A parent recalls their son's explosive tantrum on a playground 25 years ago, surrounded by judging onlookers. The shame and helplessness that followed made them rethink everything about how they parented, shifting from worrying what others thought to focusing on what their child actually needed.
I vividly remember my eldest son having a tantrum in the playground in front of all the other parents, and I literally wanted the ground to open up. I don't know if you've been there. Everyone stared at me and I just felt so judged. He started kicking me, he spat, he threw his coat on the ground and he stamped on it. I felt paralyzed. I literally had no idea how to react. And it was at that point that I realized I needed to learn a new way of parenting. That was almost 25 years ago, and one of the most important things that I learned was my child's needs are far more important than anyone else's opinions. So if you are listening, then I hope that that's what you want and you want to learn a new way of parenting.
