Breakthrough!!!

Something amazing happened last night, one of my proudest parenting moments in the journey this far...

Last night, I took both of my children to the grocery store, purchesed two weeks worth of food, and walked out without one single tear, tantrum, or whine. As Shelly likes to say - WOW!

This took serious planning, reminding of the rules, and the energy to keep moving forward without delay. First, waiting for Archer to forget about the band aid on his finger. Why should this matter? Well, for some reason, he was very concerned that someone might see it. "Everyone will laugh at me!" he kept repeating, despite my efforts to convince him otherwise. Finally, he came to me and said, "Look Mom, I can put my hand in my pocket like this, and no one will see my band aid." Ok, over one hurdle, onto the next. Wait till the show on Disney chanel is over, hurry out the door before the next one starts. Go to McDonalds and eat in the car so they're not hungry in the store. Park on the side of the store away from where they store the carts with cars built into the front (these things are impossible to push and too small to hold many groceries and Archer loves to jump in and out of it the whole time... really slows things down). Have a grocery list organized by section so I don't have to go back after I've passed something. And the final rule, KEEP MOVING FORWARD at all times! Don't stand still for more than 30 seconds or Shelly will start to climb out, Archer will get distracted and run off, and things go downhill from there.

The only possible incident was at the very end... the great temptation of candy in the check out lane. The parent's nightmare, the grocery store's last ditch attempt to get you to buy more stuff, and the kids' irresistable need to beg their parents for chocolate. Archer picked something up, I told him we couldn't buy it and braced myself for the meltdown, which....... ..... didn't come! He pouted a little but PUT IT BACK!

Now, to illustrate the major breakthrough here, let me give you a little history. Two weeks ago I took him to the store but he didn't want to go (long story), and he screamed from the moment we left the house to the moment we got home. Including the 10 minutes in the grocery store. He laid down on the floor several times and then, when I didn't stop walking, got up and screamed "Slow down you're going too fast!" Maybe I should have been embarrased, but when we got home I felt really proud of myself, I didn't break down and yell at him, or drag him by the arm (or leg!), and didn't let my temper get the best of me.

So only two weeks later, a trip like we had last night was momentous. I'm sure there will be bigger moments in my parenting experience, but I can't help but celebrate this victory of respectfulness and patience that both of my children showed last night.