It only takes one timeout in a store for your child to start to understand that no matter where you are they will be disciplined. I have done it with all of our children and now they know that we will sit there while time-out is going on. Many people that walk by smile and say "been there, done that." After timeout they are angels. That video tape will be hilarious at her wedding.

Some of us are parenting kids with special needs. By that I mean learning, attention and language difficulties. We have to do alternative methods to be understood.

We may have found that to take away the toy in the car is a more effective measure than a time out while passerby's give attention to the child sitting in the bench with mommy's cell phone set for X minutes. A tantrum is a difficulty in self control, frustration or you are not paying attention to me mommy. Conventional wisdom is you ignore it if it's an attention seeking tantrum. So giving him a stage for a public round of attention wasn't working for us or making much sense with that logic. So don't assume there is no reaction from mommy if she's ignoring the tantrum for 30 seconds in the aisle as far to the side as possible so not to block others shopping. He may loose any and all entertainment for the 30 minute ride home.

A woman very graciously told me it's alright as my son was having one recently. I said, "not really ALRIGHT. It just IS right now."

If your child was running into traffic you sure would not tolerate it. Don't tolerate insolence and bad manners either!!! High love, high discipline go together.

are different. And within the same family, the children are different. What works for one, may not work for another. And the point of kids with special needs is huge too. A child who is behaving oddly or what some would consider inappropriately because of a seizure should NOT be disciplined. Time out doesn't work for many children either. But I think one thing most can agree on, hitting them isn't the answer! Running out in traffic is not a tantrum, it's a lack of understanding of the danger. Doesn't even compare. I hate it when people think discipline should be control. You are not suppose to control your child, you are supposed to teach them to control themselves. Then when you aren't around, they can think for themselves with that God given brain. Those who judge the hardest either don't have kids, or were control freaks as parents and they have no real relationship with them. Not for me, thanks, I want my kids to control themselves and know what REAL love is. It's LEADING, not forcing.

Being "rude" isn't a life threatening danger, like walking into traffic. And the first thing you do is get the child to a safe place, then you think about how to correct them in a way they will understand.

It's not always obvious to the person walking past a child with a special need; they may just see bratlike behavior when the child is having an actual hardtime relating to their challenge in life.