An Escalating Situation

Kenney consoling Cole  - devastated that we are leaving the mall...

Life has it's ups and downs - literally.  For some reason escalators have brought out some of the best (delighted to ride) and worse (when it's over) in Cole.  Fascinating thing is that he had ridden escalators before moving to China, but here it is an obsession. 

Cole loves riding them and all the malls here have tons of them. Most malls seem to be about 4 or 5 floors and have many options for getting up and down throughout.  As soon as Cole knows we are at the mall it's all he talks about and all he wants to do.  At first it was cute, but it's gotten to the point that he will throw a grand fit if he doesn't get to ride them - over and over and over.  We don't have a stroller here which compounds the problem - hanging on to ever roaming Kenney while Cole is crying in the floor, sprawled in the floor, or kicking and punching to get away from you.  I'm a little old school and will deliver a little swat on the butt to motivate a crazy young child, but Cole is typically undeterred in these moments of heightened exasperation.

I try to be patient - we are all transitioning and having our "moments" and he's three (the magic number) flexing his independence.  Until this resolved though not planning too many single adult trips with the kids to the mall.