Sometimes our kids are absolute pests to each other... at home. Sometimes our kids frustrate the hell out of us... at home. Sometimes our kids just make us want to tear our hair out... at home. The only good thing about these moments is that they happen at home.
For some reason, when we pack our children into the van and go somewhere, our children turn into such well-behaved children that you'd swear they could rarely do anything wrong. In fact, our children can be so amazing while we're out and about that we've often have people come up to us and tell us our children act so well and they just can't believe how wonderful our family is. Wow, if they could only come to our house; then they'd be singing a different tune.
Kristen and I remind ourselves time and time again that as much as the kids fight when they're at home, we're so thankful that they don't do that while we're away from home. We don't end up with the child screaming at Target, throwing a temper-tantrum because he or she didn't get that new toy or candy bar. We don't have to deal with fighting at the restaurant that escalates to embarrassing time-outs. We have had, I think twice, where one of the kids had to be brought out of the store early, but that's extremely rare. We don't have the whiny, complaining kids anywhere... except at home.
We deal with these things at home just like pretty much every other parent out there. We just don't have to deal with them away from home... and I don't really know why. I can't say for sure if it's something we've done or if it's just our kids deciding that they'll put on this "I'm an angel" facade while we're away from home. Sometimes I think it's being surrounded by strangers that makes the kids not want to act out, but that's still me guessing as to why it happens.
Of course, I really don't care why they act so good while we're out, I'm just glad they do. In fact, Kristen and I even praise our children from time to time for their excellent behavior while we're out and about to remind them of how much we appreciate the restrain they show away from home.
This wonderful behavior has apparently been bestowed upon our little almost-1-month old Isla who has gone to the Minnesota State Fair, Mall of America, the Minnesota Zoo, and plenty of trips to Target without you really even realizing she's there. She sleeps soundly in the car seat and seems to enjoy being pushed around in the stroller while in the car seat. It might help that she has a really nice car seat and stroller, but maybe it's just that special out-and-about-behavior that the other kids have.
Of course, when we get into the minivan, all bets are off and the kids start acting like they do when we're at home. But open that door and exit the minivan, and it's angels and halos all around!
Well, mostly...
No comments:
Post a Comment