Subscribe Feed (RSS)Sorry I don’t have any great photo for this one. I have never had the foresight to snap a picture of my little ones mid tantrum, but if I do in the future I’ll be sure to share it on this blog.
This afternoon while procrastinating I read an article by Jack Cafferty, CNN commentator, regarding his opinion about the disintegration of good parenting in today’s society . It seems that Mr. Cafferty’s rant was inspired by the misbehavior of some children sitting near him in a restaurant. Lately in preparing for my family’s travels to Las Vegas, I have been reading alot of online commentary regarding bringing small children to this more adult oriented vacation destination. The conclusion of many online bloggers and posters is…leave them home! That seemed to be Mr. Cafferty’s conclusion as well.
Here’s the thing, family vacations shouldn’t have to consist of trips to theme parks or camping. Places like Las Vegas have alot to offer to people of all ages, families included: inexpensive food and lodging, fascinating sites, even educational opportunities. As parents we do our best to teach our kids good manners, keep them well fed and in good humor, and have them use their quiet voices at all times. Despite our high expectations however, there are just some stages of development that will yield a tantrum from time to time despite our best efforts. Also as a mom to three, I can say with confidence that there are times when kids feed off of each other with their energy and/or ill humor and it takes a miracle to avoid an unseemly public outburst. I think that in some ways my parents had it a little easier. An only child focuses on his or her parents behavior and adopts those good public manners more easily (although I know I did have more than my share of tantrums).
I have high hopes for a peaceful vacation filled with well behaved children, but I can predict that we will have our moments. My youngest, Jared had a 20+ minute tantrum at Legoland one year that almost permanently damaged my relationship with my Mother in Law (She is a fan of Mr. Cafferty’s school of thought about the disintegration of discipline and society especially in regards to my family.) Jared is four and a half and his outbursts seem to be peaking. I vow to all you Vegas travelers who may witness such an outburst or perhaps a poor display of table manners that I will do my best to keep things under control. We will eat breakfast in our room, have plenty of picnics, visit mostly kid friendly places like the children’s museum or Circus Circus, try to get them down to sleep, set boundaries, and do plenty of coaching regards how to behave in a restaurant, hotel room, museum, etc. Still, if you see a frazzled mom on her own with three kids, please do not judge me too harshly. I will do my best to quiet things down as soon as I can, but it may take a few minutes of discipline or soothing depending on the situation.
Any moms out there have other thoughts or suggestions on this topic? Would love to add some stragedies to my parenting bag of tricks.
Happy Trails,
Bridget
Tags: Family Travel, Jack Cafferty, Las Vegas, Legoland, parenting, Tantrums, Travel Tips
I do not hesitate to remove a child from a bad situation. Kid starts having a tantrum in a restaurant, I whisk them away, kicking and screaming to minimize the disruption. Once out of the limelight, I explain that if they want to go back and eat, they have to settle down. If they act up again, they go out again and don’t get to come back. A 4-year-old will catch on to swift and consistent consequences pretty quickly.
When traveling, we do what we can to avoid disturbing other people. We often eat supper at 4:00 to beat the crowds. At that time there are fewer people around, plus our food tends to come more quickly. We also choose child-friendly restaurants whenever possible.
It’s certainly not an easy question, and I haven’t been to Vegas so I don’t have any advice on that.
Regardless of any looks you get, remember that your child doesn’t understand your embarrassment.