For those that are not yet parents the idea of a having a big family can be quite endearing. Babies are so cute, right? The new baby smell, the ridiculously soft skin, the big eyes filled with curiosity and wonder. All the stuff that you expect to see in any given Johnson & Johnson ad. Well that’s all true and does invoke both the warm and the fuzzy but is unfortunately shortlived. Just like the puppy that seemed like such a great idea in the moment, that puppy grows up into a giant, stinky, slobbery mess that digs up your sprinklers and humps your leg. A little extreme? Perhaps. Perhaps not.
I am not saying kids are a bad idea (I happen to have one of my own) but it is important to prepare yourself mentally for the experience. While it will certainly be one of the most rewarding adventures of your life there will also be moments where you will wonder from whom the decision to procreate was really inspired. A seasoned parent and coworker of mine turned me on to this great European commercial for contraceptives. If the mesage at the end of the clip isn’t clear enough, hopefully the content is enough to make you think twice before jumping on the wagon.
Has anybody ever had the privelege of experiencing something like this? I would love to hear the stories, leave a comment!
manfather 
I haven’t had to deal with my kid throwing a tantrum in public, but I have certainly thrown several myself.
One occurence, while not a tantrum, is definitely something to make you second guess having kids.
My brother and I were in Toy ‘R Us and he did the thing like he was going to slap me but then slapped his hand by my face. I then proceeded to scream like he had actually slapped me as part of the act. Several horrified gasps from strangers soon followed. Oh, the joys of childhood.
Ha Ha Ha I have totally been there. More times than i can count.
Cheeto’s always trigger these fits If I don’t give in. So I always have to distract Katelyn when I am passing them in the store.
Once was at Kohl’s and i actually had to leave my cart and walk out of the store (1st time i spanked Katelyn 🙂
The worst time was when I was walking the kids and my niece and the dog in the neighborhood. Both Katelyn & my niece threw MAJOR tantrums fighting over a bike. wow, It still makes my blood boil.
I have had SO many of these experiences that I can’t even count! My favorite one was in the mall…I was forced to leave but my mom said she could hear Odin screaming from inside the department store…we were almost half way through the mall!
One particularly hot summer while vacationing in balmy Mesa, AZ, my then 3 year old daughter channeled Helen Keller being thrown into the pits of a fiery hell as I tried to get her take her turn sitting in the air-condition-less back back seat of Ruby Subaru for a local drive to the movies. She clung to the back seat, limbs sprawling, fingernails piercing the supple black vinyl, screaming the auditory equivalent of a dying banshee. It wasn’t until her chivalrous cousins Cam and Rob acquiesced to taking her place did she melt into a soggy puddle of sweat. Did I mention AZ is really, really hot? Similarly epic tantrums in our family have been forever christened as ‘Helen Kellers’; i.e. “He had a Helen Keller right there in the aisle of the grocery store”. We are just politically correct and sensitive like that.
Hilarious Kris! Lots of great memories in the back of Ruby. For me most of them included getting outrageously car sick due to my weak stomach and threatening to hurl all over Bert and Nick if I didnt get a front seat. It usually worked.
I appreciate your demonstrated usage of “Helen Keller” as a noun and I can assure you it will find its way into my vocab somehow. Thanks for reading!
HA! love that commercial! thanks for checking out my blog way back when, and i’m finally returning the favor. my best to you, my man…good luck!