Shopping With Twins

Guest Author - Kris Bigalk

Whether they’re three months old or thirteen years old, shopping with twins can be a challenge. Here are some tips I’ve compiled from mothers of twins of different ages.

Options for All Agess
Some stores, such as Ikea, as well as some shopping malls, offer free or reduced rate childcare for an hour while adults shop. While an hour might not be much time, sometimes it's enough. Another option might be to hire a sitter or trade "shopping time" with another mom or a relative--you watch their kids while they shop, they watch your kids while you shop, either at your home or at the play area in the local mall or fast food restaurant.

Many moms of twins I asked just told me that they don’t take their twins shopping at all. They buy everything online, including groceries, or go shopping on their lunch hours at work, after their husbands come home, or during other times their twins are occupied. It eliminates a lot of stress, especially if one or both of the twins is at an especially difficult stage.

Infants and Toddlers

If your babies are still in the carrier car seats, wait until they have just eaten and are likely to nap. If this coincides with a time when the store is unlikely to be crowded, all the better. Many times, both of my twins have slept through a shopping trip, as long as I kept it under an hour. This works best if you push a stroller AND pull a cart (with the non-handle end for best steering). People will likely be helpful and sometimes incredulous that you can do this, but it’s not hard with a little practice.

When your twins are a little older, look for stores that have “toddler carts”—seats mounted to the front of the carts or “truck” carts with seats under the basket. Make sure your twins are well-rested and well-fed, and go during a “down” time at the store in case of a meltdown. Keep your trips short at this age; have a list with items you will buy, and don’t indulge yourself with browsing, or you might end up with a very noisy cart.

Preschoolers

Three, four, and five-year-olds can present some of the biggest shopping challenges, especially if they are allowed out of a stroller or cart. One mom I know told me she would almost start to cry when one twin would take off in one direction and the other would hide under clothing racks. It’s probably best to keep younger preschoolers belted in. When your kids are four or five, though, consider using a “ticket” system or a “reward” system. With a ticket system, you give the kids “tickets” for every ten minutes they are good. If they get three tickets, they get a treat at the checkout. With the reward system, you tell the kids they will get a treat if they are good during the shopping trip, with only three warnings per child. If they exceed the warnings, the shopping trip is over, no treat, and, if the behavior was really bad, a privilege, such as television watching, taken away.

School Age

“Please Mom? Please?” The age of begging, pleading, and manipulating has begun. To minimize these behaviors, consider implementing allowances or set dollar amounts before you go to the store. Give the kids their money and tell them to buy what they like or save the money for a bigger item next time. This teaches kids how to read prices, gauge value, and save for the things they want—and eliminates the whining, since all you have to say is, “Hey, I gave you your allowance. Spend it how you want. It’s your money.” You can also give them opportunities to earn extra money by doing chores around the house. Never, according to my mommy source, give them money in advance of doing a chore; the job probably won’t get done to your standards.

Teens

Shopping with teens can be a trial, since everything you like they hate, and because you have suddenly become so uncool that they don’t want to walk near you if a cute member of the opposite sex is within radar. Some moms of teen twins find that shopping with the twins separately is much more effective than taking both along on the same trip. Whether taking one or both, sit down ahead of time (or in the car on the way) and discuss your expectations. For example, you can say, “We’re shopping for jeans only today, and I expect you to stay within twenty feet of me while we’re in the mall. I’ll contribute fifty dollars towards the jeans, so if you want something that costs more than that, you can use your own money to make up the difference. If we can get done in twenty minutes, we’ll stop by Starbucks on the way home.”