Though raising children of any age is difficult, toddlers can be especially challenging.
Those of us who don’t have children of our own have likely been around younger siblings or other people’s kids at this pivotal age. Before we know how to deal with our emotions and not getting what we want, we instead try to act like little monsters. That means screaming, yelling and generally making a scene—all of which can be pretty trying on a new mom.
That was the case in a story out of Berkeley, West Virginia for young mother Sherry White.
White has her own parenting website she calls The Messy Christian.
On her Facebook, White explains that she was recently at TJ Maxx with her daughter when she threw a bit of a tantrum. Despite her best efforts, the situation was spiraling out of control:
“She was irrational and every parenting trick I had fell to the wayside. My heart was beating fast and I was trying not to lose my cool.
I scooped her off to the bathroom trying to recoup and I realized I was going to have to just hold on and wait for it to pass because she was so far gone.
I continued to try to control the situation but it was beyond my control. That’s saying alot because I rarely feel that way in any situation.
Person after person walked passed us and I could feel the judgement like the sun burning a hole in me. I just knew they had to be thinking what kind of brat have I raised because I was thinking the same thing.”
In the midst of the chaos, White got an unlikely boost from an older woman who witnessed the scene.
Approaching white in the middle of the store, the woman gave her arm a gentle squeeze and some words of encouragement, telling her:
“It’s okay, you’re doing great.”
Before she knew it, White was crying tears of gratitude:
“I quickly turned away from her before she could see the tears forming in my eyes and falling down my face.
Because without knowing it, I needed to hear that. Because I didn’t feel like I was doing great. I felt like a total mommy failure with an out of control kid. So, there we were both crying.
She eventually calmed down and we continued our shopping. I was hoping I’d see that lady and say thank you, but she was gone.”
Fortunately, the situation subsided and White’s daughter got what she needed: a nap.
Although this story might seem inconsequential, the exchange between the two women in the store that day goes to show how much a small act of kindness can mean in a tough situation. Although our initial instinct is often to judge mothers with fussy children—or anyone having a hard time, for that matter—reaching down inside for some compassion can often make the situation easier for everybody.
Here is the original Facebook post in full:
Please SHARE this with your friends and family.
