Your 15-month-old (week 4): Keeping Your Cool
By now you probably know how powerless you can feel when your toddler decides to have a full-blown screaming fit in the middle of the produce section. It may be embarrassing, but rest assured that other parents feel your pain. Whatever you do, don't get angry. Losing your patience won't solve the problem and will only draw more attention to you. It also sends a message to your child that raising your voice is a good way to get a reaction. Instead, just take your child out of the store (even if it means leaving a cart full of food behind) and sit with him in the car or on a bench until he finishes crying. When the storm is over, your child will feel close to you and happy again, and will be over the feelings that had welled up into the outburst. You can also take some comfort in knowing that eventually your child will outgrow this behavior.
