Drew Barrymore Handles Toddler Tantrums in a Surprising and Hilarious Way

Anyone who has been to Disney World or Disneyland with little ones knows that at some point in the day the magic turns into misery and the breakdowns begin. I wouldn’t even try taking my two-year-old yet. I can only imagine the hysterics that would ensue. But others are more courageous and opt to experience that magic as soon as they can. Drew Barrymore recently took her two girls to Disney World in Florida. When one of her girls ended up on the ground in Tomorrowland, Barrymore didn’t panic, she didn’t try to console, and she didn’t whisk her away anywhere. Instead, she planted herself firmly over her screaming child and posed for a photo. This is going to be great material for her daughter’s wedding day blooper reel. When it happened again in Disneyland, Barrymore made sure to get a matching photo. If you’re taking kids to Disney who are under five, prepare for this. It’s going to happen. There won’t be naps, it’s going to be super hot, and this is the inevitable result. Embrace it.

https://youtu.be/XSgD0La2RcQ

I remember reaching the end of my rope with my cranky first born who was teething and refused to let me put her down for any length of time. I got desperate and put her in a Jumperoo so I could get a few things done and the dramatic wailing made me grab my camera to preserve for eternity what our life had become. To this day this is my favorite series of photos, even though she’s so miserable. We were both inconsolable and I had come to the point where all I could do was laugh and record it for posterity. She was pitifully adorable.

My firstborn having a rough day

There is no reasoning with a tantrum-throwing kid. You have very few options: leave, wait, ignore, or laugh. When you’re doing Disney, leaving is usually out of the question. Parenting is no easy task and those toddler years are brutal, but they’re also full of chubby-armed hugs and sloppy kisses and firsts of all kinds. I appreciate Barrymore’s attitude of humorous acceptance because there isn’t much more you can do. Getting upset with a toddler is seriously counterproductive. Most of the time speaking quietly and offering hugs (and snack bribes) will get you much further, and for a keepsake that will keep you all laughing far into the future, photographs are a great idea.

There are entire websites dedicated to the funniest toddler tantrums. If I had thought to do it, I would have snapped a photo each time so I had a full book of these (my kids could have filled two each!) to remember these years. Noting what triggered them will also bring laughs from “I wouldn’t let him eat crayons for lunch,” to “I stopped him from banging his head into the wall.” These are the memories you’re going to want to be able to look back at and cry tears of laughter. It’s no fun being in the middle of them, but the other side is pretty hilarious.