I know this is age appropriate. She’s 24 months. But she got it in her head that when we left for the park that we were going to get treats. We don’t do treats that often. Once every two weeks tops. Before we left i offered a quick snack. She wasn’t interested.
When we were going to the park she kept trying to walk to the nearby coffee shop. I redirected her gently. We got to the park. Sure played for 20 minutes and then casually started walking to the coffee shop again saying “bits. bits.” we give her donuts and call them bits because we tear it to bits for her. I told her no we aren’t getting bits and tried yet again to gently pull her back to the play ground but she had it in her head that she was going to get bits and tried to run away.
After lots of back and forth I finally came to the conclusion that she wasn’t going to play at the park and started to walk her home. But she decided she wasn’t going to go quietly. Dead weighted me. So I picked her up on my hip.
And then the very public and very loud kicking and screaming starts. The entire neighbourhood gets an earful as I do the walk of shame with her over my shoulder screaming and crying.
It might sound dramatic but I don’t know how to face going outside again. I feel like a failure as a mother. I feel humiliated.