A High Tolerance For Pain

I have this one problem when I’m out shopping at the mall--and it’s not just the fact that I want to buy up an entire store, especial the Gap--and OMG, just love the new sweaters that they have out this fall, just love ‘em.

No, it’s the way parents behave with their children. Now I’m not trying to judge another mother. My goodness. I’m old enough and experienced enough to know that I wouldn’t even “go there;” I do know what it’s like to run around the mall with the little ones under foot, especially when the little ones are little tricksters and are into everything. Ever see the boys on Desperate Housewives? Well, that’s what my two were like: running around laughing their little heads off while mommy looked like she was having a seizure. Oh, the good old days!! I just have to laugh when I see some parents who only think that they’re in proverbial hell. A News Flash: they really have no idea how bad it could actually be, but I wouldn’t dare fill them in. No! Instead, I’ll just sit on the sidelines and smile.

I do agree that all moms can reach their boiling point. Everyone needs a break. No one can take care of children all day without help or a break; and every parent needs to vent once in a while, it’s only human. So I can sympathize with every parent, with every child.

I just think that because I had the “extra” benefit of being “broken in” by my (especially) difficult daughter, that I have a higher tolerance for the pain. For instance, this one mother was yelling at her little boy for taking off his shoe in Target and she acted like it was the end of the world, as she knew it. The boy was, otherwise, good and quiet and followed his mother around like clockwork. And the shoe thing? Well he was able to put it back on as fast as he took it off. No problem. But Mommy Dearest could have chewed his head off.

Looking back 10 years ago (or even sometimes in present day—I dare you to read my Naked Girl post) my little trip to Target would look like this:

Daughter runs off, mommy chases her down as if playing a game of touch football.
Son screams after mommy and daughter, “Why are you running away? Wait, wait, wait…”
Daughter laughs hysterically and takes off her shoes.
Mommy struggles to put said shoes back on--every 10 seconds
Daughter spots a baby with a bottle and yanks it out of his face and starts sucking on it herself.
Mommy forces bottle away from daughter, but daughter has the last laugh and chews off the nipple with one destructive bite.
Store is horrified and wishes we would just go away.
Daughter decides she’s had enough of Target and takes off her clothes—buck naked.
Mommy freaks out and forces daughter’s clothes back on.
Daughter laughs hysterically, again, and kicks mommy because it’s fun.
Son joins in because it looks fun.
Mommy disciplines kids.
Son takes a temper tantrum for being disciplined and starts yelling: “I hate you.”
Mommy forgets why she even had to go to Target and starts chanting: go to your happy place, go to your happy place …while rushing out of the store before Social Services shows up.

Hey, just another day in the life of a mom with autistic kids! ;)