wondering what all these families do in town centres all the time?

[LadyMilfordHaven]

( well not ALL the time but more often than not)

yup - occasionally you all need to go in for something or you are on your way back from somewhere/on holiday mooching.

but IME the best shopping ( for say school stuff) is one parent BOLTS in ninja style and is in and out.

TOday there are endless family groups with tired hot whingey kids ( understandably).... is this fun?

funnily enough i dont have any one to leave my two kids with.. so yes.. where ever i go they go to..funny that.

oh and id rarther not spend on delivery fees if i dont have to.

My DP does our shopping, and I can drive! :)

I tagged along last time DH went to get his hair cut in town, about 3 weeks ago, with both children just because I wanted a change of scenery, thought I could bum about with them for 40 minutes then get coffee somewhere nice and head to the park.

Why? what got into me? Our town centre is full of nothing. No good shops, nowhere for the children apart from the library which is no fun on a scorching hot day, lots of desperate-looking women with desperate-looking children tagging along behind or dragging their feet in inadequate pushchairs. Nobody looked happy. Its very depressing. I vowed never to go again without having something particular to do.

Ooh, I have a FULL HOUSE!

DH and I often go shopping together because we both like shopping. Fancy that! The children come too because, well we can't leave them on their own, can we? Silly billy!

And I don't drive (aren't I annoying and stupid?!) so we've been food shopping together because supermarkets don't deliver to our house yet, so can't do online.

I think the list of reasons why the kids might be with the parents is probably longer than the list of reasons why not...

we buy the daily mail to get free lego (no obligation to read it), then go for a coffee and cake, pop to game and exchange a few games for new ones, go to the library, have a look at whatever is going on in town (food festival, dancing, sports, music), get a sausage roll, go to asda to spend a quid so we get free parking, go home.

its ok, kids like it

Sometimes it's nice to have the input of the other grown up in the house when it comes to the food shop.

This will be us on Saturday [glum]

Need to visit the uniform shop, we did the Great Handmedown Trouser Tryon and nope, biggun too tall, little un too stout. Grrrr.

There's lots going on in our town centre. I have nobody to leave the kids with. If we need something we all go and the boys like it. Recreational shopping is fun. There's a library, cafes, toy shops, a market. Some of us actually enjoy it and it is no crime.

I do however draw the line at taking them all grocery shopping. I do that online.

YABU.

I do Click and Collect now. Everyone gets to add what they want to the trolley then I go and pick it up. But nobody had to actually go into the horrible supermarket, or wait in for delivery.

Sometimes it's nice to have the input of the other grown up in the house when it comes to the food shop.

I agree but we still do it online. I just ask DH what he fancies for eat next week and then order it.

I find this in my town, even if its not the hols. I used to see the same people wandering around with their children everyday. They would be there when I was walking o work and still there wandering around seven hours later when I left work. Considering all the shops that have been closing down, all the empty spaces and the fact that it's only charity shops and pubs in the centre did make me question what the hell they did all day :o still each to their own :o

We enjoy shopping as a family on a Saturday afternoon. We have a Costa, look in the book shops, exchange old games, buy some sweets or school stuff from pound land. Can't see the problem myself.

It's cheaper for me to drive into town than catch the bus. £6 return each on the bus, £3 for 2 hours parking.

As a near town centre dweller who spends nearly every day in town with a 5 year old in tow, I often wonder what on Earth do people do outside of towns in dullsville suburbs or countryside. The quiet alone would drive me mad.

where are you supposed to leave the kids if you are going into town especially if they are school shopping I am really confused as to what you mean are people not supposed to go to town as a family get bits and pieces go for a drink or whatever

I need to take dd to town to pick up school stuff they need to try it on still confused

we had one on here once where she couldnt and her H woulnt let her do online

Mightve been me I can't drive and he hates doing online shop so we dont he goes the majority of the time on his own though

Why would you not take kids food shopping?

Kids need to learn to do the normal, boring shit too. It's part of growing up.

oh that sums it up kids need to learn the boring shit too I love that