Today - Part I

Today I was that mom.  You know, the mom you see in the store with the clinched mouth, the eyebrows pointing inward like the mean Mr. Potato Head face.  The mom that has a death-grip on her kids' hand, tugging the little one along like she's pulling a wagon full of rocks.  The mom that snaps at her kid for not listening, raises her voice so that those standing in the check-out line shoot a glance her way.

I was that mom today on our trip to Target.  I still feel just awful, downright ashamed that I wasn't able to treat my 3 1/2 year old daughter with kindness and patience.  We were waiting to check out when she insisted on pushing the cart around, sitting on the bottom of the cart, touching everything (ew, germs!) and all but licking the counter (ew, ew, ew!).  After asking her nicely several times, the "please, don't do that", "I'd appreciate it if you wouldn't...." were replaced with "STOP!", "No more....." and I may have even uttered the phrase "For God's Sake, enough!".  (Oh man, just typing that makes my stomach knot up.)

Why does the check-out have to be so stressful?  Why do stores always put tons of crap right there for little hands to grab?  And it is never fails to be 90+ degrees, the clerk a total ditz, and some well-meaning older person with a persistant cough encrouching on our space.  My blood pressure has to soar when I'm standing there putting our junk on the belt.  I worry that our daughter will step out of my sight and some creep will scoop her up and walk out the door, especially now during the rush of the holidays.  I worry that she'll pick up some nasty virus from all the stuff she can't keep her hands (and mouth, ew) away from.  I worry that my son will try for the 50th time to stand up in the cart and topple right out onto the hard floor.  I worry that I'll leave behind my credit card or keys.  And of course, there is always the concern that the dumb clerk* will totally forget to deduct my coupons or a bag will get left behind and I won't notice until I am all the way home.  (It has happened countless times).

I am really thankful that I shouldn't have to go to the store at all until after Christmas.  I'm going to think up a way to make our trips to the store less stressful because today's trip was unsettling for both my daughter and I.


*Just a quick disclaimer here....I am NOT generalizing that all clerks are dumb or ditzy.  I was once a clerk in several different retail stores.  I completely understand that it is not the easiest of jobs and that the pay is little and the appreciation even less.  However, it just seems to be my luck that I end up in the lane with the clerk that is more focused on his upcoming break, the text she just received from her boyfriend, or has difficulties understanding English.