Old Mama Junebug went to the freezer to thaw out something for supper
But when she got there all she saw was chicken so she went to the store for a NY Strip Steak and a few other items . . .
Gentle Readers . . . and Maxwell,
As I approached the grocery store, I saw a woman with three small children: a boy about 3, a girl maybe 2, and a baby. She loaded the baby complete with car seat into the cart. The boy promptly grabbed the cart.
DID I SAY PUSH? I DID NOT SAY PUSH. LET GO OF THAT.
I took my time looking for a dry cart (of course it was raining; what do you expect?), hoping they'd get ahead of me. I went in finally and headed straight to produce. Mom wasn't in sight. The kids ran in circles around the potatoes.
I sprinted toward the steaks, then went to look for the rest of my supper and saw the little girl running down an aisle, screaming MOMMMMMM!
Two minutes later I saw the boy driving a motorized cart.
At warp speed I headed to the checkout with enough to make supper. I could do without the other items on my list. I did not need to get hit by that little boy.
But as the doors glided open allowing me to exit, I thought of how trapped that mother was and said a silent prayer to the universe for an overburdened mother and for the safety of her small children, who could have left through the exit as easily as I did, or been taken unimpeded.
Could I have done something to help her? I feared approaching her and offering to help, fearing she'd see it as a reproach. She was already angry. Perhaps I should have stayed to keep an eye on the kids. She didn't have to know I was watching.
What would you have done?
Infinities of love,
Jane Junebug
*Screaming kid in grocery store.
Mom: "He can't have gluten, it makes him sleepy." Me: *Buys him loaf of sourdough.
When my boys misbehaved in the store (often) we turned around and went home with nothing. We ate cereal a lot for lack of other foods.
ReplyDeleteAs parents, most of us, are just doing the best we can. I'd hate to think people would judge my parenting based off the struggles I am having now with Youngest. And if they did judge me, I wouldn't waste my time with them anyway. You did the best you could with your boy... sometimes it's just on them.
I have no doubt that mom was having a rough time, but it disturbed me that she disappeared. It would have been easy for someone to scoop up one of those kids and disappear out the door. I also feared for my safety when I saw the little boy on the scooter cart.
DeleteI sympathize with moms who struggle to get things done and manage the family at the same time. My concern here would be the safety of the kids!
ReplyDeleteI'm sure the mom was overwhelmed, but having the kids go off to play and run around on their own wasn't a solution. There was no security guard at the exit, nothing to protect them.
DeleteI have zero experience with kids so I would not have been much help.
ReplyDeleteEven with the experience I've had with children, I couldn't have done much other than watch them.
DeleteWhen we were out we were watched. Carefully. At the first sign we were running amok the whole family went home. Which worked.
ReplyDeleteAs a childless person I wouldn't presume to say anything to her, but I would have thought quite a bit. Their safety is imperative, as is the safety of other people in the vicinity - no matter how overwhelmed she feels.
Mother never turned us loose in a store and we knew we were expected to behave in a certain way.
DeleteI don’t think I would have done anything... except maybe buy them a loaf of sourdough.
ReplyDeleteUnderstood.
DeleteOne never knows what to do in such situations, but offering the mother birth control counselling might be a good start.
ReplyDeleteIt's a situation I have trouble understanding. I have two children, six and a half years apart.
DeleteThe only thing I have ever done when shopping was to "block" a toddler who had escaped from her mom and was running out the door toward the parking lot. Offering help is a sticky wicket nowadays
ReplyDeleteThe few times I have offered help or stepped in when I saw a child who might be in danger, I was rebuffed and did not expect to have my assistance welcomed in this situation.
DeleteOn days I have energy I might try to keep en eye on those children if their mother appeared to be too harried to do it, in case I might be able to avert a tragedy. But on days when I don't have extra energy I'd be avoiding them like the plague. You can only do so much - and some days all you can do is take care of yourself so nobody else has to do it.
ReplyDeleteYou're absolutely right.
DeleteI would have stayed completely out, and probably gone to a different store.
ReplyDeleteThat's understandable.
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