Toddler tantrums get you booted from John Lewis

[Patrick Thistle]

Lots of news stories covering this. A mum was asked to leave a John Lewis store after her kid had a tantrum.

She's been criticising the store in the papers, saying she was escorted out. John Lewis says she wasn't escorted out but was asked to take her child outside.

The truth is somewhere in the middle. Without seeing it, it's hard to judge whether this was a case of a child being a little horror (they all do this) or whether the Mum was reacting badly.

In the papers, Mum seems to be given the sympathetic edge. But having worked in places where parents take no responsibility for out of control kids (incuding walking away from children who are screaming) I feel a bit more sympathy for the shop staff.

Any thoughts, anyone?

[Stumpy Pepys]

Toddler tantrums get you booted from John Lewis

I bet it set off a "Twitterstorm" on "Social Media"

[Duncan Gardner]

Toddler tantrums get you booted from John Lewis

My brother (then aged three) shat himself in Marks and Spencer. Still, the victim wasn't the British High Street's leading retailer of comfortable knitwear, but me; I laughed so long and loud that he eventually kicked me in the goolies, then my Ma gave me a slap too.

I've never seen a parent and toddler kicked out of store. It's a story only as an exception, maybe.

[Ginger Yellow]

Toddler tantrums get you booted from John Lewis

The truth is somewhere in the middle. Without seeing it, it's hard to judge whether this was a case of a child being a little horror (they all do this) or whether the Mum was reacting badly.

Isn't this a bit of a false dichotomy? Without commenting on the specifics of this situation, which I don't know, it seems entirely possible that a child being a little horror could create a situation that would require them being removed from the premises to prevent harm to other people or (material) damage to property.

[WOM]

Toddler tantrums get you booted from John Lewis

A logical fallacy, actually; argument to moderation.

If history is a guide, a) the kid was probably being a shit and b) the mother was probably asked to do something about it, but was neither 'kicked out' or 'escorted out'.

The beauty of these stories, of course, is that there's no right way to handle it, so it's always going to be a talking piece. If you don't do anything, you're doing your other customers and your employees a disservice. If you do something, you're a soulless corporate monolith who hates children. There really is no winning.

[E10 Rifle]

Toddler tantrums get you booted from John Lewis

My daughter pissed herself by the craft ales in the ponced-up Spar in Walthamstow Village a couple of years ago. Makes a change from alkies doing it I suppose.

Re the John Lewis thing, as with a lot of these stories, my default response is "I don't know the facts and I'm not really sure this is any of my business".

[N est à?]

Toddler tantrums get you booted from John Lewis

That was your response when your daughter pissed herself? Smooth.

[N est à?]

Toddler tantrums get you booted from John Lewis

"I did not see zer incident"

[E10 Rifle]

Toddler tantrums get you booted from John Lewis

Nesta, like all indulgent lefties, I don't believe in taking personal responsibility for anything, and would rather the Nanny State cleared up the mess.

[WOM]

Toddler tantrums get you booted from John Lewis

Mops wanna be free, man. But who's paying for the pail?
Think about it...

[Benjm]

Toddler tantrums get you booted from John Lewis

Unfortunately the Nanny State outsourced the craft ale section toddler wee cleaning contract to Private Sector Knowhow PLC who walked away from the commitment after trying to extort an extra 50% on top of their blatantly unrealistic tender figures. The craft ale fridge has subsequently been replaced by twelve luxury apartments.

[treibeis]

Toddler tantrums get you booted from John Lewis

WOM wrote: If you don't do anything, you're doing your other customers and your employees a disservice. If you do something, you're a soulless corporate monolith who hates children. There really is no winning.

There were several incidents at the hut last summer which saw little boys (always boys, never girls) losing it because they were being tonked at crazy golf by their one-armed great-grandmother or whatever.

Unusually, it was me, rather than The Lady I Walked To The Registry Office With, who sorted them out. I went up to them and informed them, quietly but firmly, that, if they continued to smack my holes/fence/chairs with the golf club, I'd have no alternative but to do the same to them. None of the adults complained.

