Kicking and Screaming

True story.  I took my 3 year old granddaughter to Hobby Lobby.  The intent was to buy her some 'good stuff' to occupy her time while her mama convalesced.  I needed to get some shingle clips for my mr man and we walked by the huge display of glass ornaments on our way to the Christmas light section.  She saw all those sparkling figurines and such as 'toys' and decided she was getting out of the cart to play.  
Grandma said "No, you must stay in the cart.  Those aren't toys."  She was getting out anyway, because she could.  I set her down and stated my claim to dominance again.  This produced a series of earsplitting screams.   I told her she must sit in the cart for us to buy the special things.  She began to scream her demands and throw a kicking, accusing, uncontrolled fit.  I'd watched other children do that to the various adults in their lives and I remembered their humiliation and the non-effect their pleas and placations produced, so I felt empowered.  
I told her that if she did not sit down and stop screaming we would leave the store without anything.  Much as I expected, she continued the screaming, kicking fit.  I smiled and nodded and people cleared the path.  I took her out of the cart and put it back in its place when we got to the front.  I carried her screaming out the door.  Suddenly she stopped screaming and began to beg. My reply was "Nope. . . . Too late. . . . Wrong gramma."  
As I put her into her car seat, she informed me that she was just having a bad day.  I smiled and said "Well, we may try this again another day and see if we can have a better day."  She argued on.  I smiled and drove home. 
About halfway home, she said "I'm so sad.  You should take me to McDonalds."  
I had to laugh -it was required.  I reiterated, "Wrong gramma."
This was the first day she and I had ever really spent together.  I've been around her before, but was always so busy that I didn't really have time to interact one on one.  We did stop at Brahms for a few things before going home.  And we did find some things to do at Gramma's house.  We watched movies and she helped feed the fish and the day passed quickly.
The next day after her mother was settled in, I said "Now, I need to go to the store.  Grandpa needs some shingle clips to hang the lights and I need to buy some stuff that we can do while you are here."
She informed me that she was having a much better day and that she would stay in the cart.  It was a fun shopping trip without demands or fits, even when we went through the Christmas section and passed the huge selection of sparkling glass ornaments.  I don't plan on writing a grand-parenting manual any time soon.  I don't think I'm all that, but I have learned some things in life.  Beside the fact that I have raised 5 daughters, I am an observer of success and failure alike.  I'm glad that she is so intelligent.  We had a good time.
But I have learned one thing from it all.  Toddlers and immature people will scream anything to get you to submit to their desires and agenda, no matter how illogical or even harmful.  I have watched them threaten and disrupt, gathering disdain or sympathy until someone stops catering to their irrational behavior.  Sometimes, we must set aside our moment for the greater good and future peace.  Sometimes the answer is so simple it alludes us in the chaos.  The key is to watch, to learn and to listen to a greater voice inside.