Photo by Christine Szeto
Have you ever been here....
You're at the library, and your overtired child drops to the floor with exhausted shrieks of "I don't WANT to go home!" Everyone looks in your direction while your disruptive little one kicks the ground in desperate frustration.
OR..........
You have dinner guests over (maybe relatives from out of town) and your precious kiddo throws the carrots he dislikes into the laps of your visitors.
What to do?
There's something so stretching about dealing with issues when the eyes of others are turned your way. As a natural people-pleaser, I've found myself literally sweating while deciding how to act in these situations.
But I've come to the conclusion that you only have two choices when it comes to dealing with public kid challenges. They are:
a. do what you think you should do, or
b. do what you think others around you think you should do.
For those self-assured, ever confident mommies, this presents no problem. For the majority of us - it can be so hard! Others watching may disagree with your response and pass judgment - in really awful cases, they may share their opinions openly. This happened to me recently and is so, so painful.
But the fact is - you don't know what others are thinking. And, you will never, never please everyone - nor should you try.
So that really only leaves one option, doesn't it?
And that option is authenticity.
This could mean different things in the moment. It could mean you:
a. respond normally, exactly like you would if this situation happened in your own home.
b. respond differently, taking into account the many variables at play and the public nature of the occurrence.
c. it could even mean that you make a mistake - because you're overwhelmed and stressed. After all, these decisions often have to be made within seconds.
You know what? Either way, it's okay.
Motherhood abounds with second chances, both for you and your kids. The goal of motherhood is not perfection - it's being real and doing the best you can with what you have in any given moment.
So what should you do when everyone is watching?
Take a deep breath, don't look at anyone except your child, muster up your inner courage, and be yourself.
It's the only authentic choice.
How have you learned to handle public situations with your children?
