Shopping with children has always amazed me. Some children just love to be out. They sit in their stroller or the shopping cart and take in the day. I watch as they simply kick their legs, play with a small toy and smile. Then there are other children that love to be out and about, but not restrained. They don’t want to be strapped into their stroller or the shopping cart. Instead they wiggle their skinny bodies out the straps of the shopping cart, stand up very quickly and then with the sweetest voice say “Hi”. If they have a toy, they rather enjoy throwing it to watch their parent retrieve it, and find it as a fun game. Instead of sitting, smiling and enjoying the time out, they scream, fuss, and maybe even resort to actual tears.
My children fall into both categories, and I never know which one I’m getting on any given shopping trip. Jack is typically content to sit and enjoy the shopping experience. Often he will say hi to everyone, try to play with whatever we are putting in the cart and stay fairly content. Lately, Maggie has been the wild card. She can wiggle from a shopping cart strap with such ease and swiftness, I’m waiting for the day she just learns to hop out and run off in the time it takes me to get the milk off the shelf and into the cart. She will arch, scream, fuss, shed REAL tears and have a full blown meltdown in a matter of seconds. She prefers to be out of the cart, holding my hand. Generally I’m OK with this, however it causes for two issues. Naturally, Jack becomes jealous. Jack doesn’t hold a hand very well and certainly doesn’t walk beside me without pulling and tugging to go into the opposite direction. Also, should I need both hands to say take something off the shelf, pay the cashier or simply push the cart, stroller, whatever, Maggie won’t just walk alongside me, nor do I feel comfortable trying that one out. So shopping has become tricky.
This past weekend we tried two trips. Granny and I went to the outlet mall with both kiddos. We took the single umbrella strollers- and for the first store we were OK. When we got to Gymboree, Maggie was just about done with her stroller ride and I had the brave idea of letting her out to sit on the bench and watch the cartoons. Then I got braver and let Jack out. BIG MISTAKE! Maggie was OK for a little bit, she sat contently, watching the show and the other little kids sitting on the bench. Jack decided he’d rather take off. I was able to grab 4 shirts…and then we had to leave. As my luck would have it, none of the shirts ended up fitting! The second shopping trip was with Brian. It didn’t go any better, but we included it with lunch and riding the quarter rides in the middle of the shopping center, so it was manageable. I still need to buy clothes for both myself and the kids. Perhaps on-line shopping is the way to go, or splitting them up. Or just putting on a brave face and getting the shopping done. Hmmm…
