How to Make Mall Shopping With Children Easier

Heading to the shopping mall for back to school or Christmas shopping with your kids might just be your least favorite event of the year. Who in their right mind enjoys taking toddlers among thousands of toys, or teenagers among thousands of outfits and CDs? It can be a pretty daunting experience to take your children to the shopping mall, but it can also be fun if you lay a few ground rules first. Here are a few tips to make your next shopping mall experience a better one.

First off, before you go, make sure to explain to your children what you need to buy – and what you don’t. Even toddlers are able to understand when you tell them what you are and are not buying and what stores you are going into. If it helps, promise a reward after the trip if everyone is good, and then stick to your promise. You might go out for an ice cream cone after the shopping mall trip, or eat McDonald’s on the way home.

If you do make promises, though, make sure you stick to them so that your next shopping mall experience can be even better. If your children disobey or whine in the shopping mall, don’t take them out for their treat afterward. It will be tough for everyone, but they’ll learn a lesson for the next time.

With older children, you might be able to give them a budget to let them spend at the shopping mall on their own. For example, give your teenagers a limited amount of cash to spend on school clothes. Let them pick their own clothes at the mall, making it clear that they won’t be getting anything else until the next school year. If they make mistakes, they’ll learn from them and it will make your make the next shopping mall experience better.