Children's Store Behaviors

 If you've ever taken a kid to the store you know how bad it can be!  The looks from other parents can dismay.  When you talk with people about it they give you easy advice that's not very helpful. They say things like..."Don't take your kid to the store."   Hmm.  I agree, sort of.  If at all possible and your kids are not behaving at home try not to take them to the store. Obviously, if they are not behaving you certainly don't want to leave them at home or dump them on an inadequate caregiver so you may get stuck with them. The other advice is if they are misbehaving take them to the car.  Again, I agree sort of...,  It is better to handle discipline in the car instead of  the front of the store. There are problems and traps that make this difficult. One trap is, leaving the groceries when you were in line and almost home.  Another trap is having to shop all over again. Here's a few tips that help.

1) While you are shopping use a variety of discipline and incentive tools (positive rewards, time outs and pinky pocket time outs), before you go to check out! Stores are full of stimulating lights and candy and you don't dare head to the front with the kids completely wound up. Its the most stimulating place in the store.

2) Shop faster. Browsing with kids is trouble.  Try to know what you want before you go.  Clothes shopping should be done separately from grocery shopping. It's just too much at one time.

3) The best place for time outs in the store? Take them back to the diaper section.  Really! At the front of the store, you are susceptible to all those looks from other parents. People can still hear your kid yelling in the diaper section, but they will be much more tolerant because you are not in their space and the only ones back there are other parents.  Finally, diapers aren't very interesting so the time outs are more effective.  The child has to agree to behave to get back to the interesting stuff to see.

Again, there is more to say about store parenting and how to do time outs and rewards but keep in mind these few tips and you will find you can parent in the store instead of feeling hijacked.