Do you often go thrift shopping with kids in tow? These are some great tips, if so!
{Looking for more practical advice on thrift store shopping? Read this post for some great thrifting tips!}
Guest post from Trina of TrinaHolden.com
It’s that time of year again — time to take stock of our closets and plan a shopping trip to bring our family’s wardrobes into the the cooler months. The best place to do this is frugally is at the thrift store!
But what to do with the kids?
Take them along! I’ll be the first to admit that thrifting with kids is not a walk in the park. But as a homeschooling mom of a 2, 4, and 6-year-old, I’ve had to embrace the challenge of bringing my kids with me on our shopping trips.
If you find yourself in a similar place, with the desire to clothe your family frugally, here are my tips for thrifting with kids in tow:
1. Bring Provisions
The quest to find a good deal can feel as epic as Lewis and Clarke looking for the Pacific ocean. Go ahead and carry the theme by putting ample thought into provisions for your journey. My kids enjoy the thrift store the most when they’re munching dried fruit, each from their own little plastic baggy.
Any kind of snack that won’t end up staining the clothes you’re trying to buy works great for happy distraction on the journey. Think cheese sticks, raisins, crackers, and nuts. Also, water bottles and sippy cups. And don’t forget wipers for little hands that might have been crawling around under the clothing racks just before being handed a snack.
If snack time isn’t a normal part of your daily routine — all the better! It will be one more highlight in their day, causing them to ask you when they get to go thrift shopping again!
2. Narrow Your Focus
It’s tempting to look at a giant thrift store as a one-stop-shop for all your wardrobe and houseware needs, because that’s often what it offers: from curtains to furniture, shoes to pots and pans, you can find it all!
But that doesn’t mean you should.
For the sake of you and your kid’s endurance, you will probably need to narrow the focus of your trip to one section of the store, or even one child’s clothing needs at a time. If this means you have to go back weekly until you’ve covered all the bases, that’s better than a 3-hour marathon, and dreading the idea of ever going thrifting again.
3. Pack Your Patience
More important than coupons, an organized list, or well-packed diaper bag, you will need your patience, mamma. Don’t head out unprepared for the fact you will have plenty of opportunities to grow in patience and unconditional love for your children. That’s why, in my list of thrifting tips in my book, I encourage you to “Pray — out loud!” as you embark.
Just as any challenge in parenting, God will use this to work beauty in you, if you let it. Keep in mind that our ultimate goal has nothing to do with a few cheap outfits, and everything to do with hearts — ours and our children’s.
4. Remember That It’s Not a Talent Show
One of the most challenging aspects of taking our kids with us to the thrift store, or any public place, is that people see when they misbehave. But seriously, mamma — is this such a terrible thing? Is the goal of your visit to the thrift store to have the best behaved children in sight? If it is, you’re putting way too big a burden on yourself.
On my last thrifting trip, I lost track of the amount of times I had to remind my 6 and 4-year-old to stay in the same aisle with me. If I had added shame at their poor behavior to the challenges I was facing on that particular day, it would have been a horrific experience indeed. Instead, I prayed for patience, hoping that if anyone was watching (and they weren’t, really), they might be impacted by a mother’s gentle demeanor under duress, not simply impressed by children so perfectly behaved they appeared to be drugged.
When we got home, it was definitely time to have a little talk about how we should obey mommy when we’re out and about, but that afternoon at the thrift store, I just had to let my pride go and embrace the fact that kids will be kids. The practically-new Bravado Nursing Bra I scored for $1.50 was totally worth any embarrassment I might have suffered at the hands of my babies. 😉
This post is an excerpt from Trina’s book, “Embracing Beauty: Practical Style for Every Shape and Season of Motherhood”, available in all electronic formats and paperback. Check it out for more tips on thrifting, defining your personal style, and finding beauty in the busy season of motherhood.
Trina is a homeschooling mom of 3 who regularly schedules field trips to the thrift store to clothe her family frugally. You can find her wearing purple most days, jotting down words that beg to be written in between cooking, cleaning and laughter-filled phone conversations with friends. She blogs about true beauty, deep community, and real food at TrinaHolden.com.
I haven’t been visiting the thrift store much lately, but I need to. And these are timely reminders! Thank you, friend. Love you and your book. 🙂
Great tips. I’ll share with my followers at Goodwill of Western MO & Eastern KS. Goodwill is all about thrift shopping and 90 cents of every dollar goes toward helping people of all abilities find work!
My 6 year old has ADHD and what works for us is that if we go to the thrift store, we keep it short. He can’t handle long periods of time at any store. I rarely go thrifting for things for the kids anymore because the thrift stores in So Cal are expensive and I can find clearance clothes at Target or Kohls for just as inexpensive especially at Kohls with clearance and coupons. If we do go to Target or Kohls, I always tell him that after we look at clothes, or whatever, we can go look at the toys. He knows that means he doesn’t get a toy but he enjoys looking. We still have some melt downs but I know how long he can handle.
It helps to make your first stop at the children’s books and either let them pick out one to buy (with your guidance, of course) or let them just read a few while you shop and then return them to the shelf.
I trained mine to read a book quietly while I shopped – their reward for doing a good job was two-fold: (A) I went faster! (and I did!) and (B) I bought them a book. 🙂 $.50 or less x 3 = $1.50 babysitting “fee” + new books 🙂
We’d go pick out 2 books each kid, I’d put them in a place I could see them where I strategically shopped the 2-3 rows I needed to, they’d trade amongst themselves when they were done, and at the end I’d take them back to the book section and let them choose a “keeper.”
Worked like a charm for YEARS.
Love this, Kate! Using your thrift shop stop to cultivate a love for books! Thanks for the tip!
