Mum fires back at 'judgmental old ladies' criticising daughter’s Kmart meltdown

Navigating the challenges of parenting is tough, especially in the public eye.

Model and former Miss Universe Australia Renae Ayris recently found herself in such a situation when her toddler daughter, Harper, had a tantrum during a shopping trip to Kmart.

The incident led to a scorching response from two older women who criticised Ayris' parenting, leading to a powerful response from the mum.



Like any toddler, Harper became distressed when her grandmother asked her to put away her snacks.

Ayris overheard the two older women commenting on the situation, stating that 'all children were horrible these days' because they were always glued to iPads or iPhones.


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Renae Ayris criticised the women who judged her toddler for throwing a tantrum. Source: @renaeayris/Instagram



The model was quick to defend her daughter, highlighting the lack of understanding and compassion from the women.

In a fiery social media post, Ayris called out the women for their judgmental attitude. 'How about don't judge? You couldn't see Harper, you literally know NOTHING about her,' she wrote.



She further criticised them for generalising all children as 'horrible and disgusting' and blaming technology for their behaviour.

'Do you think I or any other parent enjoys their kid having a tantrum in public!? NO, NO they don't, and it's mainly because of judgmental people like you,' she added.


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Ayris posted about the incident on social media. Source: @renaeayris/Instagram



Ayris and her fitness trainer husband, Andrew Papadopoulos, welcomed Harper Lee in December 2021.

Despite the challenges of parenting, the couple has been open about their love for their daughter.

In a separate post, Ayris shared an adorable picture of Harper's little feet, captioning it, 'I love you and your little feet so much.'



Toddler tantrums are part of child development. They're a sign of a child's frustration and inability to express their feelings adequately. It's important to remember that toddlers are still learning how to navigate their emotions, and tantrums are a part of this learning process.

As parents and grandparents know, while it can be embarrassing when a child has a tantrum in public, it's crucial to handle the situation calmly and patiently. Reacting negatively or giving in to the child's demands can reinforce the behaviour, making it more likely to occur in the future.

The Australian Parenting Website has provided some tips on how to handle children's tantrums. You can read more here.

On the other hand, it's also essential for bystanders to show understanding and empathy towards parents dealing with a child's tantrum. Criticising or judging the parent can add to their stress and make the situation more difficult.

Key Takeaways
  • Model and former Miss Universe Australia Renae Ayris has responded to criticism from two 'judgmental old ladies' after her daughter Harper had a tantrum in a Kmart store.
  • Ayris overheard the women claiming children are horrible nowadays due to the constant use of iPads or iPhones and confronted their judgement with a passionate social media post.
  • The model emphasised that no parent enjoys dealing with public tantrums and highlighted the unnecessary judgement from others, making the situation more difficult.
  • Renae Ayris and her fitness trainer husband, Andrew Papadopoulos, welcomed their daughter Harper Lee in December 2021.

What are your thoughts on this incident, members? Share your experiences in the comments below.
 
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We need to get back to more discipline for our children instead of going along with the psychologists idea that "all toddlers throw tantrums". My child threw one tantrum in her life - right in the middle of the road. I put the shopping down, picked her up, smacked her bottom (over her nappy so she wouldn't even feel it), picked up the shopping & continued. She was so embarrassed because all the cars stopped & saw her get her bottom smacked she never did it again.

They can learn even at that age. Some time later I had my 2 nieces shopping. They were bought some lollies & told they could have one & then had to take the rest home to Grandma to put on top of the fridge until after lunch. The youngest one was about 2 y.o. & they both did as they were told with no questions asked & no tantrum about not being able to eat more.
 
My Mum always said that we as parents had it harder than she did in her day. Her greengrocer delivered to the door as did the butcher, baker, grocery & milkman. That was back in Murwillumbah in the 50's. Give parents a go, most are working full or part-time and kids do throw tantrums
 
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My Mum always said that we as parents had it harder than she did in her day. Her greengrocer delivered to the door as did the butcher, baker, grocery & milkman. That was back in Murwillumbah in the 50's. Give parents a go, most are working full or part-time and kids do throw tantrums
In my day (I am very much a senior) we only had the milk & bread delivered. For everything else, my mother had to get 2 children dressed & ready to catch the bus to go & do the shopping. Tantrums were not tolerated nor was continually asking for something. We quickly learned that if we were told No to something then it meant No - not keep asking & I'll give in.
 
I wish people would just mind their own business. Voicing their opinion whilst a child has a tantrum is not helpful. My granddaughter had many a meltdown due to her autism. A disapproving look is bad enough but these people who give advice on what you’re doing wrong we could well do without. I saw a child having a meltdown whilst in the supermarket once and i thought the mother did a great job. She stayed calm, paid for her groceries and left as soon as she could. I heard one of the staff say “well that's a good advertisement for birth control” and everyone had a good laugh about it. I was so angry as I knew this child also had autism. Have a little empathy and maybe ask the mum is there anything you can do to help
 
My Mum always said that we as parents had it harder than she did in her day. Her greengrocer delivered to the door as did the butcher, baker, grocery & milkman. That was back in Murwillumbah in the 50's. Give parents a go, most are working full or part-time and kids do throw tantrums
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My Mum always said that we as parents had it harder than she did in her day. Her greengrocer delivered to the door as did the butcher, baker, grocery & milkman. That was back in Murwillumbah in the 50's. Give parents a go, most are working full or part-time and kids do throw tantrums
what the hell has this got to do with anything. We had the same deliveries in Ryde (Sydney). Mum had to contend with me in a wheelchair and toddler brother. I was left with 3 sick kids (10 mths, 22 mths and 5). There were NO gov't handouts inc pensions, I worked 1 full time and 2 part time jobs just to keep us going. NO CAR, NO free childcare and NO TANTRUMS. People keep bringing up autism. Yes, I grant this is difficult however my eldest was chronic asthmatic from 3 weeks, next one epileptic from 9 months and a nice day can kill my daughter because she was born without sweat glands. They knew how to behave. Stop making excuses for bad behaviour.
 
This happened to me 47 years ago and people were no less judgemental In my day we just took it in our stride and didn’t make a big deal because we knew that this was pretty standard behaviour from other adults in this sort of situation
I was confident in my ability as a mother to just deal with the situation and ignore other people!
 
Take the Child outside in the fresh Air ,distract them, cuddle them for reassurance ,make sure their Diet is healthy ,that they are getting enough Naps each Day , check they are not unwell ,if Cognitively of Age ,Set reasonable limits and boundaries for negative behaviours, take aways priviledges rather than smacking
 
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