BEST shopping trip EVER!!

iVillage Member
Registered: 10-12-2003
BEST shopping trip EVER!!
3
Thu, 06-10-2004 - 11:41am
i had an interesting experience yesterday that i thought i'd share because it reminded me to just have fun and be silly with my kids, which is something i think we all struggle with from time to time.

it was almost 1:00 when i got around to trying to decide what to feed the monkeys for lunch, and when i went to the fridge i realized that we were in dire need of some groceries. there wasn't crap to eat, it was truly slim pickings. lunch options were ketchup and mustard, pickles, or canned corn, lol. so a grocery-store trip was obviously much overdue, and i packed two hungry, bored, and tired kids in the car and went. got to the store and it was a NIGHTMARE! dd started crying for a snack as soon as we walked in, ds threw a huge fit when i tried to get him in the cart, i had to pee, you get the picture. something in me just snapped, and i said "screw it, lets just go crazy!" so we did!

i grabbed a package of chewy snacks and stuffed some in dd's mouth, i put ds (18 mo) on the floor and told him he could walk if he really wanted to, then proceeded to have the most fun, craziest shopping trip ever! i chased the kids down all the isles yelling "i'm gonna get you!!!" i'd hide behind a rack or shelf then pop out and tickle them when they ran by while they screamed and laughed. i let them pick out the grossest unhealthiest food in the world (we actually came home with cap'n crunch and reeces cup cereals!! gag me!) and we ate half of it in the store, even busting out with some milk straight from the carton to wash it down. i let them pick out huge mylar balloons to carry around, and let them have a grand time beating each other with them. i let ds run everywhere in his shirt and diaper, screaming and laughing as he ran, and just followed behind him putting stuff back on the shelves as best i could. i let dd pick out cupcakes and eat THREE of them as we shopped, and ds finished off the rest of them. i basicly let them run absolutely wild!

they had a hysterical time and so did i, but what was really neat was my fellow shoppers' reactions.

you'd think that they'd look at me like i was crazy or be irritated, but the reality was i've never gotten so many positive comments in my life! i can't tell you how many people said something nice about me or my kids, so many people said "oh i love to see kids playing and having fun" or "you're kids are adorable and you look like you're having the time of your life!" (which i was, lol). then this one sweet lady in her 40's came up as i was dangling ds by his foot over the bread display and telling him to pick whatever he wanted, and we struck up an conversation. she said she was just struck by how happy my kids looked and how much fun we were having, and said that her kids were both grown and out of the house and she'd give anything to have the chance to do things differently. she said that all she remembers about their toddler/preschool years was yelling and complaining and punishment and her frustration at their misbehavior. she said if she could she'd go back in a heartbeat and just be crazy with them, get down on the floor and tickle them, roll down the hill and not worry about the grass stains, let them play with their food or draw on the walls or whatever they wanted, to just be kids for once. she said that she loved them to no end, but she never just let them be crazy and silly little kids.

it really got me thinking. so many times i get caught up in life and being "mom", and i forget to just stop and have fun. let them get a little dirty, let the house go for a day, make a mess in the kitchen, whatever. just relax and have fun, kwim?

anyway, that was such a golden moment for me, this realization that they are only going to be little for a few years, and i don't want to be 40 wishing i had spent more "silly" time with them. thought i'd share

iVillage Member
Registered: 01-10-2004
Thu, 06-10-2004 - 1:06pm
THANKYOU FOR SHARING THAT STORY!My son is only 9 months old right now,but I want to try to remember to just let him be a kid sometimes as he is growing up.I am a perfectionest,and always feel like everything has to be perfectly clean and just right.I'm afraid that I will tend to be to up-tight sometimes,so I am going to think about your story,and try to just have fun with him and let him be a kid.I think parents often try to put so much preassure on their kids that they miss out on alot of fun special times together!I think it sounds like you are a great mom!WAY TO GO!!!

Heather
iVillage Member
Registered: 01-06-2004
Thu, 06-10-2004 - 1:08pm
Glad you had a good time.
It is a good thing to try and have as much fun with your kids as you can.
Some times we forget we still have that kid hidden in us.
I love just to have fun with my 5 year old and act like a kid again, what a great reason too.

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iVillage Member
Registered: 05-08-2004
Thu, 06-10-2004 - 2:25pm
I loved reading your post, especially after taking 5 kids to the movies! I love to just be silly with my kids and kids I am watching. I let them go crazy in the dollar store today and snuck in candy in the diaper bag. They had the best time ever! Sometimes it is fun breaking the rules!

Traci


mom to Matthew(7) and Nickolas(2)

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