Saturday, July 14, 2012

Shopping With The Kids

My boys and I (and my mom) just returned from a trip to south Florida. We go at least once a year, and were there in February, too. However, the ocean was calling our name and so we just had to go back for a week of fun at the Westin Diplomat Resort.


I knew that bringing my children's favourite toys on the trip meant I'd have to pack an extra suitcase, but it was well worth it. Afternoons (after a full morning of swimming!) were spend in our hotel room, where my four and six year old boys would play and play and play with all the Fisher-Price Batman toys. They seriously cannot get enough, and it helped keep them busy and out of the hot sun for a few hours a day.


Of course for me no trip to Florida is complete without shopping! Although I like to spend in hours in the Bal Harbour Shops or Aventura Mall, my boys only have a little patience for that kind of shopping...


The kind of shopping they love, though? When I take them to Target or other stores that sell toys! I brought them along with me for our annual trip to Target, stocked up on some Fisher-Price Batman toys they were missing, and bought some beach toys to keep them busy by the pool and ocean while on vacation.

My tip when you're bringing the kids along on shopping trips? Keep it short and sweet, and know what you're there for. You can avoid melt-downs far easier that way! And? Snacks always help, too.

Happy summer shopping!





Disclosure: I am a Fisher-Price Mom and I receive special perks as part of my affiliation with this group. The opinions on this blog are my own.”

3 comments:

  1. You spent lot of time at south Florida with your children. Your children were bought lot of toys. So they are happy for the suitable time where yours spent. Now I am thinking I will go at south Florida with my kids. Thanks for the nice posting.

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  2. Great post! You're right...snacks and toys help! I have to pack an extra suitcase for Little One's toys when we're on vacation too :) I also stick in a few colouring books, crayons, stickers, etc.

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  3. I find it encourages my kids to be extra helpful in preparing for the trip and better with shopping expeditions when they are able to earn "travel dollars". It is like an allowance but the money is only good at our travel destination so they have no choice but to save it until we go on our trip. There is no end of things they want to do to earn some travel dollars and shopping trips with them are easier on the pocket book as well (you will know when you leave how much you have to shell out to "cash in" the travel dollars). It also keeps the requests reasonable. Of course leading up to the deadline they will start to get desperate and expect to be paid for simple things like eating dinner and brushing teeth but is a great build up to a trip and teaches them to be helpful and responsible.
    No amount of travel dollars will help you when you want to do some serious shopping but let them choose what they want to spend their money on and it will keep them busy for daddy/family to watch them while you take a little "girl time" and do some serious shopping!

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