Do you ever feel apprehensive to go into public with your kids?  Are you nervous they’re going to misbehave at the store or during a play date?  I have been there.  That’s why we’re talking to Child & Family Studies major AND mom of six, Laura Tesch today. 

Laura has had a lot of experience being in public with misbehaving kids.  She’s also learned a lot over the years.  Here are her favorite tips and tricks!

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Laura Tesch

Parent the same no matter where you are

I know that this is one of the most difficult things to do. When you’re in public and your child starts throwing a tantrum your gut reaction can be…

“Oh my goodness! Please no tantrum today, please.  I’ll give you whatever you want if you’ll just stop screaming!”

I've been there thousands of times.  However, it’s important to show your child that you're going to parent the same no matter where you are.

Embrace the Embarrassment

One of the biggest struggles that parents have in feeling embarrassed if their child's throwing a fit.  This embarrassment may cause a parent to give into a fit. Just know that you are going to be embarrassed and it's OK, but you have to be consistent.

You have to let them tantrum sometimes.  It’s more important to be consistent than to not be embarrassed. Everyone should know that a child tantrums from time to time. That doesn't mean you're a bad parent. That's just how your child is trying to show what they want. That's how they can talk to you. That's how they react.

Make a Plan BEFORE You Leave the House

Before you ever go into public, plan and prepare. There’s some questions you can ask yourself to make things easier.  Here’s just a few:

Is my child hungry?

Is my child tired?

Is this really the best time to go out?

When would be a time we could go that would work best for my child?

Do I have snacks or activities for my child?

Have I taught my child what the rules and expectations are for the place we are going?

Have I been clear with my child about what consequences will occur if they choose to break a rule?

Use Some Creativity to Make the Outing Fun

You can make outings fun. You can make them a game.

My sister, has a little rope that she clips on to her cart. The rule is that everyone has to hold onto the rope. Whoever holds on the longest, will get a surprise when they get back to the car.

I'm at the stage where I have teenagers, so I'm teaching them how to buy different things.  We’ll have a “find the best price” game. I actually wish I would have started this game when my kids were younger.

Some other ideas:

Get your kids to help you pick produce

Give your kids coins to sort or count

Bring activities for them

My husband worked full time. I had to go into public with six kids.  I had to come up with fun ways to get them to behave while we were out.  It took some work, but it paid off in the end.

Be Clear With Your Kids About Rules And Consequences

I touched on this a little in the “Plan Before You Leave” section, but it’s important enough that I wanted to go into more detail.

We sometimes make the assumption that our kids are clear on what behavior is or isn’t OK when we’re in public.  We need to assume they DON’T know and take some time to get really clear with them.

Have a little meeting to discuss how you feel about going into public with them.  Have them help make rules for behavior when you’re in public.  Let them know what the consequence will be for breaking the rules.  Then role play.  Make believe that you’re in public.  You be the kid and they be the parent.