This mum’s story has since gone viral.
Managing a child’s mood can be tough at the best of times, but when that child has ADHD it can be much more difficult.
One mum who knows that well is Taylor Myers.
Taylor is the mum of four-year-old Sophie who has ADHD and says she’s had to go home many times because of her daughter’s behavioural outbursts.
“I walked out of stores hundred of times because of her. She’s relentless,” the mum wrote on Facebook recently.
However, Taylor’s post went on to share how one person’s kind gesture made her day.
“As I stood in the customer service line of Walmart to cash my paycheck with a cart of groceries, Sophie sat/stood/did head stands in the cart, whining over a bag of chips I took away and because she called me a ‘butthole’ in line,” reads the mum’s Facebook post.
Taylor revealed that her daughter’s ADHD can mean she becomes obsessive with certain objects, in this case, a bag of chips.
“We stood in line for several minutes, me ignoring her whining and refusing to give in. What’s giving in to bad behaviour going to do but reinforce the bad behaviour?
“I tell her for the tenth time to sit down so she doesn’t fall and the next thing I hear is a woman behind me in line saying, ‘Oh, for Christ’s sake, give her a cookie so she’ll shut up!’.
“I could have told her my four-year-old has pretty severe ADHD, I raise both my children alone, I’m doing my best, and had no choice but to wait it out.
“But instead I heard, ‘She’s four years old and you need to mind your own f**king business’ come out of my mouth.”
Distraught, the struggling mum continued to queue for her groceries until a stranger began talking to her daughter.
“As I scan my things, a woman walks up and begins to talk to Sophie. She asks her questions to distract her, but backs me up when Sophie begins to go on about wanting the chips.
“‘You have to be good for your mommy. She needs you to be good for her.’”
Taylor’s post has been liked nearly 350,000 times and reinforces the importance of empathy.
One woman’s kind actions were enough to ease Taylor’s stress and worry, and for that, she thanked them.
“It takes one small act of kindness to make a mama feel comfort and validation.
“Thank you to the woman in Walmart today for showing that kindness to my child and I. Thank you for walking us out. Thank you for backing me up.
“Mamas have to stick together.”
