Grocery store

I would love to review the security tapes from my late afternoon trips to the grocery store. These trips are usually to pick up a few items I need to make dinner or whatever. The child and myself have both been in school all day, and after a 45 minute commute home, we are tired and ready to be HOME.

Since he is of course too big to put in a cart, he has to walk it with me which is fine, but a child potentially with ADHD in a grocery store is like a greyhound taking off after the rabbit at the track. He runs circles around displays, hides behind shelves, grabs and asks for virtually everything at his eye level....All the while I am trudging along behind him simply wanting to grab my loaf of bread and gallon of milk and GO!

He gets in the way of other people, he knocks things over.....by the time we get to the check-out, I am ready to pull my hair out. I scold, I grab him by the arm, I give empty threats, I growl his name through gritted teeth. I am the perfect model of what NOT to do when disciplining your child. But by this time, I've had it and I don't care.

There are a couple of cashiers that I frequent. Younger kids working after school. I can see the gleam of recognition and the rising giggles as I navigate my way to them, grabbing at the scruff of the boy's neck before he ravages the candy rack at the register. Then there are the automatic doors which he bolts toward while I swipe my card. Since he has no worry in the world, it is a real danger that even 6 years old he will run right out into the parking lot. So, to the joy of the frustrated people behind me, I leave my meager groceries and purse mid-purchase and run off to grab him by the arm and drag him back by the shoulder while I finish my transaction. At least by this point he is maniacally laughing, which the irritated people behind me find hilarious.

While I wish I could simply grab what I need and run, part of me guesses that at least I can provide a funny story for someone to share at their family dinner table. And I am sure whoever reviews those tapes gets a good chuckle every time he and I bound through the entrance....