I work in a shoe shop and see variations on this theme almost every week but today's was a classic to my mind.
Mum comes in with a baby (not yet walking) and a little girl of about three. She is looking for soft leather padder type shoes for her son - daisy roots - that sort of thing.
We had a selection of about ten pairs in the right size, the daughter is wandering around happily looking at other shoes while mum decides.
I asked mum if there were any she disliked so I could put them away and she said "No" but she she would let her daughter choose so she could be involved.
Mum calls daughter over and daughter chooses a pair with a football on them. Mum says "No - not those ones, we don't like football, what about the ones with the teddy bear or the car on ?"
Daughter insists on the football ones and mum gets firm and says "No we are having the teddy bears"
Cue huge tantrum from the daughter who chucks herself on the floor crying. Mum then says to daughter - "Right we're not going to the toy shop now if you can't behave"
Daughter screams even louder and Mum tells her to stop being silly.
After paying, mum virtually has to carry her daughter out who is still upset and now refusing to walk.
Why do parents do this ? If the mum had not involved her daughter and just chosen the pair she wanted anyway there would have been no tantrum to deal with. Everyone would have been happy and my ears would not be ringing.
AIBU to think some parents cause the issues themselves ?