Saturday 20 June 2015

Train them young...

This is not a judge-y post...

Ok maybe a little...! 

But in all honesty it is a 'train your kid young or don't get them out' post...

Let me start from the beginning .... 

So Aadi and I went for dinner last night.. And we took the pudding... We went to Mainland China and for all who have been there know it's a kind of 'proper' place.. Sure it's a family restaurant and all but it's very quiet and sophisticated... But not in a snooty way..

Anyhow.. We got a corner table and next to us was a family with four kids ... The youngest was around nine to ten months sitting in his high chair... There were two women and one man so I'm not sure how the kids were split .. 

We order our meal... Dumplings for siddy and fish for us and are sitting chatting away... I have given siddy two cars and he's happily playing... When suddenly the  baby starts to screech.... 

Not scream not shout... Screech.

It's really shrill ... 

Happens a few times and stops. 

Aadi and I give each other a look like 'wow that was loud' 

Dinner continuous... We reach the end of our meal and the baby has screeched and shouted a number of times now and the elders on the table are oblivious... 

Now he's off his high chair and throwing a tantrum.,, literally lying down on the floor and going kinda berserk .... 

The mother looks embarrassed... But she isn't really doing anything.... The other lady is looking away and the man is simply on his phone.... 

Finally the lady picks up the kid but no scolding no stern voice nothing.... She just sits him on her lap and shows him her phone... He's quite for sometime .., by now we have called for our cheque and are dying to leave... 

Again the kid goes nuts.... And when I say nuts I mean he's bringing the house down... I can see the waiters and managers looking uncomfortable ... But no one is saying a word. The family looked like they had called for the cheque too but honestly why wasn't this woman just taking ur kid out? 

She tried giving him milk, tried rocking him nothing worked... 

But why was she ok with all the other people's night out being ruined is what I wondered... 

Clearly the baby was sleepy .. He was uncomfortable in that high chair for so long... They should have just packed their food and gone home... 

We have taken siddy out when he was that young... But we always timed the outings.. Carried his bouncer... Toys books anything to keep him occupied.. 

She had nothing with her... 

Also seriously... If your kid is wailing at a high pitch - take him out... Maybe he'll get distracted he'll stop... 

She wasn't a new mother... One of the other three kids was hers for sure... And if she was then the other lady wasn't and she should have helped.. 

I think the root of this problem lies at home.. 

When the kid throws a tantrum at home ... The family laughs and encourages him.. And if they ignore him that's worse he'll continue till he gets a reaction.. 

You have to be stern with a kid when they start to throw that tantrum... 

I remember siddy's first ... He lay on the floor kicking and shouting ... Mum and I stood there and stared him down till he stopped.. 

We told him very seriously he was being bad and naughty and this would not work... 

I think he tried his luck one more time and then gave up! 

I'm not saying he never throws tantrums... Of course he does he's two.... But luckily they are never in public and never uncontrollable..,, 

If ever he goes a bit nuts..we simply pick him and distract him.., 

Distraction is the best thing during tantrum sessions... Especially the silly ones... For the serious tantrums you have to use the serious talk..,  

And the younger you start the sooner they will learn... 

Of course in all this craziness what was most hilarious was siddy's expression every time the kid shrieked... He was just so confused!!!!! He would stare at the kid with this look of ' what???? Why!?!' On his face!!!! 

So we treated him to a cupcake at night ... Also because it was our first no iPad in a restaurant night!!! 






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