Don’t take an 11 year old shopping! Well at least know if you do it may not turn out to be the joyous trip you had in mind. I recently brought my middle child April a pair of new shoes, I was out with a girlfriend and we stumbled across a great sale on these great brand shoes, (you know it’s hard for me to resist a sale, especially when it involves one of my favourite stores). I wanted to get a pair for both my girls, but I wasn’t sure of Aspen’s current shoe size. So I grabbed a pair for April and decided I would make a point of taking Aspen out to get some another day soon. (Because I’m such an awesome mum, right?)
Anyway the day arrived and we made a special point of stopping at a trendy shop to purchase some super cool shoes. It started off positive, she was surprised when I told her we were there for her. But when the first pair she loved were not in her size things started to go down hill. All her favourite pairs were sold out in her size (clearly all 11 year olds have the same taste in shoes). Of course she didn’t like any pair her mum liked (it baffles me I mean I’m still so cool and trendy, aren’t I?)
So we left store number 1, and 2 and 3 and went back to store number 1. April was finding loads of pairs she liked and surprisingly Adam was even behaving himself (thank goodness). I on the other hand was beginning to loose my cool, my Zen like state I intended to keep all day was fading fast. I was torn between do we just leave and give up, or do I just force her to choose a pair because I did not want to return to this mad house shopping centre again any time soon!
More than mad, I felt annoyed because she was being fussy, and seemingly ungrateful. Aspen is for the most part a very grateful girl, with such a sweet and generous heart, but yesterday she was grumpy and on the verge of acting like a spoiled brat. (I just keep thinking I did not raise her like this)! I really felt like we should just go home empty handed, but at the same time I felt like that punished me as much as it did her. She needed shoes so at some point I had to buy them. It was either buy them on the day or it would be me having to make another trip out again, fighting for a car park and battling the mass of shoppers.
It wasn’t pretty but I did loose my cool, she turned around and said to me “I’m being a pain aren’t I?” I was no longer in the mood to sugar coat. “Yes You Are!” I went on to tell her how rude and ungrateful she was acting. That I was incredibly disappointed in her behaviour. This is usually the kind of thing she would burst into tears over (she is super sensitive), but she surprised me by completely changing her mood. She tried on the pair that I loved and ended up loving them! (I knew I was still cool)!
We happily walked out of the store with a pair of shoes and I even received an apology. Trip over! Hopefully next time she needs shoes it is not such a painful trip.
Love to hear your thoughts, have you had shopping dramas with your kids? Confess, make me feel better.
Thanks for joining me, love Mackenzie xx
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11 comments
Oh yes! Clothes shopping with the Tubblet is a nightmare as she never likes anything. Apart from the really expensive branded stuff that we’re never buy as we’re tightwads. (I’m not playing £50 for a sweatshirt that has a logo on it when you can get the same sweatshirt without the logo from New Look for alot less). Well done for turning it around.
I still have nightmares about shopping with my kids, and they were good kids. I’ve never liked shopping anyway, and it was worse when I had the kids or was with Bub. Nowadays I do most of my shopping online, and never Christmas shop with anyone. Bub and I almost divorced several years ago due to a Christmas shopping trip from hell. 🙂
Online shopping is a saviour!
Great post. My 10 year old is a nightmare. I cant just strap her in the trolley anymore. Ha ha. I find other people, the ones that look at you when your child is playing up that mess with my Zen like calm. lol.
I am lucky at the moment that my little one can’t choose for himself yet. I know I have all of this to come. He does have this uncanny nack (is that how you spell it??) of waking up just as I am about to try something on. The amount of times I have just bought and run and then had to take it back! Best of luck next time. #twinklytuesday
Thanks xx
We avoid shopping as much as possible. My boys don’t see the point so i still buy them things without them and they either like or don’t like them. I can see some opinions coming in with my eldest though.
It is genuinely tough when we feel that we are doing something nice for our kids and they seem to miss the point altogether. your daughter showed a lot of maturity in realising she was being challenging and taking the criticism. Thanks for sharing.
It never occurred to me to go shopping for my children without them (except for birthday and Christmas gifts). Perhaps it’s because I’m a single mother and getting out without them for anything but work takes military precision planning? I get off easy, though. Since there’s only one child in their year at school shorter than them, they get bags and bags of hand-me-downs from all their friends. And they have a lot of friends. We still have to buy shoes, though. They have yet to grow into the hand-me-down shoes we’ve received in the last 3 years. My poor M was still in toddler sizes at age 8.
Thanks for linking with #TwinklyTuesday
Definitely and the now, 12 year old, is the worst. It has reached a point where I try not to take her and let her dad have the pleasure! Training shoes are the worst and he knows better than me ha! X
My child is only 7 and she is allready into fashion and style much more than I ever was. Shopping can be a nightmare but also lots of fun too!
Angela xx
Angela recently posted Peach and Blueberry Crumbles and the Margarine Song http://wp.me/p5XRN6-1Vq
I have all this to come but I was an awful teenager so it will be my punishment as a mother! Thanks for sharing in #KidsCorner. x
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