Dad talks about his daughter’s tantrums in a bid for people to STOP judging parents
Spending the day with your family is always deemed time well spent, but sometimes you notice things you may not have seen before.
Or better yet, you appreciate things you may not have even contemplated before.
Which is exactly what happened to Justin Baldoni while spending time with his family on Father’s Day.
Justin’s wife Emily took a photo of Justin and his dad standing in a store, looking downward in the same direction.
Both men were intently staring at Justin and Emily’s daughter, who was quite busy throwing a tantrum on said floor while the men just let her be.
Upon seeing the photograph, the dad-of-one felt compelled to let his feelings on the situation be known.
Stating that the photo is now one of his favourite photos ever of him and his dad, Justin said:
“Two men, standing together in silence, forever bonded by an unconditional love for both each other and this brand new, raw and pure soul who we would both go to the ends of the earth for.
I can only imagine how many times I did this when I was her age.”
Justin reveals that the post is about ‘being comfortable in the uncomfortable’ which prompted his honesty:
“There are no perfect parents, but one thing my dad taught me is to not parent based on what anyone else thinks.
My dad always let me feel what I needed to feel, even if it was in public and embarrassing. I don't remember him ever saying ‘You're embarrassing me!’ or ‘Dont cry!’”
The dad explains that it was only recently he realised how significant it is to not say these things to your child as it’s important for their emotional development:
“Our children are learning and processing so much information and they don't know what to do with all of these new feelings that come up.
I try to remember to make sure my daughter knows it's OK that she feels deeply. It's not embarrassing to me when she throws tantrums in the grocery store, or screams on a plane.”
Calling on parents to not be embarrassed by their children who are throwing tantrums or screaming down an aeroplane, he reminds us that we’re these children’s parents and not the staring and tutting strangers.
“It doesn't reflect on you. In fact… we should probably be a little more kind and patient with ourselves too.
If we got out everything we were feeling and allowed ourselves to throw tantrums and cry when we felt the need to then maybe we’d also let ourselves feel more joy and happiness.”
Leaving room for reflection, Justin adds: “That is something this world could definitely use a little more of.”
We’re curious, what do you think of this dad’s post – should we take on his advice?