Watching “gentle parenting” in action explains so much
Edit: I know that this is not actual gentle parenting. It’s an example of parents trying to do gentle parenting, but missing the mark completely.
I’m tired. Behaviors & workload are at an all-time (obvs).
I popped by a TJ Maxx on my way home from work yesterday, overstimulated, to try to buy some spring shirts for work.
Passing by the toys section, there’s a couple looking for a birthday present for another kid and their child (4-5) is having a holy meltdown because he wants a toy. His dad points him to this giant toy firetruck, like the size of a footstool, that had a siren you could turn on.
The kid turns it on and starts pushing the truck, RUNNING through the aisles of other tired people combing through the racks of clothes. He also begins yelling “wooooo WOOOO,” as people are almost jumping out of the way, shocked and surprised, looking around, like, “where are his parents?”
The parents are calmly looking at the toys, like they don’t notice or care about anyone else in the store. When they finished picking out a small gift, their child zooms to them, riding ON the truck, straddling it like a bike. He immediately resumes his tantrum when he sees the gift, and the dad says, in a nurturing calm voice, “since you were so patient and good while we were shopping, we will buy you this truck. Do you understand why you are getting the truck? When we make good choices, we get good things,” and went on about how you get toys and prizes and treats if you do the right thing.
MY STUDENTS’ BEHAVIOR MAKES SO MUCH MORE SENSE.
They expect candy if they complete an assignment. They expect prizes for everything. And they ALWAYS think they’re being good, even if the behavior is atrocious. They feel like they can make noises and talk wherever whenever, and they have no awareness of how their actions affect others.
I GET IT.