NOTHING WORKS!!! (discipline)?

Question

Last night I took my 22mo-old son grocery shopping with me. He was AWFUL!!!!! He's usually a good boy - very active though! But last night I thought I was going to have a meltdown before I got my shopping done. He threw a fit when I put him in the cart. He pulled labels off of stuff and opened boxes. He pulled stuff off the shelves and threw stuff out of the cart. And he yelled at the top of his lungs most of the time we were there!

At first, I calmly scolded him. Told him no, asked him to behave. Getting more and more firm as time went on. Before we left he got popped in the mouth - for yelling. And I had told him no and to stop a million times. I was ready to SCREAM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I need some suggestions, PLEASE. At this point I'm ready to give up and find a babysitter every time I need to go to the store.

Answer 1

i can totally understand your situation, my 2y.o does it i actually have to take my hubby with me just to keep her occupied while i shop. but for the time s i HAVE to drag her along by myself, i take my mp3 player and put children songs on it. it doesn't have to be like the barney soundtrack, but any music that doesn't offend you and that they like for my chile its the backyardigans, spongebob, some disney songs, and the jonas brothers, as well as songs she dances to on commercials that i looked up and downloaded. if all else fails i put on the headphones and ignore her tantrums and leave her in the center of the isle where she can touch nothing and pick the stuff off the shelf and walk back to the cart

Answer 2

How is he getting his hands on all those items?  It might help if you brought some small toys to play with to keep him occupied in the cart.

It might also be as simple as changing the time of day you do your shopping.  Most toddlers are really tired in the evening.  He would probably be better in the morning or after nap in the afternoon.  Also try to keep the trip around 30-40 minutes.  Anything more than that and you are dealing w/ sever boredom.  

If that is not possible and you have to run to the store in the evening then you might have to leave him with daddy.  

Answer 3

"Popped in the mouth"?!?!    What is wrong with you?

Answer 4

A parenting class I went to said you should outline your expectations before you enter the store. "OK, Son...We are getting this and this and nothing else. What are we getting? Right...this and this. If you behave in the store you will get x*x, if you misbehave, you will get x*x." Worked with my daughter at that age.

Hope this helps. Bless you! I feel your pain! The hardest part about doing this is for-seeing what they will do! (My daughter once bit me in the gas station, and as I went to pop her in the mouth for doing it, a huge construction worker was looking at me!)

Answer 5

check what he had to eat or drink before he went,i have discovered certain food colourings have this affect in my grandchildren

Answer 6

Okay this is just a small idea that did wonders for me and the rest of my family it's called good marbles bad marbles.

Get two closable jars a bag of 20 marbles. Stick smiley face stickers on one jar and sad faces on the other than you hold on to the marbles putting them all in the bad jar. Everytime he does a good deed you put one or two (depending on the act) marbles in the good jar and subtract marbles for misbehaving. When the good jar is full you give him a special prize. (Go to the store and let him pic the prize out ahead of time buy it then and keep it hidden until it's time for the reward. its not a bribe to be a mom you have to be resourseful and thats how to do it. good luck

Answer 7

A little disipline. Tell him if he wants somehting he reallay likes he should stop. Don't take him shopping with you and leave him in the room. And don't take hima anywhrer with you until he learns to behave.