I was at the cinema today at a fairly quiet showing and took my kids 3 and 7. It was their first time at the cinema. The film was awful they enjoyee it while they had their popcorn but started to run around. My 7 year old sat down when i told him we would have to leave if he couldn't sit. My 3 year old after initially obeying started to get restless and ran round again.
I knew the film wouldn't be much longer but didn't want to be that parent letting their kids ruin the film for others. I said it was time to leave but of course my 7 year old didn't want to and basically just ran round the cinema trying to dodge me. I know it wasn't fair to him but didn't have a solution other than leaving. This felt so embarrassing as obviously i wanted to leave the cinema discreetly and didn't.
He does it at softplay sometimes- yes even when I've warned him it'll be home time soon but today I was furious. I shouted a lot in the car but I don't know what to do to make it not happen. It feels embarrassing to not be able to control your kids in public.
Maybe it's not a big deal and I was stressed because I was feeling the pressure more in a cinema where everyone is sitting and being quiet.
I've read gentle parenting books where they say punishments don't work so now I'm stuck. I don't really punish i rant and rave for a bit, maybe send him to his room so I can get headspace. I don't even know what punishment would work anyway. He's an outdoorsy arty child who likes a bit of TV in the evening.
What would you do or what have you done in the past when your kids run off on you?