Top 10 Unfortunate Places for Your Toddler to Throw a Tantrum

Let's face it, it's never really a good time for your toddler to throw a tantrum, but some places are just downright embarrassing (and some times are really poor timing) - especially if you've brought your child there to have fun. Even more so if you've just been talking about how good your toddler is.

Here's are the top 10 places most moms I know would rather not deal with a raging toddler tantrum.

1. At their own birthday party.
2. At Gymboree, where literally nothing is off limits and every single surface is climbable.
3. At the interview for that fancy private preschool you're hoping will give you a scholarship.
4. As you're walking through the gates at Disneyland.
5. During family night at your new parent education class, where you've spent 6 weeks learning a bunch of new tantrum-diffusing techniques (and none of them are working). 
6. At your first outing with the new moms' club after you just spent 15 minutes telling everyone how effective your 6-week parenting class was.
7. When you're meeting the new sitter for the first time and you've already assured her that your child rarely throws tantrums. (Why do we always set ourselves up like that?)
8. Standing in line to board a 6-hour flight and your toddler has already taken their one nap in the car on the way to the airport.
9. While you're on your way to the hospital - in labor.
10. After you've driven 2 hours to go to the zoo because all your kid has talked about is wanting to feed the giraffes, which they heard about from the neighbor kid. You've spent about $100 for parking and tickets. You've just realized that you left the lunch you packed in the refrigerator and know you'll be dropping another $30 on stale chicken strips and old french fries. You've waited forever in line to get the food to feed the giraffe (another 5 bucks), then in another line to actually feed them, and when it's finally your turn, your child is having a five-alarm meltdown because his sister got to turn the dial on the food dispenser and he didn't, and now he doesn't even want to see the giraffe's anymore, let alone feed them.

Has your sweet little angle ever thrown a tantrum so embarrassing that you just wanted to walk in the other direction, looking around the store asking, “who does this child belong to?”  Fess up!

*This was originally posted on January 21, 2012 for mom365. Click here to read more of my Top Ten Lists on Mom365.