Image by Keith Williamson
So you’ve kitted the children out with school uniforms and the grocery shopping is sorted, but what do you do when you need (or want) to go clothes shopping – and no one is free to look after the kids? Whether it’s sullen teenagers or toddlers in pushchairs, I’ve put together a list of tips to help you get the most out of your next shopping trip.
Make a List
If you don’t go shopping that often, or have lots of different family members to buy for, write a list before you hi t the shops. Using a list can also be a way of involving your children and keeping them engaged – much like you might ask them to help you in the supermarket, you can ask older children to help you find items you need, and younger children can tick things off the list.
Wear Sensible Clothes
Clothes shopping can be a hassle at the best of times but if you’re juggling a pushchair and a child with a short attention span, you need to make your shopping trip as easy as possible. One of the best ways to do that is to dress comfortably, and ideally wear something that you can take off/put on easily, or that compliments what you’re looking for. For example, if you’re hunting for a new dress to wear to a wedding, you might want to wear a pair of tights and pack some heels in your bag so that you can get a better idea of if the dress could work for you.
Bargaining With Your Children
I’ll admit that bargaining with children isn’t often recommended and certainly doing this on a regular basis isn’t good parenting, but I think I speak for all mums here when I say that very occasionally, trading time with your children can be hugely beneficial. Offer to spend time playing their favourite game with them in the afternoon if they behave well on your morning shopping trip, or for older children, involve them in the shopping trip by asking their opinion on an outfit, or shopping for new shoes together.
Go With Your Gut – Not the Changing Room
So you’ve made it into the changing room, clutching a handful of potential new outfits. You’ve figured that you have roughly three minutes before your children start to get bored of playing with their reflection in the mirror, so make sure you go with your gut. The commercial lighting in changing rooms isn’t the most flattering and some mirrors can even distort your appearance, so go with your gut and remember that you can often return purchases if you want to try them on at home first.
Do you have any more tips on how to get some hassle-free retail therapy with your children? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
Estelle Page is an interior designer and busy mum of two. She writes about her passions in her spare time, and is currently blogging for Litecraft Commercial. Estelle’s favourite time of day to go shopping is first thing in the morning.
