To All Perfectly Imperfect Parents!
It’s nearly upon us - the day we all love to hate and all hate to love - Black Friday.🤪 If you’ve ever attempted shopping on this glorious day with small children in tow, you know it’s a mix of chaos, comedy, and cart collisions!
Allow me to start off with a little recap of my last Black Friday adventure with my little darlings:
The Comical Cash Desk Catastrophe
Picture this - I’m in the cash desk line, nearly my turn after a long wait. In my peripheral vision, I catch a glimpse of something moving along the aisle and it’s going fast.
So I turn to look and see my two children using the clothes rail as a scooter, zooming down the aisle like they’re auditioning for the next Fast & Furious movie.🙈
When I established clear rules on how we behave in stores, I clearly forgot to mention that we do not use clothes racks as scooters or racing cars!
Now for some dilemmas that will sound familiar to you all and a few common survival tips in case you dare to venture out on Black Friday this year.😉
Tackling The Tricky Toilet Tango
Just when you’re in the realms of bargain victory awaiting your turn at the cash desk,, you hear the dreaded words…”Mum, I need the toilet!” This short, five-word phrase equates to the same frustration level as going on a car journey and not even ten minutes in you get asked, “Mum, are we there yet?”🤪
As tempting as it is, you know that asking your little angel if they can hold on comes with a SERIOUSLY big risk attached to it. So instead of paying and leaving, you lose your place in the line and go give another crash course to your four-year-old daughter on using a public restroom toilet without actually sitting on the toilet seat.🤪
Survival Tip : Before you even walk towards the cash desk line, ask the troops if anyone needs to go to the toilet!
Surviving Snack-Snatchers Strategically
We all know this - snacks are the secret weapon in preventing total toddler tantrum mode. Of course, this food perk doesn’t come without complications. You pull out a pack of granola bars, only to have two snack experts immediately launch into an argument over who gets the ‘best’ one.
A squabble erupts, “But you had the strawberry one last time!” Followed by a defiant, “No, you did!” This inevitably ends in one snatching the bar they want from the other, followed by tears, and well, you know the rest…
Survival Tip : Bring more snacks than you think you’ll need, and if possible, bring identical ones. Sibling snack equality is key for peace!😂
So here’s wishing you all good luck navigating Black Friday with your tiny tot shoppers in tow. My one, most heart-felt piece of advice to all is: know when to fold. If the going gets a tad too tough, quit early and treat yourselves to a hot chocolate instead!
Happy Shopping (and surviving)!
The Sandilake Clothing Team
