A California Target employee made a mama's day after the shopper's rowdy 2-year-old got treated to an impromptu dance party with the caring worker.
Two-year-old Evallyn was wearing her mother Stefanie down, as toddlers often do during shopping trips, even after the mom provided her with her very own mini shopping cart to keep her busy during the trip to the Duarte Target.
"I immediately regretted that decision. I spent the trip trying to keep my daughter walking in a straight line pushing her cart while also steering my cart and shopping, doubling back to get her tiny shopping cart when she would get distracted and leave it in the middle of an aisle, and the usual telling her she couldn't have everything she saw," Stefanie said.
Relief was steps away as they stood in the checkout lane, even though Evallyn was dragging her feet - in the huge shoes she insisted on wearing.
That's when a clerk named AJ saw the pending toddler melt-down danger and opened a new check-out line just for Stefanie and Evallyn.
"While I was checking out, she was keeping my daughter busy," Stefanie said.
"The employee asked if she was a ballerina and could show her how to dance. My daughter said yes, and said, 'do it like this,' then they both started twirling and dancing together. There wasn't even any music playing but they were having a blast," she said.
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Instead of letting a toddler and mom get very frustrated, she took a few minutes out of her day to turn the trip into a lasting memory and sweet moment for the family.
"It is hard to explain how much it means when you are just out of patience and someone steps in and does something to ease the tension, even if just to give a 5 minute break. I shared the video because I figured a lot of parents could relate and wanted this employee to know she's appreciated," Stefanie said.
Since the story emerged, the employee reached out to Stefanie and thanked her.
"Thank you for the video! It made my day," she said. "I hope to see you guys again soon for another dance party."
