Has anybody managed a whole family trip to Ikea that hasn't ended with you and dp wanting to dump the dc outside the Smaland gate whilst you drive home-fast!!!!!!!

[MilaMae]

OMG Ikea trip from hell today-dp is threatening never to go back. I foolishly thought now the dtwin's are 5 and dd is 4 Ikea would be doable with kids errrrr no way,ever again ever

What on earth do they feed them in Smaland they went in fairly ok come out a total bloody nightmare,as if they'd spent the whole measly 45minutes drinking a case of Redbull-each!!!!!

We're talking running round the bedding dep manically laughing,refusing to do as they were told. All this whilst chanting no actually screeching "we love Ikea".

I couldn't make any decisions,dp was worse than useless,totally zoned out as if he was on another planet(wishful thinking).

Oh and the best bit is they didn't have what we wanted so we'll have to go back!!!!!!!

Please tell me others have had similar experiences, today was not our finest parenting day

Once or twice, but it inevitably involvesd heavy hotdog/daim bar/meatball & chips bribery tactics!

i normally want to dump DH because he gets so grotty with the crowds; the long queues and the funny names. DS is normally happy if we go the soft toy bit and gets to bounce of the beds.

It is a nightmare though.

IKEA IS THE WORK OF THE DEVIL!!!

I swear to God, Ikea has nearly caused the end of my marriage.

We foolishly had the meatballs and chips first,forgot the hotdog stand and bribary,that's how fuddled my brain got.

Go on your own at 10pm. Works for me Ikea is a living hell at the best of times. I'd rather give my DD to Lucifer to babysit while I go there rather than take her, and she's only weeny.

we've got one opening soon and DS2 has been told (and he believes it ) that children aren't allowed in Ikea.

I will go when they are at school or in bed

we have never made it to the till with us speaking to each other.

i went last week on my own and found it a strangely enjoyable experience (smiling at all the bawling kids and slapped arsed faced men) I even started humming to myself at one point

never never go to ikea on a weekend or bank holiday, unless you want a divorce and are too scared to ask!

Last time I went I was heavily pregnant with my first and it nearly ended in divorce cos we couldn't even find the flipping place - pregnancy addled brain led to wrong motorway exit

Last time dh and I went we left most of the children with friends. This helped but we still had a bit of a spat in the lighting department. Nothing too impressive though - driving home dh said he felt cheated because we hadn't had our tradiotional row....

I am a bit ashamed to admit this, but we went to ikea for lunch on dd1's birthday . (We were on the way to the zoo, rather than having a whole day out at Ikea, which would be a bizarre birthday treat!)

We have always had pretty good trips to Ikea, the food is great (and cheap) for kids and dd's love playing in the pretend rooms. The only downside is that we go in for a lampshade, and come out with a new set of bedding, 6 lampshades, a ton of cutlery, some material which won't go with anything in our house, a wonky stuffed toy that dd2 has fallen in love with and a skydda mjuk(or similar)

Oooh those soft toys - we've got two rats, a panda and a four foot long dragon........

we have a routine if we have to go at the weekend, adopted when we were buying our kitchen and had to keep going as the kitchen planning software is pc based and we only have macs. as it's over an hours drive, we usually leave at about 3.30 on a saturday, get to ikea for about 4.45, book dc's into the play bit from 5, then have 45 mins to go round the showroom on our own, pick dc's up at 5.45 and go to cafe for tea. then go round rest of shop and get what we need from warehouse. dh goes and pays while i go with dc's to car and get them both in their pj's, load car up, and go home, dc's fall asleep on the way, easy peasy!

what you need to do is go through the catalogue beforehand and make a specific list of what you want, then check online to see if it's in stock.

IKEA is hell on earth.

Would rather poke my eyes out with sharp sticks.

Dh and I were talking about this earlier - do people actually go there for a fun day out.

AH yes.
It is in fact the law that all trips to Ikea test the boundaries of any marriage.

ALSO every argument is abotu this...
SIZE

Men WANT BIG and woman don't.
then you come out and its dark. ANd you think I HAVE WASTED DAYLIGHT IN THERE

we don't do family trips to ikea, I make a list of what I we need and DH goes at night when no one else is there, its so much easier that way

Agree with LucyKate - plan your trip & stick to your list.

I always find a trip to Ikea is a bit like childbirth...

It starts off all exciting yet manageable

But by the checkout you're screaming for a caesarian

And you're walking to the carpark swearing "NEVER again"

Only 6m later...

Oooh good comparison - there is always a bit about half way through the market place when you feel that you just can't do it, you'll never make it and you're just going to die. Your other half on the other hand just remains foolishly optimistic and says come on just one more push and we'll be in the swedish shop!

I personally tend to 'lose it' (transition?) in the lighting dept

It's quite amusing listening to the other couples rowing isn't it. Like when you're labouring and the woman next door is making an unholy row and you're all smug and 'coping well'.

Of course soon enough it's you with a tape measure in one hand and a wooden bowl in the other, a dh who's gone to aisle ten for Lars Levik, two dd's who want to buy everything pink and one dd who wants to eat everything pink.....

love this thread

nominated nancy and nnb for quote of the week