What do you do with a 9 year old at Bluewater?

[tigermoth]

The creche come children's club at Bluewater shopping centre has amended their intake age. Now 8 years old is the oldest they take. Previously the junior club used to take children up to 12 years old. This was a godsend for me - a working mum, only able to shop at weekends, I could put both the toddler and the older boy in the club for a couple of hours while I whizzed around the shops. I will not have a problem this year since I am a SHAM so can shop during school hours and my son is only 8. But what about those poor parents who have children aged 9 and over, work full time, go to the shops at weekends and have christmas shopping to think about?

Now I do leave my son for the odd half hour alone in the cinema at Bleuwater if he's into the film and I am not. But I can't imagine leaving him alone for a couple of hours in a years time. Or letting him wander around Bluewater with five pounds in his pocket to buy snacks with instructions to meet me somewhere in two hours time.

Just wondered what the Bluewater management are thinking about here.

not a SHAM, a SAHM! I hope!

Just lie about his age - no one will know. Except when DS says, loudly "No mummy, I'm nine!"

It does seem a bit silly. I guess they assume that the "other parent" will be looking after the child.

Use them as a look out for shoplifting?

That was a joke.

Get them to do the shoplifting while you lookout? (another joke..!)

Get him to carry the shopping !! What other use could he possibly have ?

My solution to the shopping dilemma is to do late night shopping after DS has gone to bed (ie leaving him with DH not alone...). Had my first bout last night and it was a nightmare. Didn't get home until 7 pm due to M1 being closed. Got changed, warmed up and ate stew (DH and DS had already eaten), bathed and put DS to bed and set off back down the motorway through the sleet. I then had 1.5 hours shopping before 10 pm and got home knackered at 10.30 pm.

And the only thing I bought for Christmas was a shirt for DS (like at 22 months he'll really appreciate that). I bought several other items for presents between now and Christmas though - but only chocolate for myself. Ahh! Can I have the sympathy vote now please?

Bozza
Yes you deserve a vote of sympathy, you poor thing, its so difficult isn't it. I've got no chance with my three, especially as they want everything, so I end up spending twice as much.

Yu have my sympathy too! I do all my shopping on the internet now. It's not the same as real shopping though is it?

Tigermoth, could you organise a Friday night sleepover for him and sneak off up there? R

Bozza, sympathies, I know all about those evening shopping raids, driving up and down the same stretch of motorway, from work, to home, to shops and you had the sleet to contend with too - poor thing!

Yes, I think I will resort to lying about my sons age next year if weekend shopping at bluewater can't be avoided. He's much too open to make a good thief, and too easily distracted to use as a lookout.

not knowing what bluewater was, in answer to the question was tempted to say dunk him
i take it that its a shopping mall then!

Oh I feel a bit guilty now. It wasn't really that bad. And the sympathy vote bit was rather tongue in cheek - didn't really expect to get one... But thanks anyway.