We have been having many behavior problems with Bean lately. Today I had one of the most embarrassing experiences of my life taking him to the store. Taking Bean to the store is usually hit or miss. Usually as long as I don't linger in one section of the store too long he tolerates it relatively well; other times not so much. Today was one of those other times. It started when I spent too much time looking at the clearance racks at Kohls. He just started this blood curdling scream at the top of his lungs. Every clothes rack we would pass by he would reach and try and rip the clothes off. I tried to bribe him by giving him my car keys and cell phone. That worked for a little while, but we still had to go to Target to pick up some things. While at Target I ran into a woman I went to high school with (who apparently works there). It turns out she has a daughter just two months younger then Bean. I was hoping to talk and catch up for a second. Bean reached up for me to hold him so I took him out of the cart and held him.
That was my big mistake. Then he wanted to be released to wreak havoc on the store. First of all he ran to all the t-shirt racks and began to toss all the clothes on the floor. I was so afraid to tell him no because I knew he would loose it, but I was also horrified because here I am trying to chat with this woman and my son is destroying the section of the store she was cleaning. I finally just mumbled that I had to go and tried to just grab him and run.
I was right, that's when he lost it. He flailed, wriggled and pushed to get away from me, all while doing the blood curdling scream at the top of his lungs refusing to go back into the cart or even be held. I tried to hold him close so I wouldn't drop him (all while trying to push my cart and make a run for the check out). He proceeded to smack me in the face, pulled my hair, bit my shoulder and ripped my hoop earrings out of my ear. I was so mortified.
My toddler beat me up.
It was pretty much the same even after we left the store. He went stiff as a board and wouldn't let me strap him in his car seat. With the way he was screaming you seriously would have thought I was sticking bamboo shoots under his nails or something. Then when I tried to get him in he kept grabbing for my hands as I was strapping him in to try and bite me again. The tantrum continued as we got home. He was throwing himself on the ground, kicking his legs and screaming. Nothing I could do would calm him down. I tried to distract him, (shamed to admit) I yelled, I tried to cuddle him. . .finally I had to just let him throw a fit and got dinner ready and eventually was able to distract him with food.
He throws tantrums but I have never seen him this bad for this long. It was so so horrible.
While I was trying to calm him down he continued to hit and bite me, so then I had to put him in time out. . . . which pissed him off even more and just perpetuated the tantrum. I don't want to reward his bad behavior, but the only way to calm him down when he gets that worked up is to placate him and not punish him when he tries to harm me? I don't know, that doesn't seem right either.
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