When I see a little one throwing a tantrum in a public place, like a restaurant or a grocery store, I usually just try to give the parents space. I know they want to calm their child down and move on with their day as quickly as possible. And in order to do that their focus needs to be on their child(ren) and not on strangers.

One of our kids recently threw a temper tantrum in public. While I waited for my child to calm down, a stranger came up to me. She looked me in the eye, told me that I was doing great, and then walked away.

I’ve had strangers and friends talk to me during temper tantrums before. Sometimes it is to try to lighten the mood. Sometimes it is to lend a helping hand. Sometimes it is to let me know they’ve been there before.

But this stranger’s kind words were so simple and so quick, yet they truly helped me stay calm. I am grateful that this woman took a moment to show compassion and kindness to me. I hope soon I can pass her kindness forward to another parent who might just need to hear, “you are doing great” It’s so simple, yet sometimes it is exactly what you need to hear.