As most adults will testify, nothing quite beats a touch of retail therapy. It’s something that most of us crave, but life responsibilities tend to mean that it doesn’t happen anywhere near enough as it should. When it comes to children, shopping doesn’t quite have the same appeal. Instead, it’s regarded as one of the most frustrating pastimes around – even if the experience is geared to their requirements!
Unfortunately, kids need clothes – and these shopping trips are a necessity. Today’s article is, therefore, going to focus on some of the best tips you can implement to ensure that the day is as stress-free as possible, while still ensuring that you come out of it with plenty of suitable garments for your little one.
There’s no one-fits-all rule
There’s no doubt that the internet shopping era has made life a whole lot easier. However, there is a debate as to whether this approach is really going to work when it comes to choosing appropriate kid’s clothes.
Unfortunately, not all brands are equal when it comes to size. What might be classed as suitable for a 5-year-old in one shop is more like a 3-year-old’s in another. It means that unless you know a brand inside-out, you need to ask your child to try most things on. It might mean a trip to the shops in Covent Garden or your local area of choice, but it will be worth the time.
Make shopping into a game
Of course, there’s one issue with the above suggestion – shopping with kids can be quite difficult. As we’ve already spoken about, it can be difficult to convince your little ones to venture to the high-street and even when you do, battling through sulky faces can make for a difficult afternoon.
This is where you need to get creative. All children enjoy games, and this is the path you need to turn to if you are serious about keeping everyone happy. This doesn’t have to be an extravagant game by any stretch of the imagination; it might be as simple as asking your little one to see who can be the first to see ten different pieces of red clothing.
And then – the reward factor
As adults, clothes are a sufficient reward. Suffice to say; the same philosophy doesn’t apply with kids. Going out and shopping for clothes is a boring exercise, and this means that you need to build rewards into the day. Again, these rewards don’t have to be significant; it might be an ice-cream if they can get through a couple of hours of shopping moan-free. Or, it might be nipping off to the arcade. In other words, find out what makes your child tick (sometimes it’s not rewards), and try and motivate them this way.
Pick your moments
Finally, some days are more suited to these trips than others. If you know that your child is tired, opting for a shopping extravaganza probably isn’t going to end well for anyone. Yes, you do need to compromise with your plans, but this can make the final result much more fruitful for you all as a family. Spending time together in this way might even help you to bond in the long term.
