A parent’s nightmare. And we’ve all lived it: a screaming child at the store.

You know the suffering. All eyes in the store are staring at you. Your child is not just uncajolable, but also must be suffering some type of pain. The sound travels out the doors. Is there anything you can do?

At the moment it probably seems like there isn’t.  While you try to shush and quiet your child, your only thought is to get the rest of your items on your list and out of the store as quickly as possible.

While you are not in the embarrassing situation, let’s consider what you can do to prevent the nightmare and some ideas for when it happens.

Often the reason for an unruly child at the store is being hungry or tired, or both. I know it seems easier to stop at the store after soccer practice or on the way home from a play date, but it’s not. Try to plan trips to the store when you and your child aren’t cranky and rushed. You may want to consider planning a time to go to the store when someone else can care for your little one.

Have something in your bag to entertain your preschooler if your list is longer than six items. Actually you can select how many items is the limit of your child’s ability to sit in the cart. One idea is pictures of grocery items on cards, which you can put on ring. Have your child find the picture of an item on your list, then help you find it on the grocery shelf.

Don’t stand and chat with your neighbor. A quick hello, then make arrangements to catch up at another time is sufficient.  Your little one isn’t interested in the latest news and quickly becomes bored.

What can you do when the tantrum starts?

Find out what the problem is. If you child is hunger, get a nutritious snack. Sing a silly song as you go through the store. This will not only entertain your little one, but will also bring a smile to other people’s faces. A final suggestion, get done, and get out of the store.

When your child doesn’t seem to be able to calm down – leave the store. Yes, that’s right. Walk away from the cart and go outside. You will be less tense and able to deal with the situation. Your cart will be probably be right where you left when you return.

Some tantrums can be avoided with a little preparation.

Often you see a child behaving poorly because he doesn’t understand the word “no.” If you are having trouble with every toy and goodies that lights up in the aisle, you need to spend some time at home teaching that “no” means “no.”

Teach your preschooler to sit. At home, practice by sitting in a chair for increasing lengths of time. Think about it. How comfortable can it be to sit in a metal cart for an hour while being pushed around a store? Even your patience would be stretched.

Begin early to teach wise use of money. Although your child may not understand that a nickel is five cents, you can begin to help learn that resources are limited. Don’t be afraid to say, “I don’t have enough money to pay for that. We need to buy food.”

A four-or five-year-old can begin to earn a little money by working around the house. There are some thing that members of the family need to do to contribute to the well-being of the household, like pick up dirty clothes. There are other tasks that a little one can do, like set the table, for a wage. This is also a good time to teach work ethics.

Let your child pick a healthy food item or a needed clothing item. If you need vegetables for dinner, give the choice to your child – carrots or peas. Let your child be part of the shopping experience.

It is possible to have a pleasant shopping experience with your preschooler. It just takes a little training, a little time, and God-given patience.

Our family has enjoyed reading aloud for years, even beyond the early reading days. There was a lull in the aloud-reading department after our children left home and before grandkiddos came along. Now when they visit, we have both serious story reading and funny romps through books. Out and About at the Zoo will be one that will be fun.

Out and About is a simple story about a day at the zoo. Most children can relate to such an outing. The rhyming text will be easy for little ones to memorize so they can “read” along. Author Jo Linsdell adds enough action to the simple text for children to play along with the kangaroos, monkeys, and zebras.

I especially like the simple illustrations. Young children like to copy pictures as they learn to draw. Ms. Linsdell’s pictures, with the circles, ovals, and other shapes, can be copied easily with crayons, even by an adult.

Three of us sat on the couch, a five-year-old, a six-year-old, and me. Each of us took turns reading a page. Our five-year-old grandson is just learning simple phonics, but there are enough pages with one sentence that he was able to join the round robin reading with little difficulty. Our six-year-old granddaughter read the text with ease. Although she was thrown a little by British spelling, it didn’t detract from the fun.

After reading the book, the children did go off and draw pictures based on those in the book. They wrote their own sentences to go with the picture. To add to the fun, we downloaded some puzzles and pictures from Ms. Linsdell’s website. Once all the drawing, writing, and coloring was finished, the pages were stapled together to create their own book.

Ms. Linsdell may not have intended for this little rhyming book to be so educational. But with a little encouragement and a lot of youngster imagination, children end up learning more than just the words.

I recommend this to parents of preschoolers and homeschoolers with beginning readers. Out and About at the Zoo
will provide great fun, learning moments, and memories.

I’m usually leery of books that claim to encourage imaginative play. Too often exact steps are given as to what should be imagined and how the play should be undertaken.

made to play! isn’t a book about play; it’s about toys. Toys can be the spark needed for imaginative play. Mr. Henriques has taken simple objects and turned them into playthings. More importantly, he has given the adults reading the book permission to not follow step-by-step instructions.

While Henriques has included clear instructions for making the various toys, he has not given every detail. He doesn’t just encourage using your own imagination, or your child’s, to draw, cut, or build. He also adds “or whatever you want to use.”

While young children can make many of the toys, adult supervision is still required. When allowing your child to dive into toy making, don’t get stuck on a specific step. The free flowing form of the instruction allows for creativity and experimentation. Sometimes Henriques suggests different ways to make the toys, such as using different material.

There aren’t instructions on how to play with these toys. Again, the author is truly encouraging imaginative play. Several of the toys are also small enough to fit into a mint can or other box for easy toting around. Waiting for a meal in a restaurant? Pull out the portable zoo or box full of trucks.

Color photos of each toy and full-size templates for the designs are included. In addition to written instructions, each step of creating is also drawn in simple pictures. These picture steps help young non-readers make their own toy.

Henriques’ creations have been inspired and tested by his own children as well as nieces and nephews.  Rather than inventions from an adult, these toys and how-tos really have children in mind.

Joel Henriques has created a winner. Order the book now and be among the first to have fun along side your child or grandchild. Please leave the nagging adult behind.

For more creative toys and imaginative play ideas, go to Joel Henriques’ website made by Joel!

Preview inside the book 

Made to Play!: Handmade Toys and Crafts for Growing Imaginations

Joel Henriques
Trumpeter
$18.00
ISBN: 978-1590309124

(Some links in this post are affiliate links.)

I was surprised at the number of back-to-school comments, or not-back-to-school in the case of homeschoolers, I saw on Facebook this morning. It’s mid-August. Why so early?

Not only are school-aged children heading to the school building, but so are many three- and four-year-olds. Some of these little boys and girls are barely potty trained and they are being sent away from the comfort of home. Why so early?