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| Parenting |
 THE SHOPPING SAGA...WITH KIDS IN TOWBy Debi Stagg You are in a store. He wants the toy. There is no way you are going to buy it. The tears start. So what. The screaming starts. You begin to sweat. He jumps out of the stroller and stamps his foot. "Stay cool", you say to yourself. Finally, he hits overload. He falls to the floor, screaming and kicking. His face is as red as a fire truck, and his breathing is getting erratic. You think "If he goes into cardiac arrest, I'm in trouble." But there is still no way you are going to give in. Not after this display. If you are a parent, you have been there. That place where the whole world is staring at you and your child. Nothing could be more claustrophobic. People with no children look at you like you are the devil itself. Other parents rush their children away, for they know it is contagious. Grandmothers outright scold you for being a terrible parent. Store employees push balloons and stickers at your child, begging you to shut him up. And, according to all the parenting books, you are suppose to ignore it all and continue shopping. Yeah, right. If you are anything like me, you drop everything, grab your kid, and run. Your child is upset beyond reason. You are so angry and embarrassed, it feels like your head has turned into a volcano. And you still have a list of stuff you need to buy. You have to go back tomorrow, and do it all again. Heaven above, there must be a better way. There are different ways to handle this. If they are better, only you can decide. You can never shop with you kids again; you can gag and blindfold them next time; you can give in to their every want; you could grin and bear it or; you can turn to the age old world of home shopping. In a world where convenience is of utmost importance, thousands of companies compete for your dollar in the industry of home shopping. Of course what comes to mind first is catalogue orders. If you know exactly what you want, you can buy everything from furniture to frozen peas over your phone or internet. Even your pharmacist will deliver to your door. This is great if you never want to leave you house again. But every once in a while, there will be that need to get away form the kids, the spouse, the dog, and the laundry. Your friend calls, inviting you to a merchandise party at her house tonight...and leave the kids at home. What is this? Shopping at home? Shopping and socializing? Shopping in a relaxing atmosphere? Can this be true? Have I just earned a sabbatical to Heaven? YES! For one evening, I can have all these things, and eat and drink too! Wow, the idea is almost overwhelming! Of course, I accept my friend's invitation. Home parties are just what some of us need to get away from the vicious world of malls. There is such an array of merchandise being sold through home parties today; anything from children's clothes and toys, to exotic spices. The sales representatives and hostesses make the evening enjoyable, entertaining, personal, and even informative. Most of the time, these products have been tried and tested by the representative and her family. There is always first-hand information on what is a good product, and different ways to use it. This is quite different from shopping in a store, where the sales associate does not know where anything is, let alone the quality of the item. Home parties are a breath of fresh air from the trials of shopping for a family. Unfortunately, there are some drawbacks to these parties, too. Sometimes I feel very obligated to buy something, and usually the purchase is for way more money then I would pay in a store. The pressure comes from knowing that it will help the hostess receive 'gifts' if her party brings in a large amount of money. This always seems to be made very clear by the representatives at the beginning of the party. Buy or let your friend down, is the message. Ideally, if the guests spend a certain amount, the hostess will receive her purchase for free or at a discount. Ironically, next time watch and compare who spends the most. The majority of the time, the poor hostess gets suckered into the 'hostess specials', and ends up spending more then any of her guests. On the sales side, these parties are a great way for stay-at-home parents to earn some money and 'get a life' too. As a sales representative, you can work as many or as few hours you want. You have satisfaction of caring for your family, and running your own business. I enjoy going to home parties, because it is just the break I need from the family. How many of us stay-at-home parents go for days without adult contact? Sometimes I need that item TODAY, and I have to take the kids shopping. If I'm lucky, I can get a customer assistant to bring me my item without stepping ten feet into the store. But if I can wait, I prefer to browse catalogues and flyers at home, calmly asking the kids opinions about what they want. And then contact the representative with my order. There are great days shopping with the kids, and there are terrible days. It's a good learning experience for both of us. Kids need to learn they can't have everything their heart desires. I need to learn to recognize and respect their limits. It may be infuriating to leave a store without one item on your list, but my boys are more important then buying deodorant. I can go back tomorrow, I can have it delivered, or I can call my friendly neighborhood home party representative Debi Stagg email: staggcan@telusplanet.net |