Latasia Jewelry Carennedy Solutions

November is one of those times of year where all retail businesses are vamping up for the
Christmas season. Christmas is a joyful season filled with family and cheer, a time of year which
everyone should enjoy. However, all the joy of Christmas can be destroyed by one small detail,
shopping and what's worse is taking the kids with you. My head hurts just thinking about the
loud noises, bright lights and the sea of people, while at the same time keeping my kids in tow. I
can hear my kids whining "I don't like this store," "I am hungry," or "I don't have that Dora
thing." The worst though is when they won't keep up, I can't see them, or I am having to drag
them across the floor kicking and screaming. Sound like a day at the mall for you? To be fair,
my kids are really good when we go shopping now. They weren't always but I stuck to my guns
and now I'm able to take them shopping with me without too much hassle.

Shopping with Babies

For those of you that are new moms, believe it or not this is the easiest stage to take them
shopping. Choose a mall that has mother's rooms, a quiet comfortable place to feed, change
and attend to your baby. Most will have something to entertain the older child at the same time.
If your closest mall doesn't have these facilities then drive a little further, it will be worth it. It
helps if you don't go for long periods of time, especially if the noise is too overwhelming for
your little one.

The best part about this stage is the stroller, it carries everything for you, kid, purse, packages,
and coats. Just make sure you keep one hand on the stroller at all times and that your stroller is
small enough to manoeuvre through store's displays. When my daughter was an infant we went
to West Edmonton Mall, my husband was watching the kids while I went to use the facilities. My
instructions were, "keep one hand on the stroller it is very busy and I don't want Kennedy to
disappear." When I came out not only was he not holding the stroller he had his back turned. I
simply took the stroller and hid behind a display. Too mean? The look on his face was horror
and he never took his eye off her again, I had made my point.

Toddlers

Now the fun begins, they don't want to be in the stroller the whole time and they definitely don't
want to stay with you. This can be very stressful if they are hiding in displays or take off way
ahead or lag behind you. You may think they are following you, but it would be really easy for
someone to grab them when you're not looking. I used to go to the mall with three to five, yes
five, 3 year olds for something to do. Nuts huh! I learned the very first day that there was
nothing wrong with connecting them to me. I went and bought child leashes from Zellers, tied
one end to my belt loop, tied the other end to a child. I had a train of kids, lots of people looked,
but so what, I was able to look around and knew that they were with me. It was the least
stressful time shopping ever. My husband was horrified until I made him connect to Kennedy
and then he was hooked. It was so simple, easy and stress less.

So what if people stare and say something, guess what - it's not their child, it's yours. If your
child goes missing it won't effect them, it will effect you though. This is the light of your life and
you have every right to protect them in anyway that works for you. How many people stop an
adult leaving a store holding a screaming child to ensure that child is their's? You won't win
with people, if they criticize you for putting a leash on the child, they'll criticize you for not doing
it if that child goes missing.

What do you do if your kid doesn't want to wear a leash? Use it as a deterrent, "stay with me or I
will connect you to me." "Stay in the cart or stroller or I'll connect you to me." When I was a kid
my mom, out of desperation, put a leash on me -- I proceeded to sit down and scream until she
took it off. So I do realize not all kids will enjoy the limited freedom it gives them, some of us
demand complete freedom.

Pre-School - Grade School

Depending on your child you can start to give them a little more freedom, but not a lot. They still
need to be within eye & ear range, if they can't see you, they've gone too far. This is OK if the
mall isn't packed, however during Christmas it will be a good idea to keep them real close. At
this age you can start to reason with them and explain what will happen if they go too far.

Mall proof your kids, have rules in place in case they get lost. Tell them to find the money
(cashier) and stay put so that you will be able to find them. Tell them not to go looking for you,
because you'll be looking for them. Make sure they know ahead of time they are not to leave the
store with anyone, even to go looking for you. Have you ever been at a mall and watched
someone leave with a screaming kid? Did you ever stop them to make sure they weren't
stealing the child or did you just think that poor parent? Tell your kids that if someone is taking
them out of the store, not to scream but to yell really loud "This isn't my (mommy/daddy)!
Somebody HELP me!" I am always surprised by how few children know what to say.

Want a more relaxed shopping experience? Direct Sales Reps of Home Party company's are a
great resource for your Christmas shopping needs. It's the Christmas season, a time for
entertaining, have a Christmas Shopping party with a selection of products to choose from,. Do
you have a Christmas cookie swap party? Why not add a direct sales company's products and
make it a Christmas cookie swap & Christmas shopping party? As a hostess you will receive
free gifts and your guests will get some stress free Christmas shopping done. Don't want to
host a party? Most independent consultants will hold open houses and other events this time of
year offering specials and stress free shopping. If you are thinking that all direct sales
companies have only expensive products you are wrong, some have quality items for a good
price. Why not buy one potato peeler you will have forever instead of buying a cheap one every
6 months to a year? You'll be saving money in the long run AND reducing junk in the landfills.

In years past rural families would wait with great expectation for the SEARS Catalogues to do
their shopping. Sitting in their favourite chair circling those items they wanted while sipping on
some hot coco. Today instead of catalogues, which end up in landfills, we shop via the internet
for a wide array of products. From the comfort of our homes and like the rural families of yester
year we have Christmas when the mail arrives!

Whether you brave the mall, shop at small business, enjoy an open house or relax in front of
your computer, have a wonderful shopping experience. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.