I have tantrum stories that would keep you reading for days.  My twins have autism, and tantrums are a multi-times a day occurence.  Especially at Walmart. Walmart is sensory overload for them.  One day when they were about 5 or 6 we went into Walmart to get a few things.  They were too big to ride in a cart.  Anyway, I don't know how we ended up over by the bicycles and the motorized cars, but Isaac decided he wasn't leaving without one of those cars.  So he laid himself down and threw a holy fit.  You could hear him clear across the store.  That boy's got lungs.

I was alone with him and his brother for some reason.  I hardly ever went by myself with them for many years.  But this time I must have had to.  Well, he refused to get up so I walked away from him.  I said, "good-bye, Isaac, I'm going home."  I walked away.  People were staring at me.  I didn't care.  I hoped just one of them would say something.  I was so aggravated.

I walked around the corner (thank God Isaiah wasn't throwing a fit) with his brother and waited.  And waited.  And waited.  And waited.  This kid could throw a very long fit, so I knew I was in trouble.  He doesn't give up.  I had a dress on and knew it was going to be a sight when I went to wrestle him out of the store.  But, I went back to him and tried to pick him up.  He went limp rag doll on me, just as expected, and I couldn't pick him up.  (He is big for his age, and can really kick HARD.)  So, I started dragging him by the foot aisle by aisle through the store.  Boy did I get looks.  I was really hoping a security guard would stop me or something -- but no one did!  If they had, I would have said, "please help me get him to the car."

Finally we got outside and there was a bake sale going on right there where we are struggling to get to the parking lot.  Isaac sees one of those big cement poles they put in front of the store and grabbed it, screaming his fool lungs out.  The looks on everyone's faces just struck me as hilarious and I started giggling.  I know I must have looked like I was loosing my mind, but there I was giggling, pulling Isaac's hands off the pole, yelling at Isaiah to stay with me, and the more I laughed the weaker I got!

I honestly do not remember how we got to the van.  Somehow we did.  But I will never forget it.  Everytime I think of the look on those prim and proper ladies' faces I laugh.  I wish I could describe it.

Needless to say, I have a boatload of compassion for mommies with kids who tantrum in the store!  They aren't always just brats -- sometimes there's a disability they are dealing with!  With autism affecting 1 in 166 kids (isn't that number staggering?) we'll likely see a lot of tantrums in stores in our lifetime!

Do I punish my children?  Absolutely.  But there is a time and place for it.  Isaac was not able to modulate his emotions enough to be able to reason.  He had worked himself into a dither, and it was up to me to help him come back down.  When he calmed down is when I addressed his bad behavior.  Addressing it in the middle of a "melt-down" would only make it worse.  We are not to exasperate our children.  We are to lead them.  Having wisdom  in discipline is so important in order for it to be effective.  Otherwise it will be destructive and accomplish nothing.  We need to be careful that we don't tantrum ourselves when dealing with our children!

I thank God for those giggles.  It was God's grace washing over me like a balm.  How very good He is that His mercy endures forever!