Today's Life

Do you have a shopping strategy for when you go out with your kids shopping?

Hi,I did the following:
Q&A: Do you have a shopping strategy for when you go out with your kids shopping?

To keep them under control?
Do you use a baby harness?

When I go out shopping with my girls, I usually give them – each (depending on my budget, but never less than or more than ) before we leave the house. Once we get to where ever we’re going for example Target, I’ll take them to the toy section first and let them choose whatever they can afford. Whatever they chose usually keeps them happy for however long we’ll be in that place.

What works for you?

The following is the answer:

Answer by Artie Lange Fan
Snacks work for my toddler (19.5 months old)

until he finishes eating….

then I try to pay and rush out of the store ASAP!!!

My 5.5 month old is happy in his baby carrier so I have him in that all the time.

Answer by happywoman
I used to hate buying my kids shoes! Arghh there was always an argument. One day we went to buy shoes and I said I am going to sit here in the shop, you go and find 3 pairs you like and we will choose from them. Happiness!

Answer by Nina Lee
My kids would love going shopping w/ you (lol).

I have an 18 month old and a 4 year old and take them shopping frequently.
I just make sure I time it right, distract the youngest and have the oldest be my ‘big helper’. As long as I do time it right and they aren’t starving or exhausted, they are well-behaved.
No harness. My youngest rides in the basket and my oldest walks.

Answer by gotswagga
I do the same thing SOMETIMES with my three kids who are 3,4 and 8, but they only get or each. They also don’t get anything till I’m DONE shopping and they have behaved themselves in the meantime. That’s only for shopping trips that I know are going to take awhile. Most of the time I just tell them before we go in, “You WILL be good in here.” and let them know I am serious. I try to keep the amount of time in the store to a bare minimum to avoid them getting bored, which leads to misbehavior.

I certainly wouldn’t want them to think they are entitled to a toy everytime we go shopping. That a waste of money and it doesn’t teach them the right lesson. Which is, you need to be good regardless. Not just because you’re getting a toy.

Answer by Erika (Nina and Brady’s Mom)
I just make sure that neither kid is tired or too cranky. We usually bring snacks in the car since its a 20 min drive and my 18 month old HATES car rides. But once we get there he doesn’t mind sitting in the cart playing with whatever I put in the cart to buy. My 4 year old walks along “helping” me choose between different things to buy.

But they never get money to pick out something for themselves, I think down the road that may create a problem. They’ll start expecting more and more money.

Answer by ▐▀▀▼▀▀▌ ►кяιѕѕу◄ ▐▄▄▲▄▄▌
Exactly that.
Madelyn (3 and a half) loves it too
She’s really young, so I’ll give her which she thinks is an absolute FORTUNE!
She’ll usually buy candy, but a few days ago she came up w/ the idea to SAVE the money~
She said she could buy even MORE candies the next time we go the store!

I love my little girl, and she’s so young and she thought of that idea all by herself
But if she is giving me attitude all day, and being disrespectful and just not behaving herself, then she doesn’t get it. I don’t want to raise a spoiled child, do ANY of us?

Camilla Adrienne (Addie) is a month old so she doesn’t really care

Answer by desmeran (emeritus)
make sure they’re fed, rested, and content before we go, keep up a conversation and/or games (i-spy, looking for all the letters of the alphabet, etc), and keep it as short as possible.

Answer by R
We go out at least once a week to the store (Target/ Walmart etc) that would not work for me because my house would be over run with toys. Many times we will go to a Super Walmart followed by target then a stop at the grocery store on the way home they are very close together.
Also (no offense to you) I think that makes them greedy and expect something every time. I think that is sort of spoiling them. We bring snacks and toys from home for them to occupy their time and we do things like let them hold the list and very rarely do they act up. They no that there are corners every where as I put it and if they start to act up they get a time out right there in the store. My daughter has had only one fall out temper tantrum and we smacked her but twice told her stop and she has not done it again.

If we go to a mall she hold my or my wife’s hand (well she is getting older now and can walk with us she is three) before that at like 18 months she had a harness because she wanted to walk and not be in a stroller and she would wriggle loose and take off running the harness solved that and we don’t use it any longer she has learned to stay by us. If we are in the mall it is for a reason again they don’t get any toys on that trip unless that is the reason for it which it sometimes is because she has filled up her potty chart.
Honestly we just set expectations we are here to get some shopping done and you just need to behave or you will go in the corner. YOu can play with your book, toy etc but don’t ask for anything, or touch anything

ETA
My mother did not even bring things we got the same talk every time
I am going in here to buy X or get a few things
Don’t touch anything, look at anything or ask me for anything I don’t have enough for it
Stay by me or where i can see you
If not you are in trouble when we get home.

My mom got complimants everytime she went out with us.

Answer by royalbird
I tell my children beforehand what behavioral expectations I have of them. We review them in the car. If they don’t measure up to those expectations, we don’t stick around and they usually have to sit on their beds for a specified amount of time when we return home. If they behave or exceed my expectations, I praise them a lot and remind them how good it felt to behave and not have a privilege (like playing) taken away. Then the next time we go, I remind them how great they felt when they behaved and how pleased they were with themselves.

I don’t believe in extrinsic motivation, especially because that usually costs money and I don’t have an extra -20 to give any of my children to buy them more stuff that they don’t need. They need to understand the value of self-control and feeling good about what they accomplished without all those outside motivators.

My children are 6, 4, 2 and 1. The 1-year-old rides in the cart and the other 3 walk by the cart.

I try to avoid taking them shopping when I can, though, honestly, it’s more work than it is worth, so if I can avoid it, I do.

Answer by Kendall’s Mommy
Kendall is almost a year so there’s really no game plan aside bringing a toy and a small amount of something to snack on (usually something like cheerios in a baggy) when he’s done he’s just done and at this age, I accept that from him. He’s usually a trooper though when I don’t leave him at home

Know better? Leave your own answer in the comments!