It is a nice weather day and you feel like going shopping, which you were holding out for quite so long. So, you look good and just to spend some family time together with some shopping chores to do, you head to the market with your hubby dear and your sweet kid. But then your four year old can get very demanding or kids of all age can when it comes to taking them for shopping and your planned pleasant time can turn into the irritating one. Of course, not all kids are so demanding - but don’t we all recall at least one embarrassing public spectacle where for the child the firmest of ‘NO’ was read as ‘scream harder and I might give in’.
It is not always that they need the thing they are demanding but they just want it. The easy alternative is to give in every time, thereby spoiling the kids, or not go shopping with them at all. The not-so-easy option is to work through the experience and learn as we go along. Shopping trips are inevitable if a child has outgrown clothes, footwear or has changed schools and needs new uniforms. Kids need stationery, craft items and various other school-going accessories.
Shopping can be fun but when accompanied by kids, it can also mean tantrums, crying, whining and other embarrassing behaviors. We can prevent embarrassing moments during shopping by clearly outlining the purpose of the trip. However, the shopping trip needs to have an element of fun, too, so ensure that your agenda includes some things that make the trip interesting for your kids. Include very clear parameters about the order in which the shopping will be done. So, you can develop a list that either alternates shops of your interest with theirs, or one that keeps their shops for last.
As parents, we tend to give in to bad behavior just to avoid a scene. However, we also need to know that by giving in, we are sending out wrong signals. We do not need our kids to believe that embarrassing us is one way of getting what they want. Sometimes a tough stand is better for the child than giving in, because giving in can sometimes has negative effects. Sometimes shopping can take long, so if your older child or any other responsible adult can help you in keeping an eye over the younger one, nothing like it. Engage the kids in an activity of their choice while you attend to the real shopping under the responsible adult.
A four year old will not understand the concept of a budget. Many of us have found that explaining in easy words why we need to budget is helpful. You can give your child some pocket money to buy something of his choice. Being faced with a million temptations to address within a limited budget can drive the point home very effectively. You may even consider giving your kid this money before the shopping trip.