Supermarket Meltdown

We've all been there, mid way through the weekly shop and all hell breaks loose. No not a drunken chav caught trying to smuggle a frozen turkey out under their jumper, but your own child rolling around the floor like a possessed earthworm while the entire supermarket looks on in horror.

The supermarket meltdown can cause even the most organised of parents to break into a cold sweat. They can rear their ugly heads when you least expect them, for as trivial a reason as a refused bag of sweets, and can turn your little angel into a unreasonable, screeching monster.

Once a your child is in full Supermarket Meltdown (or SM) you have three options:

1. Wait it out - All children will calm down eventually but parent's should be prepared to face the horrified stares of fellow shoppers as the drama unfolds in the aisles.
2. Bribery- Bribery is an instantly effective way to deal with the SM but it's important to be aware that children are very clued in to adults responses and would thereafter associate the SM with getting what they want forevermore.
3. Leave - pick up the thrashing tot and leave the shop. Removing them from the place of meltdown  (as well as the audience) will help you to remain calm and in control of the situation.

Thankfully Supermarket Meltdowns are a rare occurrence and have usually phased out by the time your child hits three and is able to reason using words instead of actions.

It's also worth remembering that as parents, we should not stand in judgement when witnessing a SM.
To move along sans eye contact is a much more acceptable response to the situation and saves  us all a lot of embarrassment.

It's best not to pass judgement on the poor parent involved. If the SM hasn't already happened to you, it probably will soon.

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