Rant Alert : Chocolate And Candy At The Store Checkout!

Okay so rant alert!

My daughter has just reached the age (2.5 years) where she now understands the concept of "I want it". This has made shopping with her increasingly difficult and frustrating. It's really not so much that she wants everything she sees but when she does see something she wants she will kick, fuss and scream until I either give in or we leave the store. We have all had this problem at some point and thankfully most people that are out shopping understand that it's not really your fault that your child is causing a scene but it can still be embarrassing and frustrating.

The problem is really how the stores are laid out. Candy and chocolate are at kid eye level not the parents eye level. It's all wrapped up in pretty princess packaging and bright colors which of course makes the child want it even more. I can get through most of the store without a hitch but when we reach the cash...that's when the nuclear explosion starts.

Every store I go to has chocolate and candy at the checkout...and not on the counter or behind the counter, it's under the counter right in the face of each and every child that walks through the cash. I know what they are thinking, "Let's put the junk where the child can see it and that will make the parent buy it and we'll make more money!". This is so frustrating because I am trying to teach my daughter that she can't always have everything she wants when we are shopping. I of course buy her a treat from time to time but that doesn't deter the lay on the floor of the store, kicking her feet tantrum when I do say no.

It has been especially bad lately with Easter just past. Now all the chocolate is on sale and it's everywhere! I had to stop taking my daughter to the store with me because her tantrums were just getting ridiculous. This is really not the course of action I wanted to take because she really does love to go shopping with me but I am at a loss of what to do to stop the tantrums and the temptation right in front of her is just too much for the poor little thing. When I figure out the solution to this problem I will write a post and let you all know but for now I guess I will just have to deal with it.

Why I Chose To Be A Stay-At-Home Mom

I have been a stay-at-home Mom for 2.5 years now and with another new baby on the way I will be home for a few more years yet before both kids are in school for the day. When my first daughter was born I was working sales at a clothing store in the mall. I took my parental leave not sure at the time if I was going to return to work or not. I loved my job and the people I worked with so leaving was a hard decision for me.

Don't get me wrong, I am not saying that it is a bad thing to choose to go back to work while your kids are young. It really is a personal choice. What's best for one person may not be best for another and I had my own personal reasons for wanting to stay home with her.

Putting my daughter in daycare was not something that interested me. I'm sure the ladies there were wonderful people but I was worried about my daughter learning her morals and values during her most critical years from someone other than me and my husband. So came the decision to stay at home with her.

My husband works on a ship and so he is gone for 30 days and then home for 30 days, so when he is home life is great and I can relax. Having both parents at home 24 hours makes life with kids seem like a piece of pie, but then there are those 30 days where I am basically a single Mom which are more like cutting hard toffee with a butter knife.

One of the many pros of being at home with my daughter is that I have spent everyday of her life with her. I've watched her every little success and failure. The first time she crawled I was there, the first time she walked, the first time she spoke a word, the first time she fell...you get the idea. These are key moments in her life that I might have missed had I been working outside of the home.

It's a busy job to be a stay-at-home Mom. There is housework, yard work, shopping, cooking meals, making sure bills are paid and everyone has what they need and of course taking care of those beautiful little children. It's a full day and I can't say I get anymore time to relax doing this than I would if I were working and I don't get paid for it but I do get to spend more time with my daughter, which is reward enough for me.

Don't get me wrong, I am not saying that it is a bad thing to choose to go back to work while your kids are young. It really is a personal choice. What's best for one person may not be best for another.