dharveymi
05-26-2009, 07:53 AM
1. Keep your children with you. No store personnel are paid to supervise your children, that means that if you are not watching your children the entire time you are shopping, no one is making sure that your children are not destroying merchandise for which you will be responsible, or worse no one is ensuring that someone is not abducting your children.
2. Treat store clerks with respect. Most retail clerks are not highly paid. It's unreasonable to expect them to respond well to disrespectful customers, the result will be an angry exchange between adults in front of your children. Do you really want your children to learn to interact with people this way? Do you want your children to learn to respond to you with disrespect when they have disagreements with you? Children learn very early how to respond to the people around them, and since they will likely be spending a lot of time with you, you are teaching your children with your interactions with others. Treat others the way you want your children to treat you.
3. Don't give your children something from the store you don't intend to buy. Children know almost instinctively that possession is equivalent to ownership. That means that if they have it they think it's theirs. By giving your children something when you enter a store you are setting up a situation where later you will either have to take something that they think is theirs or you will have to purchase something you don't want your child to have. This is a sure recipe for a temper tantrum. As an alternative, allow your children to bring something of theirs into the store. They will have something to do when you are shopping, and you or worse the store clerk won't have to take it from them before you leave the store.
4. Don't allow children to touch things that don't belong to them. Even as an adult in high end retail store we are careful not to touch things because we know if we break something we may not be able to buy it. We learned this when your parents taught us not to touch things that don't belong to us. Pass the torch. Teach your children not to touch things that don't belong to them. Store owners have to raise the prices for everyone when items are broken or stolen from their stores. If you want reasonable prices where you shop, don't let your children touch things that don't belong to them. My wife and I taught our children this lesson so well that one time in a grocery checkout line, my son reached from his seat atop the shopping cart to grab some candy with one hand only to smack his own hand with the his other before he could grab it.
5. Teach children that it's not theirs until it's paid for. When you intend to purchase something for your child, put it in the cart or basket. Don't give it to your child. It's never to young to learn important economic and life lessons. By making your child wait for the item you are purchasing for them, they learn self control, delayed gratification, and paying for items before they enjoy them. They will thank you one day when they have learned to pay off their credit card balance every month, because they have the money for each item they purchase.
6. No screaming, running, or yelling allowed. Don't you hate it when someones child is out of control in a store when you are busy shopping. Everyone does. Some children learn that they will not be disciplined in public because their parents are afraid of the authorities, so their terrorize everyone around them. Discipline your children; do it early; be consistent. Discipline is the most important purchase you can make for your children, it may come at a cost, but it's a cost worth paying.
7. Don't shop before nap time. Why make it difficult for yourself and you child? Shopping can wait. Do something around the house or travel while your child is sleeping. The lights, noise, and movement in a shopping center make it very difficult to sleep, your child will be more enjoyable and enjoy being with you if they are well rested.
8. Children don't like shopping. Children don't need anything, you give them everything they need. They don't have money to spend, and in most cases don't get to choose what to purchase. As children get older you can start giving them more responsibility and more choices, but even then most children will not enjoy shopping. Make the time more enjoyable for your children, by involving them and doing things with them while shopping.
9. Enjoy time with your children. Having children need not be like prison time. You do not owe them their every whim because you have birth to them. Getting to know these little people, can be the greatest joy of your life, but only if you insist that they be enjoyable people to be around. It's up to you. Allowing your children to behave as little monsters will result them them becoming big monsters. You've dedicated your time to loving and training a little person, you deserve your child's best behavior.
10. Love your Children. Do you want what's best for your children? Treating others with respect is a prerequisite to their future success. You can very early, make decisions which will not only make shopping more fun, but will result in successful and happy adult children and grandchildren you will be proud to take shopping.
2. Treat store clerks with respect. Most retail clerks are not highly paid. It's unreasonable to expect them to respond well to disrespectful customers, the result will be an angry exchange between adults in front of your children. Do you really want your children to learn to interact with people this way? Do you want your children to learn to respond to you with disrespect when they have disagreements with you? Children learn very early how to respond to the people around them, and since they will likely be spending a lot of time with you, you are teaching your children with your interactions with others. Treat others the way you want your children to treat you.
3. Don't give your children something from the store you don't intend to buy. Children know almost instinctively that possession is equivalent to ownership. That means that if they have it they think it's theirs. By giving your children something when you enter a store you are setting up a situation where later you will either have to take something that they think is theirs or you will have to purchase something you don't want your child to have. This is a sure recipe for a temper tantrum. As an alternative, allow your children to bring something of theirs into the store. They will have something to do when you are shopping, and you or worse the store clerk won't have to take it from them before you leave the store.
4. Don't allow children to touch things that don't belong to them. Even as an adult in high end retail store we are careful not to touch things because we know if we break something we may not be able to buy it. We learned this when your parents taught us not to touch things that don't belong to us. Pass the torch. Teach your children not to touch things that don't belong to them. Store owners have to raise the prices for everyone when items are broken or stolen from their stores. If you want reasonable prices where you shop, don't let your children touch things that don't belong to them. My wife and I taught our children this lesson so well that one time in a grocery checkout line, my son reached from his seat atop the shopping cart to grab some candy with one hand only to smack his own hand with the his other before he could grab it.
5. Teach children that it's not theirs until it's paid for. When you intend to purchase something for your child, put it in the cart or basket. Don't give it to your child. It's never to young to learn important economic and life lessons. By making your child wait for the item you are purchasing for them, they learn self control, delayed gratification, and paying for items before they enjoy them. They will thank you one day when they have learned to pay off their credit card balance every month, because they have the money for each item they purchase.
6. No screaming, running, or yelling allowed. Don't you hate it when someones child is out of control in a store when you are busy shopping. Everyone does. Some children learn that they will not be disciplined in public because their parents are afraid of the authorities, so their terrorize everyone around them. Discipline your children; do it early; be consistent. Discipline is the most important purchase you can make for your children, it may come at a cost, but it's a cost worth paying.
7. Don't shop before nap time. Why make it difficult for yourself and you child? Shopping can wait. Do something around the house or travel while your child is sleeping. The lights, noise, and movement in a shopping center make it very difficult to sleep, your child will be more enjoyable and enjoy being with you if they are well rested.
8. Children don't like shopping. Children don't need anything, you give them everything they need. They don't have money to spend, and in most cases don't get to choose what to purchase. As children get older you can start giving them more responsibility and more choices, but even then most children will not enjoy shopping. Make the time more enjoyable for your children, by involving them and doing things with them while shopping.
9. Enjoy time with your children. Having children need not be like prison time. You do not owe them their every whim because you have birth to them. Getting to know these little people, can be the greatest joy of your life, but only if you insist that they be enjoyable people to be around. It's up to you. Allowing your children to behave as little monsters will result them them becoming big monsters. You've dedicated your time to loving and training a little person, you deserve your child's best behavior.
10. Love your Children. Do you want what's best for your children? Treating others with respect is a prerequisite to their future success. You can very early, make decisions which will not only make shopping more fun, but will result in successful and happy adult children and grandchildren you will be proud to take shopping.