Dear Momma with the Screaming Toddler

Dear Momma with the screaming toddler,

Perhaps in your country this is acceptable – talking on the phone while your toddler screams in a restaurant full of people trying to peacefully eat breakfast.

Yes, I am a visitor to Canada and may not understand all of your traditions. As this is the second morning of this behavior, I am beginning to believe you think this is acceptable. However, I find it hard to believe you can hear the other person in your conversation with your toddler screaming so loudly.

May I suggest that giving your screaming toddler a piece of fruit only after the decibel level reaches high enough to cause everyone in the establishment to wince is not the way to train him to behave?

Getting off the phone and paying attention to your beautiful little boy would be a much better option.

And I think you may be over your minute allotment, as you have clearly spent at least 30 minutes each morning in this behavior. 

Please, for the sake of civilization and for the sake of your darling little boy, GET OFF THE PHONE! It is clear he wants your attention and he is miserable trying to get it. 

Love your child by paying attention to him. Look at him, talk to him while he eats. Play with him. Trust me, he will be grown and gone way too soon. Cherish this time you can spend with him.

Kind regards,

A momma who wishes I could have breakfast with my son just one more time

Andrew (12/24/92-8/13/13)

parenting


KathleenBDuncan

I write about my life, my journey, my family, and my faith. I am wife to one, mom to seven with one in heaven, and grandmother to many. I am also full-time caregiver to my stepmom E who suffers from dementia due to Alzheimer’s. In my spare time I like to read, travel, crochet, bike, and play with our black pug Molly.

Comments (5)

  • Great post! Sounds like that little boy is just begging for attention from his mom. Wish I could share time with my daughter just one more time, even if it was just long enough to have breakfast.

  • I wish I had one more moment with my child. I would even love to hear her scream in frustration. At least then I would know she was still here. Some people just have no clue what a privilege it is to be a parent.

  • Great post. I see this all too often now. It didn’t really resonate with me until I lost Brenton but now that he is gone, I look at parents everywhere who complain they have too much on their plate with all the activities with their children. When all I really want is to go to one more baseball game (my son loved baseball) and watch him play a game again. Something that will never happen this side of Heaven.

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