It is incredibly hard to deal with a bawling baby or a petulant child.

We do not know what it is that they want until we get it right and they stop crying or stop sulking. They are unable or unwilling to tell us exactly what it is that will make them stop.

We need to try different things and see what sticks. And this tires us along the way.

Of course, it is not just babies that can be petulant. We encounter petulant partners, friends, colleagues and customers along the way. 

Petulance takes away from possibility. 

It gets us scrambling and holds us back from bringing our best that we have to offer. It raises tension.

It is best to check our petulance at the door.