Shopping with kids can be an arduous and dreadful task. With proper planning, however, this effective chore can be transformed into a successful outing that builds your relationship with your young ones instead of breaking it down. Here are some tips on shopping with kids to make things easier for everyone.
Tips on Shopping with Kids
1. Don’t wait until you’re desperate
If you wait until the day your child’s shoes are falling apart to go shopping for new ones, you limit yourself. Depending on what shoes are in stock and what current prices are, your decisions may not be based on what is best for your child.
2. Choose your shoe store wisely
A store with experienced and knowledgeable staff can properly size your child’s foot. At big box stores, you may be left in a sea of decisions that you are not equipped to make, while a trained shoe salesman, commissioned to sell, guides you through the odyssey to make appropriate choices for your needs and budget. In many cases there are options available that you would not have otherwise considered. Perhaps a better size can be ordered, or there are sales that you are not aware of.
Stuart Weitzman Sally Ballet Flat
3. Take one child at at time
Everyone is familiar with the traditional scene of one parent dragging their gaggle of children through the store and making each child (painstakingly) try on many pairs of shoes each. By taking only one at a time, the task of shoe shopping can be short and consequently a positive experience. Everyone agrees that a positive experience is preferable compared to one filled with whining and resentment.
Michael Kors Emma Riding Boots
4. Err on larger sizes
When the in-store shoe sizing Brannock device indicates that your child should wear a larger size than your child says is “comfortable” it is probably (surprisingly) because the industry is on your side. These standard shoe measurements give your little ones reasonable room for growth, which will amount to fewer shopping trips and less money spent on shoes. When shopping online, utilize printable shoe measuring devices like this one.
5. Make it fun
Infusing fun into your shopping excursion can be as inexpensive as learning a fun way to tie your child’s shoe. There are plenty of fun ways to spruce up a shoe outing. Perhaps you can find a way to celebrate a successful outing with something like ice cream, or a trip with the new shoes to a local park (if they are park ready shoes). Simple celebrations make the trip a positive memory for your child and also make a great incentive when patience wears thin.
Tommy Hilfiger Andrea Riding Boots
With a little thought, preparation and creativity, shoe shopping with your kids can be easy and maybe even fun! Give these tips a try and let us know if they helped.
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2. Stuart Weitzman Sally Ballet Flat
If you’re in the market for shoes for your baby, or early walker, check out this post on Baby’s First Shoes: Livie and Luca.
