A father of a 2-year old daughter calmly watches as his child throws a temper tantrum in public: this is a lession for all parents
There is no manual on how to be a perfect parent, and, to be honest, there is no truly "perfect" parent. And one might say this is a fortunate thing! American actor Justin Baldoni wanted to share with the world a photo of his 2-year-old daughter throwing temper tantrums while she was at the supermarket. Something of a normal occurrence - which happens every day to millions of parents around the world – but which nevertheless has taken on a special meaning for the actor, who wanted to share his message with thousands of readers.
Justin Baldoni was at the supermarket with his daughter and his father when, suddenly, as children sometimes do, the little girl threw herself on the ground crying and screaming. Emily, Justin's wife, took a photo of the moment: Justin and her father are watching the little girl throwing a temper tantrum on the floor without worrying about what people around her might think of her. Her grandfather is smiling at her, while Justin is looking at her with truly enviable calm. The actor then shared an important message on his Facebook profile about this event:
"Emily took this photo at the supermarket and it became me and my father’s favorite - two men, united by an unconditional love for each other and for the little girl for whom we would do absolutely anything. And I can imagine just how many times I did the same thing myself as a kid. My father taught me so many things about what it means to be a man, but I think this picture says it better than a thousand words. Being and acting calm, even when the situation isn’t. This is one thing I saw growing up alongside my father. There are no perfect parents, but what my father taught me is that you don't have to raise your kids based on what other people think."
The actor went on to say, "My dad always made me express what I was feeling inside, even in public, and even though it was embarrassing at times. I never remember hearing him say things like: 'Stop crying!' or 'You are embarrassing me." Only now do I understand how important this approach has been for my emotional growth. Our children receive so many external inputs and learn so many things that at some point they don't know how to manage their feelings and personalities. And I try to remember this, to make sure my daughter knows it's okay to express what she feels. It's okay if she starts throwing temper tantrums in a supermarket or cries on a plane. I'm her father, no one else is".
This outstanding father then concluded his message saying:
"Let's not be ashamed of our children. Shame is not what we as parents should ever feel. We should perhaps all be kinder and more patient with ourselves too. If we allowed ourselves to express everything we felt and also allow ourselves to cry when we need to, I'm sure we could feel even happier and a greater sense of joy. And this is something that would certainly do the world good."
Would do you agree with him?
