IKEA is not a 'nice day out' for the vast majority of children!

[Blu]

I know sometimes it can't be helped, but why do not parents do all they can to leave their child with a friend or relative when they go to IKEA? Or look in the catalogue before you go, and then one parent go to the store?

I was there yesterday and it was a writhing mass of misery - hot howling babies in car seats, toddlers beside themselves strapped in buggies, refusing to get into buggies or being dragged round on their feet exhausted and howling. Or having prolonged tantrums on the floor. Older children bored and listless and miserable, or entertaining themselves in ways that irritated (oe even endangered) other shoppers leading to furious parents.

And WHY do couples have to stay with each other at all costs? If you are in a huge queue and your toddler or baby is howling in misery, why do you have to stand joined at the hip with your partner? One of you take the baby out, feed it, let it rest or whatever, until you are through the checkout!

IKEA on a Sunday is a form of cruelty to grown adults, never mind small children.

I was quite upset by it all.

Thank you for letting me get that off my chest!

DD likes it! She loves looking at all the different rooms and going to the cafe. Even ds isn't too bad there actually, as long as he isn't confined to the buggy the whole time he's fine.

We don't really hang around though, we look in the catalogue first then just go to see how good it really is so we don't spend hours looking at all the different wardrobes or whatever, just look at the one we'd been considering and buy it (or not).

And if ds was howling there is no way I'd stand in the queue-either dh or I would take him off and sort him out.

Have to say, the Dime cake is really good.
But I think you can get it elsewhere - thank goodness!

No shopping is a nice day out. Shopping is a necessary evil and IKEA is hell on earth. I avoid at all costs.