My secret to shopping with kids

Have you left home with a three-year-old? Have you never wanted to leave the home again with said three-year-old thanks to the last time you did so? Well, that has been me, ever since my son Will turned 1 year’s old three years ago. He has always been active, determined, stubborn and adventurous and it has gotten worse with age.

Just getting out of the house usually takes me half an hour, so I have slowly learnt that if I want to leave at a certain time, I need to be ready half an hour before I want to be out of that front door. It will take a full half an hour of chasing children, putting socks and shoes on and then on again, get them to brush their teeth, do their hair, pick a toy, pack their water bottles and then I stand at the door calling their names ten times and counting to five.

Sounds exhausting, doesn’t it?

But wait, when we arrive at the shops (or place we go to) Will likes to think that it is his chance to escape, be free and run away. I always have a firm grip of his little hand to keep him next to me or I will no doubt lose him. Sometimes, it isn’t about running away, it might be about touching expensive things in a shop, running in and out of change rooms (that are engaged) or running straight to the lolly aisle in the supermarket and start opening a watermelon lollypop. I always have to be one step ahead of him and I think now, with experience and years of chasing him and calling his name in public, I know that I need to be prepared.

In my handbag, I pack lollipops, I get him to be my helper by putting groceries in the trolley and sometimes I bring the back pack with the lead (don’t even! I know, but I have to!) And when I am in the stores, it needs to run smoothly and fast, no diddle daddling, it has to be a fast process from start to finish and if I spend too long deciding on something or if I shuffle around in my bag looking for my card, he is already half way out the shop door.

I got to trial the Bankwest Halo payment ring which is exactly like using pay wave on a card, however, as it is a ring, it is on your finger ready to tap, pay and go. The ease, the convenience and quick payment meant I could get out with the baby and Will and get my shopping done in no time. He didn’t get a chance at the check-out to get bored and start to sneakily head to the exit. Heck! We even sat and had a coffee and biscuit because we were both really happy, unlike previous shopping trips in which I have had to evacuate and drag him home (literally, drag him up off the shop floor) with nothing checked off my list.

I am looking forward to taking the ring with me overseas this year, as a safety method, it will be on my finger the whole time and I simply make sure my bank account has funds. I chose the black colour, it looks pretty cool and I had it made to fit my finger ring size. I will definitely also use it when I start to go on my runs again and pick up a coffee on the way home with a tap of my ring!

Check it out in action, and yes, Will did find a micro second to take his shoes off on that shopping day, but I will take that as a successful trip compared to many in the past.