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Health & Fitness

Cleaning up after Elephants...and kids

Recently I witnessed a disturbing event in McLean – Uber Lazy Parenting.  A fellow mom in her size zero yoga pants and tank top was shopping at our luxurious Giant – you know – the one with the free Valet Parking.  She had her toddler daughter with her and the little girl was utilizing one of the kid-friendly mini grocery cards.  I was with one of my children and needless to say we were both horrified at what transpired.

The toddler threw a terrible temper tantrum and did not want to stop shopping after her mother directed her to self-check out.  She attempted to flip the little mini grocery cart over and it almost hit my child in the face.  As a fellow mom I politely smiled and gave skinny yoga pant mom the knowing nod, “Been there, done that!”  The child grew more and more irritable and screamed even louder when the mother took items out of the little green cart to ring up and pay for them.  Sure you say – every kid has a moment but, this is where it got really nasty and unfortunate. 

Skinny yoga pant mom apparently paid for her small number of items and called one of the Giant employees over.  The little green grocery card was still full of multiple items and I thought, “Well, this is strange.  Perhaps she is picking up some items for a friend?”  Skinny yoga pant mom then informed the Giant employee, “You’ll have to put this rest of this stuff back.  I don’t want it and my daughter put it in the cart.” 

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My jaw hit the floor.  Yep – Skinny (lazy) yoga pant mom was directing the rank-and-file Giant employee clean up after her little toddler’s mess.  My kid even realized the poor form and said, “Wow!  That’s really mean.”  Yep, mean, lazy and nasty!  The Giant employee was polite and dutifully removed the little green grocery cart out of self-check out and I assume proceeded to return the items to their proper shelf locations.

Skinny (lazy) yoga pant mom is part of a growing trend of parents who refuse to discipline their offspring.  Discipline is not spanking, hitting, or being cruel.  Discipline is ensuring your child acts respectfully and understand what it means to be a team player in life.   If you mess it up – you clean it up!  If you don’t eat your dinner you don’t get dessert.  If you don’t do your homework you will get a bad grades.  If you don’t properly brush your teeth you get cavities. Skinny (lazy) yoga pant mom was in the process of creating a self absorbed little monster like herself.

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Skinny (lazy) yoga pant mom should have directed her kid to never put items in her cart in the first place and if she did Skinny (lazy) yoga pant mom should have ensured the items were properly returned prior to the self-check out line.  This little toddler is being raised by a parent who does not understand consequences for certain behaviors and that someone will always clean up their messes for them.  Kind of like that poor guy in the circus who has to sweep up after the elephants.

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