-  When the child is misbehaving in the store, Do Not give him a reward for his bad behavior.  The Trader Joe’s Mommy said, “No!”  If you say, “No!” then you have to stick with it and mean it.  Yes, it’s hard to do when a store full of people are watching your every move, but believe me, they will mentally applaud you and give you an imaginary high five when you stick to your guns and be the authority figure that you are.

Lesson #2- When the child is lying in the middle of the aisle and no one can pass by except to run the child over with their shopping cart, Do Not pretend you didn’t notice.  Pretending that you didn’t notice is like putting a big, neon sign on top of your head that reads, 'I’m a lazy Mommy and I would rather pretend not to notice what my child is doing then to confront him for his behavior.'

Lesson #3- When the child is misbehaving to a complete stranger, like the child standing behind me at the check out counter who deleted my transaction while I was putting my bank card away, Do correct him and make him apologize.  Do Not stand there in shock and awe or here we go with the pretend you didn’t notice look... say something!  Or at least if the child doesn’t apologize, you apologize for the child and discipline him first chance you get.  That’s what good Mommys do.  They set a good example.

Oh my, my lipstick is getting muddled from all these bad parenting moments and a pair of new shoes would make me feel... oh, so much better!  Yes, that’s what I’ll do.  New shoes for Caffe and maybe some lipstick too!  I'm done with these Mommy Lessons for today, and I see that your cup is empty, and... what?  You’re headed for the store?  No, you’re not lazy!  This was just a refresher lesson for those Mommys who need it and obviously you’re not one of them.  Of course you’re a GOOD Mommy!  Hugs to you Darling and try not to run over the kid laying in the middle of the aisle... Until next time... Ta Ta!


P.S. One week left of voting... would you be a kind Dear and please help me out by clicking that pink button up in the right hand corner and then vote?  It takes 30 seconds and I would be absolutely thrilled to stay in the top 5 with your help.  xoxo