Taking your kids with you is probably not your first thought when going Christmas shopping. But it can be done and can be a lot of fun! If you take them to a kid-friendly place like The Mall in Columbia, you will get your shopping done and have a great time with your kids too! Its a win-win !
How I Parent
Almost two years into parenthood and I find myself still figuring it out! There are a lot of things I think we do well and there are several things we should have or should do differently. It is crazy to think that there are billions of parents out there and we all raise our children differently! Before Kade arrived, I had this idea of the “type” of parent I was going to be, and let me tell you, I am NOTHING like that! Actually, I’m very much the opposite. There isn’t a rule book to follow, a one-size-fits-all, or how-to for raising your kiddos. And thank goodness because every kiddo and parenting situation is different.
If I had to put my parenting style into words I would say, “I lead with my heart in hopes of teaching my son to believe in himself. I try to provide him with daily opportunities to learn, experience and make choices for himself. His size and age are not obstacles but rather opportunities to problem solve.” Even writing this I am like, “who am I?” But this is honestly what I believe and how I interact with Kade. An example I have discussed before is he loves to push his stroller; however he is not tall enough or coordinated enough to do so. But instead of telling him no, I pick him up, hold him awkwardly and let him push. Sure, he bumps into things and may knock something over, but is that the end of the world? No!
Another example is making choices. Most of his choice making is simple, like choosing between two books to read, or applesauce or yogurt for a snack, or what animal friend he would like to take with us on a trip. I believe this helps him find his independence and belief in himself. Another is taking him places that might not completely be easy or age appropriate, like the carnival at 15 months. He was only able to get on two rides with us but those two rides he loved!
Spencer and I have intentionally sought out new experiences for Kade to enjoy. Some of my favorites have been the carnival, trampoline jump zone, pony rides, carving a pumpkin, trick-or-treating, making an apple pie, popcorn movie nights, Boston Children’s Museum, and most recently, Christmas shopping! Yep, that’s right we took Kade Christmas shopping and it was SO much fun! By now you might think I am crazy, and honestly even I am surprised at how well it went.
Christmas Shopping
Last week we went to The Mall in Columbia to create a special day for Kade to experience shopping. And boy did he ever! I am almost convinced that Kade should be my new Christmas shopping partner. But we might need to give it a go one or two more times to be sure he can hang!
Our goal for the day was for Kade to have fun choosing gifts for his cousins, learn about selecting and paying for items, and to have quality time with us. Like most things we do these days, we strategically created a rough plan for the day to hopefully make it go as smoothly as possible! First, we shopped on a weekday (Friday) and started right when the mall opened. We decided that we would only shop for a few hours or for as long as Kade was engaged in the activities, and then get lunch. We had also predetermined what stores we would go to and in what order to set Kade and ourselves up for a great shopping experience.
Our nieces and nephews range in age from 5 to 13 (Kade is the youngest), so we figured we could tackle most of our Christmas shopping at the Disney Store, Gap Kids, H&M and Build-A-Bear. Here is how the day went.
We started the day at Build-A-Bear. This stop was all about Kade (an early Christmas present). The thinking was that he would love to make an animal friend that he could play with during the rest of the day. I had a feeling that Kade was going to pick Chase from Paw Patrol, and sure enough I was right! He picked Chase right away, but then realized there were SO many other options. I think he mentally debated a bit but ultimately stayed with Chase.
Kade listened well to the Lead Animal Stuffer and did all the things they asked, like step on the petal to stuff Chase, choose a heart, put it on his head, kiss the heart and put it inside Chase. Seriously it was the cutest thing! Kade of course wanted all the accessories. We tried explaining the value of the items he wanted vs. how much he was allowed to spend. Pretty sure he didn’t understand any of it but he enjoyed being able to pay for Chase.
Kade Helps Out
Kade was loving life, in a great mood and so happy to have his new friend Chase. So we hopped on over to Gap Kids to pick out some clothes. I was hoping to get Kade a new pair of buffalo plaid pjs because the ones I loved from last year no longer fit. But that didn’t happen because he was set on the holiday fire truck pjs. We were also looking at winter jackets for Kade and he was all about the camo! Definitely his mother’s son, lol!
