Featured Image Credit: Instagram / @drivingdevelopment
Topics: Hacks, Parenting, Social media
Jess Hardiman
Topics: Hacks, Parenting, Social media
A mum has shared an ingenious hack to stop kids throwing a tantrum when they want a new toy while out shopping.
Shopping with children can be a NIGHTMARE. Whether you’re out looking for some new school shoes or just doing the weekly shop, many little’uns are hell-bent on making it a truly painful experience.
If they’re not running around knocking things over, they’re grabbing everything from the shelves and demanding everything from cereal to roller blades.
But one woman thinks she’s got the perfect solution, and it’s surprisingly simple.
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Instagrammer @drivingdevelopment originally posted about it in her Stories, and said she had ‘never had’ so many people share one of her videos.
“Reasoning with a toddler is tough but this is one way I’ve gotten past this situation without hurting feelings or lying,” she wrote in a follow-up Reel.
“Did you know this hack? Making this ‘Story’ I shared a more permanent post on the feed so you can share it with someone who needs it without the time constraints.”
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In the video, she explained: “Honestly, I thought this was a hack that everyone knew. But I am going to let you in on a little secret.
"If you're in the grocery store and your kiddo really wants a toy, go ahead and have them take a picture with it.
“And I will tell them that I am taking the picture so I can send it to Grandma, Papa, Santa, so we know what they want for their birthday, Christmas, whatever it is.”
The Instagrammer went on: “You’re not telling them that they’re going to get it. You’re telling them it’s going to go on their wish list.
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“So it’s not giving them false hope. They don’t have to get it in that moment.
“But then also - mom hack - you remember a toy that they want for when it does come time for their birthday.”
Many parents loved the idea, with some even saying they already swear by it.
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One wrote: “This works every time!!! I’ve have been doing it for the past year or two. I have an album called ‘Olive Santa,’ and it’s so funny to look back on what she wanted… she has things from lucky charms to boxers.”
Another joked: “It's like a new version of circling items in the Sears Christmas catalogue.”
A third wrote: "Brilliant! That’s what I do when I see something I like but don’t have the money or want to see if I can find it somewhere else. It’s a life hack that kids can take forward with them too."
And some parents reckon it’s not just a trick for little kids, either.
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Another added: “We used to do this with my son and now that he’s about to be twelve we let him create a list on Amazon for himself to add ANYTHING he wants (within reason) and if / when he earns it we allow him to pick one thing from his list.”