Children, and especially grandchildren, can bring a lot of happiness. But not at the grocery store. At best, you have to deal with constant demands for tasty but unhealthy treats. A crafty child might even try and sneak a few extras into the cart when you aren’t looking. Children often get bored at the store, then cranky, and then the inevitable tantrum erupts.
One day, a grandfather was at the grocery store and had his 3 year-old grandson along with him. There was a woman moving at about their pace and she ended up following them up and down the aisles. The old guy definitely had her sympathy. The boy was being a real pain. In the candy aisle, he howled for candy. In the cookie section, he loudly demanded cookies. Cereal? He wanted everything brightly colored and loaded with sugar.
The old man was nothing if not patient. He stayed calm during one outburst, saying in a low, controlled voice, “Easy, William. Won’t be long. Easy, boy.” There was an unbelievable tantrum in the produce section, but he still stayed calm: “It’s okay, William. Just a couple more minutes and we’ll be out of here. Hang in there, boy.” By the time they got to the checkout, the little boy was going full blast: he was yelling, waving his arms around, and throwing things out of the cart. Once again, grandpa kept his cool: “William. William. Relax, buddy. Don’t get upset. We’ll be home in just five minutes. Stay calm, William.”
The woman who’d followed them through the store caught up with them in the parking lot. “It’s none of my business, but you were amazing in there. I don’t know how you kept your composure like that. William sure is lucky to have you as his granddad.” The old man gave her a look and said, “Thanks, but I’m William. The little brat’s name is Kevin.”
Have you ever used this grandpa’s method to get you through a difficult grocery run? Tell us all about it in the comments at Facebook. Be sure to like and share!
