How do you keep children occupied while shopping?

They are dangerous!

Kids can get taken very quickly.

I always kept my boys close by, when shopping.

by jonaja

I sure do. Ikea is my favourite place to shop because the older kids can go and play for an hour while I look at displays and work out my ideal kitchen! Then I pick them up and we go for lunch in the cafe.

My kids are very busy bees so if they come with me to a shop I let them know what we're looking for and make a game out of getting them to help me find it. They're learning about money now so we talk about prices and quality and it can be fun.

by Sarah Bell

IKEA is the only one that is o.k. that I have seen, but! you have to also be careful there too.
My granddaughter suffered a very bad accident once, when (not IKEA) she went to one of these.She nearly needed a Ambulance.She had the biggest grapefruit size Bump on her head.Staff came from everywhere,to help.Some kid
just jumped and she came off the worst.It was really quite dreadful.

Well it always helps, however I am a little of a hover parent so I prefer to have my kids with me. And when they were younger I used to give them games like eye spy or spot how many blue cans...etc!

by chipp

Aside from IKEA where kids are actually accounted for (like a crèche), I don't think you should just leave young children alone in a play area and wonder off. There are a number of examples of kids being snatched by strangers from this very scenario and children are too precious to leave this to chance. I like shops that make an effort with children, it's a nice touch and I absolutely allow my kids to play in the designated area but that's normally after they've been we'll behaved for a short shopping trip. At Bunnings, I might pop in for 10 minutes, and then I'll let them go and play on the cool play equipment for 10 mins or so. It's a treat and it rewards their good behavior. I'm still there with them when they're playing, both for safety and because they're fun to watch. My kids are too young to leave on their own in a play area and all of these play areas typically state that children should be supervised by an adult.

by helenonthesofa

Send them to their grandparents' house!

by Vee

None & thank god for that. We've done our time & our children have all grown uo, left home with kids of their own. My wife is diffrent but I don't like my grand kids hanging around so I keep the distance. My kids knew that cos' when we go shoping or anywhere I like everyone to be an orderly fashion .I don't like kids wondering around,touching this & that & asking dumb kiddie kind of Q's.
So I'm glad to be kids free zone.

by shane

I keep my kids with me but give them jobs while supermarket shopping eg. can you get me 4 tomatoes. Or can I have a 3 litre milk? This keeps them occupied and gets the shopping done quicker!

by Postcards_from