Lately, I've become very conscious of a mother/daughter phenomenon at Walmart. It's the adult daughter with the mother shopping together. For me, it's my mom in a Walmart mobile shopping cart and me following close by trying to get her to move on. For others, it's the mom pushing the cart and the daughter in tow.
As I pass these pairs, I make eye contact and give a smile to one or both of the couple. To the daughter, I try and communicate - I know how you're feeling. Try and be patient and don't raise your voice.
To the mom, I try and communicate - I know this is not the kind of situation you thought you'd be in. The role reversal and the feeling of disempowerment. Yes, you are still the mom. Sometimes, you have to remind us of this.
The cart will be filled with items like Poise Pads and Depends. You're shopping at Walmart, so you know that budgets are tight, and that if you could shop other places - you would. But for now, it's Walmart.
My last trip with mom, I let her roam around without me hovering and I did some work at the in-store Subway. Trying to give her the freedom to roam at her own pace; giving me less frustration. I thought it worked out well.
No comments:
Post a Comment