It would be fair to say that shopping has been a somewhat different experience over the past year or so.
Once upon a time, we would dance to the shops on a whim. Then, lockdowns came, and our shopping experiences turned on their heads.
Fortunately, there appears to be light at the end of the tunnel, and shopping districts like Covent Garden have become the destinations that we all knew and loved.
One thing that hasn’t changed is how you tackle shopping with the kids though. Particularly with half-term fast approaching, we’re pretty sure that there will be more parents and children on the high streets than what we’ve seen in a long time.
Bearing this in mind, let’s go over some of the key tips that you should adopt if you are striving for a stress-free trip to the shops with your little ones.
Plan your route
This is the most important part of the process. ‘Stategic planning’ is a term that is usually used in the world of business, but when it comes to shopping with the family it’s a perfectly acceptable description as well.
As we all know, some shops are more child-friendly than others. As we also all know, some are simply more entertaining for children. Make sure your route takes this into account. You don’t want to cram all of the so-called boring shops in one stretch of your day. At the same time, makes sure there is always something to look forward to. Having your child’s favourite shop at the end of the route is a good way to achieve this.
Get your child involved
If you want to keep your children entertained, then you need to involve them in the process.
This could be as simple as giving them a list of things to find, or it could be asking them to help you pick out certain items.
One way or another, you’ll be surprised at how quickly they become engrossed in the process.
Suddenly it transforms from being a chore, into something that they truly feel involved in.
Make your child a shopping list
This is another important tip that you can take on board.
If you want your child to be involved, then you need to make sure that they have something to do.
One such way is making them a list of items that you need to buy. As we alluded to in the previous point, it’s all about keeping them involved.
Let them pick out a treat
This is a great way to get your child involved in the shopping process.
If you give them the chance to pick out a treat, then it adds another layer of excitement to the trip.
It’s also worth pointing out that a hungry child is quite often an irritated child! As such, as well as injecting fun via sweets, make sure they’re not going hungry. Treats is one way to achieve this, but a pit-stop at a restaurant is another. This will break up the day and make it more manageable for you all.