3 year old and magazines

[MrsFreedy]

I was in our subpost office the other day which is inside the local Co-op with my 3.5yr old dd & ds and along the isle where you queue for the PO are the magazines and at the bottom are all the kids mags. As we were queuing dd started to look through them and said that she wanted a particular one which was sparkly and cost a fortune I said no and ignored her. (ds as usual was in buggy) I finally got to the post office counter did what I had to do, asked her to put the mag back as we were going. She then threw a tantrum (dd is v v loud) I know that this is a marketing ploy by the Co-op to get people to buy the mags. Has anyone else come across and what did they do

Children's magazines are at the bottom because that's where they can reach them. Put them higher up and they can't.

Of course it's marketing - it is because people who have shops want to sell things.

My DD is 4yrs and is allowed to have one magazine a week. Nanny might buy her one as well but that is it. She doesn't actually read them and it used to drive me mad as it was a complete waste of money. However they all contain work books in the middle with numbers, letters and activities. I now use these each night (she calls it bookwork) to improve her letters. At least this way I feel we get some value out of them. To be fair to DD she does like the gifts and still has quite a few which she plays with. I agree definitely a marketing ploy putting them on the bottom shelf.

Tell child no & ignore tantrum.
Sainsbury's/Asda etc all have beer where I can reach them............

Sorry - I know it's a blimmin pain - DS is the same. We have to use distraction techniques, threats to take reward stickers off him etc.

It is a marketing technique like when they used to put sweets by the check out. Nothing illegal in it, just wearisome

magazines are a load of shiote

mien are allowed them as special treat only (at almost £3 a pop you may as well buy a book tbh)

pmsl at people in shops wanting to sell things!
It is annoying though, same as sweeties at the counter.

I have no useful suggestions, so may I suggest the following instead.

1. Blindfold your dc(s) when in shops
2. Leave your kids outside the shop, tied to a lamppost like a dog
3. DOn't shop - it only encourages then to sell more stuff.

I'm sorry, but children's magazines in no way equate to sweets. Have you actually looked at the content? Most of them have good educational content and, used properly, can provide hours of entertainment and enjoyment for your child.

yes there is nothing BAD about magazines

but they are full of advertising and are v v expensive

and if my dds are anything to go by they dont get much out of them until they are old enough to read the 'proper' ones - ie dd1 is glued to Pony Magazine as we speak but she reasds it cover to cover

There is very little (if any) advertising in the BBC ones.

(At this point I should admit my vested interest as I do a lot of market research for the BBC and their magazines!)

sorry I'd rather buy a book

or a colouring book

I am not sure there is anything 'bad' about magazines!

My DS (2) gets 1 or 2 a month (mainly Thomas ones) as he loves sitting there 'reading' them plus we sit and read the stories together - we can make 1 magazine last quite a few weeks tbh. Seems pretty much the same as a book to me and it encourages him to get into the habit of reading etc - not a bad thing at all.

Have to agree with Nickytwotimes - fancy people in shops wanting to sell stuff to you!!

Same as with anything you don't want them to have - say no and ignore the whining/tantrumming.

Unfortunatley I have to go to the post office on a regular basis for work. I do agree there is nothing bad about them they are just so expensive for what they are. Both kids have enough reading, colouring and sticker books that they enjoy. Once they are old enough to appreciate magazines I can use them as bribery instead of sweets and then it will cost me. Nickytwotimes what does PSML stand for

pmsl = piss myself laughing

DS only has them if we go on a long train journey. It helps make the journey pass as it's a real treat. He doesn't bother to ask when he sees them at other times as he knows there's no point. They are daftly expensive though.

ds often picks which one he wants based on the crappy plastic freebie attached to the front. Nothing wrong with them imo but shops do of course put them where children can see them. If you don't want to buy them either (1) don't take the children in with you or (2) use the same tactics as you would for anything else you say no to ie it will make no difference if you have a tantrum so don't bother.

MrsFreddy just say "no" and stick with that. She'll soon learn to accpet that and not throw such big tantrums.

You're teaching her a valuable life long lesson. We all see things we want but can't have. Get her used to it now.

I always tell my DS he has a right to ask for anytihng he wants, but I have a right to say "no" and he has o accept that. Which, at 5, he usually does.

Saying no to her and her having a tantrum is not the issue. What actually pisses me off is that the marketing people are targeting kids this young who we parents are still trying to make them understand the basics.