We just got back from a 3-year-old pink swan birthday party at a restaurant that does pink swan birthday parties. Sounds fun, right? Well, not for my youngest (26 months). He didn't want to go in when we got there. I don't blame him. Everything was pink and there were tutus and crowns all over the place. Then finally when I was able to get him in he didn't want to eat lunch until I offered soup. He loves soup. Then we sat in the same spot while he ate soup with fried rice and watermelon for a very long time while all the other little girls (and two boys) played and did crafts. It looked like so much fun but my son just didn't want anything to do with it. I felt so anti-social and just stressed out in general. He was happy watching some Thomas the Train videos for a little bit. Finally, I was able to get him to leave his seat and wander around and then he got himself fixed on having a "yellow balloon." I gave him a "yellow balloon" and he didn't want it and kept yelling for a "yellow balloon!" Finally, I decided to leave. Oh, that's when the epic tantrum of his life happened. We had to leave. He screamed and struggled with me while I carried him out and he continued to scream "yellow balloon!" I had no idea where to go to catch a cab and then it started to rain. I brought an umbrella but, well, it's was nearly impossible to even get to my purse with him struggling in my arms. Finally, I got some shelter from the rain and hailed a taxi down. That poor taxi driver had no idea what was coming when he picked us up. I'm sure he saw that I had a kid kicking and screaming sideways in my arms. We got in and for the next 15 minutes (which seemed like FOREVER!) he kicked and screamed and cried. I started to cry with him. I was done. It's been a rough week with him being sick and then I noticed he was cutting a second molar yesterday and this is on top of my husband being gone for the last two weeks and won't be back until late tomorrow night. Then he has to go to work on Monday, of course.

I know he's definitely going through the terrible twos. I didn't believe there was a terrible twos b/c my oldest didn't hit his until he turned three. Actually, I know a lot of kids who didn't hit their terrible year(s) until they were three.

So back to my question, how do you handle your child when he/she goes through a tantrum in public? When I moved here I noticed that parents shush their kids and do anything they want to get their kids to keep quiet in public when they throw tantrums. I hang out with a lot of ex-pat moms and their kids and we try but we also just let them have at it to get over it or use distraction. That's how I am used to handling public tantrums. With my oldest, I will take him outside and he will stop; but with my youngest, he is impossible to soothe in public. He will drop to the floor like a noodle and just kick and scream. He's done this a few times in public, but today's was possibly the worst, ever. I was at a loss as to what to do. I tried everything. He will want something but once I give it to him he'll say he doesn't want it. I sort of thought that since I already went through the terrible years with my oldest that I would know how to handle my second. Boy was I so wrong! They are so different! I'm beyond exhausted mentally that I can't think about what I can do to help him tantrum in public. At home, I will just let him do his thing while I sit next to him. In public...it's nearly impossible these days...