Shopping with the baby: practical tips not to overwhelm you

Shopping with a young child can be complicated. The kids get tired soon of walking, they get bored if we stop too long in an establishment, they get hungry, they want to drink water, they need to pee several times ... We give you the best tips to make things easier for you and move easily with your baby in shopping centers and stores.

Knowing how to choose the right time of day

Do not even try to leave the house if it is time your son takes a nap. Everything will be much simpler and more enjoyable for both of you if you go shopping at a time in the That the child is rested and not hungry. If not, it is very likely (and logical) to be irritable, start crying on the road and have to return home earlier than expected.

It is better to leave when the baby is not sleepy or hungry

Choose a quiet hour of the day when you expect there will be less traffic on the streets and few people in the establishments. Ideally, when shopping with a young child, try to run errands in the morning after they have had breakfast.

If this is not possible, choose an early afternoon, after the child has already taken a nap and has taken his snack. He will feel much more willing to accompany you and will be more happy and relaxed.

Plan the route before leaving home

If you go by car, avoid driving on streets with too much traffic to avoid traffic jams. These are stressful for you and too boring for your little one. Young children do not like immobility too much and are easily exasperated if they are forced to remain in one place without doing anything too long.

Avoid rush hours and traffic jams

If you plan to go for a walk, do not go through too narrow streets that force you to get off the carriage the child's pram every time another passer-by comes straight ahead.

Also, do not choose shopping centers that are too crowded with people or shopping streets that are too loud or busy.

Avoid commercial establishments near streets under construction or shops located in places with too much pollution, such as gas stations or avenues very attached to roads and highways. The key to making the experience enjoyable for both of you is for the "excursion" to be as calm and entertaining as possible.

Whether you go shopping with a child by car or walking, the ideal is to try avoid rush hours and choose a commercial area that allows entering and leaving shops easily without having to go too far on each route, to get each tool from the shopping list. The more purchases you can make in a close range, the better.

Take only the essential and do not come back with excessive weight

Before leaving home, Make the shopping list. This way you will avoid walking aimlessly through the aisles of the establishments and carry unnecessary weight. All children have a "pet" that they don't like to separate for too long. It can be a toy, a blanket, a pacifier, a teddy bear or your favorite rattle. If the purchase is going to be long, don't forget to carry it in your bag. Surprising him with him in a difficult time can avoid a tantrum. And remember that in many commercial chains it is possible to order that you take the purchase home.

Make the shopping list before leaving home and carry a light stroller

Replace your bag with a backpack or shoulder bag. Have your hands free You will find it more comfortable to make the purchase and control the child at the same time. You can also do without it, carrying what you need in the stroller bag: your purse, house keys, mobile phone, a pair of diapers, wet wipes, tissues, a change of clothes for if anything, your favorite toy, a pacifier (if the child uses them) and fresh water.

Even if you take your first steps, Do not leave home without the stroller. It will be essential if the child gets tired or wants to throw a little head. And remember that you should not load the bags on the handlebars if that causes the chair to lose stability. Take advantage of the lower slide basket.

That the stroller is light is a determining factor so that the exit does not become a total failure. A chair like Lite Way Legend is very comfortable to move lightly with the baby during shopping. The new Chicco stroller has an ultra lightweight and compact design which makes it a very manageable stroller. It combines comfort for the child and functionality for parents who want to move anywhere with maximum practicality, since it has pivoting wheels that facilitate their driving.

It has multi-position backrest, fully reclining with one hand and is homologated from birth. Its umbrella-type closure system is practical and immediate, which will help us a lot if we have to travel by car that forces us to fold it, open it and store it in the trunk.

How to get around a mall

If your usual shopping place is a shopping center, go directly to the shopping area ramps or elevators. Escalators or traditional stairs should always be our last option. They are not recommended when we take a small child sitting in a stroller and we will also make the same way back loaded with bags.

Never leave the child alone, or out of a fitting room

If you plan to enter clothing stores and go through fitting rooms, choose one with enough capacity to enter the stroller. Never leave the child alone on the street, at the entrance of establishments or outside the changing rooms.

Finally, avoid commercial stores with loud music or those in which the queue to checkout is too slow or too long. If the little one breaks to cry, you may be forced to leave everything and return home empty-handed.

Engage him in the purchase and make it fun

Go to your little one and talk to him a lot, even before leaving home: tell him where you are going to go, what you are going to do, the things that you are going to see and how well you are going to spend it. Even if you don't understand everything you say, he will feel attended and your complicity will infect him. Children often deduce what we expect from them for our facial expressions and voice inflections.

Before leaving home, while preparing the shopping list, think and list aloud everything you need to bring and ask questions like "what do we need to make the macaroni?". It doesn't matter that at first he doesn't understand you, he loves to hear your voice and he knows when you talk to him. Once in the establishment, you can show him the shelves where the products that you usually consume are found. You can also say something out loud like “here is the juice” or “in the bakery they make bread,” or ask him where the diapers are and let him point them out with his finger.

Feeling involved will be much more stimulating.

Over time, it will begin to recognize products and establishments. When children are entertained they behave better, and if they also feel "older" with what they are doing, their behavior can become exemplary and surprising. Allow him to carry light and unbreakable things on his chair that are not dangerous. Like a cereal carton or a cotton T-shirt. That way you will feel useful and important.

If the child is already walking, let him know that you need his help to make the purchase and point out those objects that you want him to bring to put them in the shopping basket. Feeling involved in what you are doing will be much more stimulating. To be a mere companion.

With these tips, making the purchase with your child through the city will become an entertaining and motivating excursion for both of you that will allow you to form a team and bond. You may still have to overcome some difficult situations at the beginning, such as some tantrums, but over time and habit the little one will gradually get used to it and it will be easier and faster to make the purchase together.

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Images | iStock / FamVeld / omgimages / Martinan.

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