Kids behaving badly (in public)

[Grislygus]

I mean, some people have bad parenting instincts and some people have good instincts, but it's amazing how many moms you see in public that have NO instincts. I remember one of my old girlfriends coming with me to pick up supplies at a local art supply place; when we got to the check register we were stuck behind two people; an older woman trying to pay a $125 with a slew of coupons (and being told no, repeat process) and a young mother and her four year old child.

While we waited for the old woman to stop being a wrinkletard (for fifteen minutes) we got to watch the four year old boy go batshit crazy while it's mother laughed nervously. It was sniveling and being cranky, and we accepted the mother's initial diagnosis of "needs his naptime". Until he started pulling magazines out and throwing them. The mother continued to laugh as she repaired the carnage. Then the kid calmed down and began laughing. Then he got excited again and started running in circles. Then he saw the candy and grabbed several, bringing them over to Mommy. SHe said no. Cue the screeching temper tantrum and throwing of candy bars. Mommy laughs and looks at us, expecting the reaction to be "how ADORABLE." I smile weakly, desperate for her to stop looking at me, my girlfriend at the time is glaring, mommy continues to laugh.

Kid calms down for the next ten minutes, chattering happily. Mommy finishes at the register. Mommy says that they get to go home now.

Suddenly, without warning, Hellspawned Thing's face goes into purple-black storm mode and is bawling and screaming (in that one particular level of severe toddler-rage) "NO! SHUT UP! SHUT UP! NO!" then the scream-pitch intensifies with the bellow of "YOU IDIOT!"

I wanted to slap it, I wasn't ready to have that reaction. It actually shocked me that I wanted to crack a four-year old upside the head; I've never felt anything like it before. It was the combination of screaming IDIOT at it's mom and that ugly tone that kids get when they are completely beyond control. My girlfriend was shooting poison daggers out of her eyes and Mommy laughed.

Then the kid calmed down immediately and left the store with Mommy.