Moms Talk: Gimme That!

Oh moms, we've all been there. You have your carefully crafted shopping list in hand, you know which coupons are going to double and what brands are on sale for the same price as generic and then it happens...your kid goes off-the-map crazy over some unreasonable item that they absolutely must have.

What are the chances that you are getting out of this store with your dignity and your budget intact? If you are like me, you might have one but not both.

"Buuuuuut, Mom! I neeeed this!" - if I had a nickel for every time I heard this over some random DVD, character-laden corn-based snack food or check out aisle candy bar, then I may just have enough to cover the extras I always seem to load my cart with.

I guess when I was a kid, I never dreamed of just randomly dropping a package of Oreos in the cart as it was pushed down the aisle. I guess I'd fear never again having an Oreo after such a blatant disregard for my parent's authority. These days, and with this generation, we seem to be a bit more lax (and frankly have more disposable income) than our predecessors.

Are we allowing our children to be controlled by the mass market media conglomerates that push every new plastic toy our way and systematically destroy their imagination and culture at the same time? Nah. Kids just want stuff. Hell, I want stuff.

I was totally taken aback when I went to Top Foods without my credit card and had to buy what I could with $20 cash. I've never really thought about what I spend my own money on, so why am I surprised that my own child had picked up my knack for just mindlessly tossing things in the cart.

Even with our lax attitude, sometimes the gimmies go too far. I'm not going to buy a large toy or a giant box of cereal that I know will rot in the pantry. My standard question is, "Do you have any money?" Obviously, since we don't do allowances, the answer is always "no" - I say it almost as a joke, but really, it's not his money it is his parent's money.

Another favorite question for a local mom is, "How much does it cost?". I think this is a great way to get your child involved in the process without having to say no immediately. If you are open to negotiating, go for it. Allow them to pick an item that cost less than $2 or so and allow them to keep a tally of how much credit they have left.

And moms, I know sometimes it's easier to just say yes. I've done it myself many times. I've also found that having a conversation in the car outside the store is a great way to mindfully connect to your child and let them know what you are going to buy, what you are not going to buy and that if they decide to throw a fit, well, you certainly aren't going to buy them anything with Sponge Bob on it ever again.