A little while ago I wrote a post about the joys of eating out with children. Today I had a trip out which surpasses even eating out as the most fun thing to do with my children (note that this sentence is dripping with sarcasm).
Today I went shopping with all three off my children. I also took my husband because to be honest if I went on my own it might push me over the edge. If I went on my own I might be found rocking in the changing rooms of Dotty P’s mumbling “don’t touch that, please stop pushing darling” to the mirror.
Before I had children I admit I enjoyed a little retail therapy from time to time. I would occasionally wile away an afternoon trying on clothes, perusing DVDs, and examining mascaras. These days I go shopping only if I absolutely have to. The reasons for this are as follows.
1.My middle child is a consumer! He is at the age where he wants everything, and he wants it now. He demands toys, and snacks at every turn. One day I was shopping for a new handbag and he spent an hour whining and begging for his own handbag, what he planned on using it for God only knows.
2.My babies irritation at being confined to a pushchair. My baby is crawling, and she does not want to be confined to a pushchair any more. She is a mellow child and generally does not get too annoyed or whiny. However she does a brilliant line in ongoing grumbling. This is not much fun to listen to.
3.My eldest child’s helpfulness. My eldest is generally able to be reasonably behaved for about half an hour of shopping. He does however love to help me pick things. This is cute for a while but when I’m focussed on choosing ,for example, a pair of shoes his helpfulness gets wearing. There’s only so many nice ways of saying “no darling mummy doesn’t want a pair of red patent stilettos which make her look like a hooker”.
As you can imagine ,when shopping with all three, the combo of these behaviours would try the patience of a Buddist Monk. Not being a particularly patient person I soon start foaming at the mouth and muttering expletives.
Then after around half an hour (or two shops at the speed my children walk at when feeling harassed) the older two start to become feral. They start to roll around on the floor or hide in rails of clothes. I notice other people start to stare at the lady who has no control over her children. At this point I generally give up, grab whatever I can which may fulfil our purpose, leave the shops and head home for a restorative slice of cake !
I think shopping with children sub 10 years is naturally made to put you off shopping as having children quite often means you no longer buy for yourself!!!
Now my two are over 10 it is easier but more expensive especially with my nearly 13 year old daughter as you can imagine but it is a lot more fun 🙂 xxx
Yes I look forward to having a ten year old daughter to shop with. However since mine has two older brothers she may be more interested in playing footie, we will see.
I give Moo raisins. Endless boxes of raisins. She must think all clothes shops mean raisin time. I generally find it a pain manoeuvring a buggy round shops anyway.
So I shop online 🙂
Yes online shopping and raisons are the answer, if only my big boys responded so well to raisons.
This made me laugh more than it should have done.
Online as much as possible but mine are not too much hassle. I don’t have much shopping tolerence myself either so we don’t linger. The only trick I have to remember is to save buying their thing till last or once they are done its moan moan moan about going home.
My teen does turn into some sort of mutant in New look which rubs me up the wrong way very fast.
The big shift in shopping enjoyment I found was my hubby. he is no fun to do the sort of wanders I used to enjoy as a student in oxford, arty interesting shops where dicoveries could be made. but 20 years on I have lost that part of me 🙁
Your version sounds like hell frankly.
I tell you what Ella, I have no idea how you do it with 3. I think twice about going with one and usually end up all flustered so you have my total respect and admiration for coping. Much love and cake to you cx
Thanks Claire.
Aww bless you!
I developed the idea of not taking my little man shopping unless I absolutely have to!! Even food shopping can get a little wearing, as he won’t sit in the trolley anymore 😉
I don’t do food shopping with the kids , I shop online, glad to hear I’m not the only one
Ah, I remember doing the hiding in clothes racks thing.
I would also stand in the window display pretending to be a robot mannequin.
Shopping with 3? No thanks! You must have the patience of a saint, I wouldn’t even last 2 shops before having a tantrum. Mine are now 8 and 10 so it is somewhat easier – when they were little it was buy everything remotely suitable online and return the majority of it. We only have 2 which is why our current system works – hubs takes one to do the food shopping and I take the other for clothes/shoes/toiletries etc. The child with me is rewarded for patience with a hot chocolate (at the end) and the child with hubs gets to choose a magazine/comic (also right before paying).
Ah, the joys of small children! I went out for the day with my sister on Friday – she has a nearly three year old boy and a nearly one year old girl – and Oh My God…. I was about ready to start rolling around on the floor myself after a couple of hours. It’s relentless isn’t it?
I actually said to my partner this morning, as we were lying in bed at 10am, ‘I am grateful every day that my children are older’. I think it’s probably a good idea I had mine young as I just don’t have the patience anymore.
It DOES get better, I promise.
Thats good to hear, I look forward to it getting easier, exactly when will that be ?
Wohoo! I though it was only me that had a child that would run wild in shops, hiding in clothes rails, rolling around on the floor and trying to run away from me. Thanks.
Your welcome , if you ever want to feel better about your parenting then you know where I am 🙂
Shopping with one is difficult enough and he is only 8 months. Point noted – Do all shopping for next ten years now.