In fact, I discovered, by accident, that it's much more effective if you issue the threat in English, as they can't understand what you're saying: All they see is a big bloke with creepy eyes who can't talk properly. It'll probably be giving them nightmares for years to come.

[HORN]

Toddler tantrums get you booted from John Lewis

Just emitted a big silence-shattering snort into my large open-plan office. Thanks, treibeis.

Master HORN never went through the terrible twos. We waited, but it simply never happened. I rather wish he had.

[WOM]

Toddler tantrums get you booted from John Lewis

treibeis wrote: There were several incidents at the hut last summer which saw little boys (always boys, never girls) losing it because they were being tonked at crazy golf by their one-armed great-grandmother or whatever.

True dis. My son is terrible when everyone's doing okay at mini golf and he's crapping out. I mean, he's the youngest of us, but still.

[ursus arctos]

Toddler tantrums get you booted from John Lewis

Just a point of order, but they don't all do this.

[MsD]

Toddler tantrums get you booted from John Lewis

I didn't do it, apparently, deciding early on to hone my sarcasm skills, and wait.

[treibeis]

Toddler tantrums get you booted from John Lewis

ursus arctos wrote: Just a point of order, but they don't all do this.

No, I didn't mean that all little boys do, and I'm sorry if it came across that way.

However, those who don't do it get their dads to complain about the state of the course/clubs/balls instead, the little fuckers.

[Eggchaser]

Toddler tantrums get you booted from John Lewis

If having your child kick off qualifies you for the boot from John Lewis, I'd have been thrown out with the regularity of Arsenal players collecting red cards under Wenger.

[SouthdownRebel]

Toddler tantrums get you booted from John Lewis

Same here. My son had a scream that could wake the dead and have them reaching for the ear muffs.

Sometimes he would let rip in public places over trivial things, as all toddlers do. There's nothing less helpful in that situation than people offering constructive suggestions and/or disapproving glares.

Toddlers act like brats. That doesn't mean they have terrible parents.

[Eggchaser]

Toddler tantrums get you booted from John Lewis

My son stamped his feet and howled when I shut the door to his room to stop him walking out half dressed earlier this morning. He's not even two yet. I'm so proud.

[hobbes]

Toddler tantrums get you booted from John Lewis

The cub's thing is passive resistance rather than tantrums.
He just quietly sits down and refuses to move.
At least he sits. He used to lay down. Quite a thing when you're crossing a road while pushing an empty but rather large pushchair.

[Flynnie]

Toddler tantrums get you booted from John Lewis

SouthdownRebel wrote: Same here. My son had a scream that could wake the dead and have them reaching for the ear muffs.

Sometimes he would let rip in public places over trivial things, as all toddlers do. There's nothing less helpful in that situation than people offering constructive suggestions and/or disapproving glares.

Toddlers act like brats. That doesn't mean they have terrible parents.

The disinterested indulgent parent who doesn't give a shit about little Orlando screaming his fucking tits off is a bit like benefit scroungers.

Everybody claims they've seen it loads of times, but can't actually remember any specifics.

[MsD]

Toddler tantrums get you booted from John Lewis

I had a large toddler (probably a 3 year old) jump on my back and kick me while his Posh Dad smiled indulgently. When I said "he's just really hurt my back", Posh Dad frowned at me at said "hurt you? he's only a child." I should have sued the little fucker and his Dad. Unlike the Evil Auntie in the US suing her nephew, I had no connection to the child and no expectation he was going to jump on my back as I was sitting down.

[Sean of the Shed]

Toddler tantrums get you booted from John Lewis

I've not often seen disinterested parents, but I've seen indulgent ones, asking their kids nicely to not get upset as they scream the fucking place down, kicking out and throwing stuff, or try to pacify them with sweets. Rewarding bad behavior, basically.
Most parents are trying their best though. My nephew can be a little shit at times, and it upsets my sister-in-law who thinks it reflects on her when it's entirely down to him. It isn't helped by her own mother, my in-law, tutting and harrumphing whenever he kicks off, intimating that she's the one failing, despite the fact that as parenting abilities go, she was fucking appalling according to Mrs of the Shed.