One of Kade’s cousins loves baseball and he found a nice red baseball cap that he thought would be the perfect gift! Gap Kids was having a phenomenal sale… 40% off everything! We also loaded up on a bunch of socks for Kade. I’m thinking these will be great stocking stuffers. I know that’s not super exciting, but I would like to fill his stocking with more than just toys. I might even just stuff some of it with paper…. Shhhh don’t tell Kade though!
Across from Gap Kids was the Disney store. We strolled on over in Kade’s Veer cruiser. It was at this time when I realized we should have brought our basket attachment. The cruiser was starting to get a little full. As we entered The Disney Store Kade starts pointing and saying Mickey. We were like “How do you know Mickey?” We haven’t really watched much Mickey at home, but Kade knew Mickey, Elsa and Olaf. He must have learned about them in school.
Kade locked eyes on the Misses Potts tea cart and made a bee-line for it. He loves pushing things on wheels. I was cracking up and thought it was the cutest thing as Kade was pushing it around the store. I’m asking Spencer to take photos and he wasn’t all about it since it was a girl’s toy. I was able to convince him to snap a few before he distracted Kade with Cars. Big trucks, cars, trains, and airplanes are Kade’s world! He picked out soooo many car toys. I think we ended up with 10 cars! I wasn’t sure if Kade was going to want to open them at the time, but after a diaper change he had forgotten all about the cars. This was perfect for us so they can be wrapped up for Christmas and maybe birthday presents.
Our last Christmas shopping stop was H&M. It was hard not to be distracted because I love to shop at H&M for myself! As we shopped, I subtly pointed out things I loved to the boys. You know, in a “hint,hint” kind of way. Kade helped choose a few clothes for himself and picked colors for his cousin’s gifts. I always like to check in with my sister-in-law too on items for the older girls. Our nieces and nephews live in the Carolinas and it is much easier to shop for them at stores that they have in their area in case they need/want to return or exchange.
Time For Lunch
We wrapped up our last stop a bit later than we originally thought we would and realized we were all hungry! So we headed over to The Walrus Oyster & Ale House for a late lunch. We walked in and immediately knew we were going to like it. The decor was right up our alley with a rustic/industrial/farmhouse feel. We were seated at a booth,which was great because it allowed us to corral Kade on the inside.
They brought a coloring menu and crayons over for Kade, along with our menus. The Walrus Pups kid’s menu is great! It’s a $5 menu and includes an entree and a side, and juice, milk or soda. As kid’s menus go, it has a lot of options including some healthier items like grilled chicken or salmon, and fresh fruit or veggies on the side. We got Kade the chicken tenders and fries, which he loved. And he decided to cap it all off with a bowl of vanilla ice cream!
The service was fantastic as our waitress answered all our questions, offered meal and drink suggestions, and interacted with Kade to make him feel welcome too! We started off with the crab dip appetizer, which was amazing. The cheese they used in the dip was SO tasty! For our meals, Spencer decided on the Walrus Burger and I went with the jumbo lump crab cake sandwich. It was amazing, and Spencer said his burger was cooked perfectly! A great meal was the perfect way to end our successful Christmas shopping day!
It Can Be Done
Like I said before, this shopping trip turned out to be a great day full of fun and successful gift buying! The Mall in Columbia is such a great shopping destination because they have so much to offer. You really can cover your entire shopping list there as they have something for everyone. And when its time to refuel the tank, there are lots of great restaurants, like Walrus Oyster & Ale House to replenish your energy levels! And Kade had a blast as well. There are so many family friendly areas in the mall that cater to younger shoppers. Right outside of H&M is a kids play area, and Kade loved driving the car ride as soon as we came in the mall! They also have a lot of holiday related events that are fun for the whole family including photos with Santa and the Beary Merry Scavenger Hunt.
The shopping days left until Christmas a dwindling quickly! Take a family day and head on over to The Mall in Columbia. You can finish your Christmas shopping and enjoy some good family time all in one spot!
