What a Target Trip With Kids Looks Like

It has been another long day at home with the kids. The baby is teething and grumpy and the preschooler is bored. You know that if you stay in your house for another second your head is going to explode so you decide to load the kids up in the minivan and head to your happy place…Target.

You pull into the parking lot and you can’t help but smile as you see the signature Target Bulls-eye. You unload the kids and grab a sanitizing wipe to clean the cart and buckle your baby into the seat. Your preschooler begs to ride in the cart with the giant seats attached to the front (you know the ones) but you tell him that they are all “broken” and that he gets to be a big boy and walk today. You decide you would rather chase him  than try to steer one of those monster carts around the store.

Your preschooler heads to the Dollar Spot where he thinks he needs every.single.thing. You strike up a deal and let him pick out one item. A butterfly net is thrown into the cart. You make your way down the aisle and turn into the women’s clothing section. You browse the clearance racks while you feed the baby a snack. A dress for $4.99? You can’t pass that up and throw it into the cart.

You are about ready to head to the baby section when you realize you don’t know where your preschooler is. You call his name over and over starting to become frantic when all of a sudden he hops out from behind a clothing rack. You give your preschooler strict instructions to stay close as you throw a package of diapers into the cart. Your preschooler is now begging to go look at the super hero toys and you tell him that he can as soon as you get done looking at the baby clothes. The rack of baby clothes is 70% off so you grab everything in your baby’s size and add it to your cart.

You have now come to the time in the trip where you have to navigate the toy aisles. Your preschooler is so happy showing you everything that he wants to put  on his birthday list (which is still 6 months away) until you tell him it is time to go. Preschooler has melt down as you walk through the home goods section. You see a lamp for 30 % off and even though you have no idea where you would use it you put it in the cart because you just can’t pass up that deal!

By now your preschooler is whining about being hungry and your baby wants out of the cart. You speed through the rest of your shopping as you grab toothpaste and dog food and laundry detergent and add them to your ever-growing pile in your cart. Your kids are in full melt-down mode as you hit the check out lane. Thankfully you spot a shelf of wine and grab a bottle because you know you are going to need a glass later. You load the contents of your cart onto the conveyor belt while holding the baby and telling the preschooler for the 100th time that he can’t have M&M’s today.

You about fall over dead when the cashier tells you your total all while trying to add up the items in your head because you just KNOW you did not buy that much and they must have over charged you on something. You swipe your Target Debit card ( 5% off for the win!!) and load the sacks into your cart.

You are now more exhausted than you were when you first came in so you decide to treat yourself to a Starbucks coffee before you leave. You wait in line for 10 minutes with your restless kids and order a venti–non-fat-caramel- latte-no-whip-please for yourself and a pink cake pop for the preschooler so that he will finally quit talking about being hungry.

You finally get back to your car and get the kids and all the bags loaded in. You take a drink of your coffee as your start driving home and vow to yourself to never bring the kids with you again. As you pull into the driveway you remember that you forgot toilet paper…the one thing you went to Target for in the first place.

Can you relate? Tell us how YOUR trips to Target usually are!