I would not be embarrassed if my kids misbehaved as long as they do not damage anything in the store. I was recently at a thrift store and a special needs child that was shopping with his mom was hollering or barking and it seemed as if it was not controllable. It really was not that loud and didn’t bother me at all. There was a group of other customers complaining loudly within the mom’s eyesight that the child needs to be silenced and that the mother was doing nothing. I hope I never become like that group.
That’s horrible. I have a special needs child (who on the outside looks “normal”) and the stares and reprimands I get at stores are disgisting. 🙁
I think someone mentioned this too, but I have found that a “new” toy from the toy section helps with the distractions of shopping as well. The kids (even the 1 year old) knows that when it is time to check out the toys get put back. They love shopping to play with the toys!
so true! we are big thrift store shoppers, but I know if the kids are with me I won’t find things for my shop (I sell vintage things) I usually bring them if we are looking for something specific like soccer shoes 🙂
While I have taken my kids thrifting, I find it so much easier to go when my husband is home. I went today, in fact, since my husband had the day off and it was $.75 color tag day. The store I usually shop at has narrow and crowded aisles and sometimes runs out of carts on sale day. That’s not going to work with my 25# 8 month old baby, my 45 pound 3 year old and my Houdini of a 6 year old with me!
So on holidays like this, I get up early, ask my husband if he needs anything, I take my list and I go. I combine it with other errands if I can. I can actually cover the whole store in an hour or less if I go by myself! And it doesn’t matter if they run out of carts.
Today I scored three pairs of gloves for my six year old, who lost one each of three different pairs last school year. So at $.30 to $.45 per pair at the thrift store, I don’t mind as much as I would if they were $5 a pair (one was NWT from Old Navy, in her favorite color too!). I got my son a lined and hooded winter coat and two Gymboree collared shirts for $.75 each. I got a skort for my baby for $.45, a top for me for $.75, a 2-piece Gymboree jogging suit for my baby in the next size up (she’s in size 24 months and she’s only 8 months old. This jogging suit will fit her in the winter), and a card game for my kids for $.60. I spent $7.22 with tax. I had the time to inspect everything carefully also.
You so totally rocked the thrift store today, Mamma! Congrats! 😉
Great tips! I also like to go first to the toy section and let my 3-year-old pick out one small thing (a dollar or less) and then he carries it through the store and “takes care of it” and plays with it. Then it comes home with us. Granted, this wouldn’t be very frugal except for the fact that I only make it to the thrift store once every couple of months.
One note about the snacks – as the parent of a child with food allergies, I ask you to consider NOT giving your children nuts while in a clothing or thrift store. Snacks will inevitably fall on the floor where other children can find them. It’s always a bit panic-inducing to find my son’s allergens in an environment where I didn’t expect to see them. I’m always prepared with meds as the parents of food-allergic children must be, but it’s nice to not have an allergic reaction in the first place.
Erin, you make a great point, and I REALLY appreciate you bringing this up. My kids don’t have allergies, but my nephew is deathly allergic to nuts, so I know to be careful at family reunions, but I didn’t even THINK about this danger at the thrift store. We will be more careful in future!
Erin – I’m also the parent of a child with food allergies so I share your concerns. Finding food in unexpected places is unnerving. I was planning on adding the same comment. Many stores like this have No Food signs posted to prevent damage to their merchandise anyway.
The thrift store can be challenging with kids in tow! My kids are big enough to watch the toddler while I browse (as quickly as humanly possible LOL). I would add this tip: make a list of what you want including sizes! I am forever forgetting who needs what size shoes or pants or who needs a new belt. If I have a short list of what items I want, it helps me stay on track.
Sarah–yes, yes! A list. With sizes. Because sometimes I have ‘mommy brain’ and can’t remember what’s what! 😉
Ha! I wrote about thrifting today on my blog too. 😉 My favorite thrift store had a half price sale this weekend. Score.
I second tip #2. It’s so easy to get overwhelmed in a thrift store and even spend too much. I always go in with a list.
Thanks for the great tips! I think these work great for any store. I was at Target last week with my 3 kids (4, 2 1/2, and 7 months) looking at bathroom accessories (shower curtains, waste basket, bath mat). I try not to take them all shopping together, but sometimes it’s necessary. I also find keeping a good sense of humor, and giving them special jobs helps. For example, my oldest child can help carry the bags, or move items from the cart to the conveyor belt. After we were done shopping at Target, I used my Starbucks gift card at the in-store Starbucks to buy us all (except the baby) a pink cake pop and a cup of water. We don’t eat out often so the kids think sitting and eating in Starbucks is really a special treat!
Jessica, I love your intentionality with your shopping trips! Humor and giving responsibility are GREAT tips. Thanks!
Kids do need to learn how to behave appropriately in public. It’s not a skill they’re born with. As with plenty of other things in life, they learn with effective coaching and practice. I understand being embarrased when your kids misbehave (been there!), but I think most fellow parents would sympathize rather than judge.
I hope you don’t really think that well-behaved children appear drugged.
I’m not sure if this post was intended to address parenting technique or bargain shopping — the tips suggested could apply to shopping anywhere. As for bargains, I’ve outfitted both my daughter and myself quite well this fall with clearance rack finds. You can get brand new, name-brand clothing in stores without spending more than you would at thrift stores. I’m not being critical of those who enjoy shopping at thrift stores — if you like it, go for it — but I’m just saying it’s possible to get just as good of deals in stores.
You do sound judgmental. Of course she doesn’t believe well-behaved children are drugged…..it’s a writing technique. And, this is her experience regarding thrift store shopping. I find second hand shopping, especially yard sales, to be much cheaper than even store clearance. To each her own.