Monday’s Parenting Thought

Image courtesy of AKARAKINGDOMS / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

1. Prepare ahead of time.

2. Make sure your child has slept and eaten before the shopping trip.

3. Know what you are shopping for and talk to your child about it before the shopping trip.

4. Know what store(s) you will go to.

5. Know how much you are willing to spend and talk to your child about it before the shopping trip.

6. Be clear about who is making the final decision about the purchase and talk to your child about it before the shopping trip.

   *  Will the child decide all on his own?

   *  Will the child need your final approval?

   *  Will you do the first selection of two or three things and let the child make the final decision?

7. Know what you will do, if things don’t go well. Especially preschool age children can have a major melt down or temper tantrum, if the choices get to be too much for them or they become attached to something they want for themselves.

8. Plan your trip for several days ahead of when you need the purchase, so you can just walk out of the store, abandon the trip, and still have time for a Plan B.

9. Remember you can shop on your own without the child. (Suggestion: Bring home a couple of choices so your child can make a decision in the comfort of his own home. Return the “un-chosen” at a later time.)

10. Remember, despite all the pre-planning and sometimes drama of the trip itself, shopping is a much needed life lesson for your child.

Inspired by the picture book, MORRIS THE ARTIST.

More about children and shopping at The Benefits of Art, Choices, and Discipline: Part 1.