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Why Do People Take their Small Kids on Black Friday

sastolfi

By sastolfi
in 2009

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misstaken

misstaken

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And I wanted to add, that I understand not having much money and still wanting to get things for family. If BF was an opportunity for someone to get a gift at a good price and they felt ok about taking their kids out, I feel like that is up to them.

 

I know that I don't feel like it's anyone's business how I choose to raise my kids and I would not make it my personal business how y'all raise y'alls kids. Live and let live, I think.

 

And I love the story about helping out the young mama. I was her once and would have been so grateful for someone to do the same for me.

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Illinoismom

Illinoismom

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I just had a talk about BF with my kids. DS is 8 and wanted to go but I told him that he was absolutely not old enough. He was disappointed but understands. He wants to know how old he has to be before he can go! LOL! DD is 11 now and wants to go. I'm not sure that she's ready..she has no idea how bad it can get up here. In Tx, it was much friendlier crowds because we lived in a small college town with a population under 40000 and it was no colder than 50 degrees even at 3 am (she didn't go then either but was not interested). Up here, in Milwaukee, things can get really dangerous for anyone with the huge crowds and crabby freezing shoppers. How could y'all tell when your kids were old enough?

 

If it makes any difference, she is a very small kid..about the size of a 7 year old. She's very mild and sweet which makes her an awesome kid to shop with and normally I love taking her out to the mall and lunch dates just the two of us. However, I'm wondering if she will be afraid or if I should be afraid that she will get hurt. Oh, and we would not be camping out or trying to get at TVs or anything.

 

 

 

 

What do you think?

All my kids have started going with me at 9

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Melissa

Melissa

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I would never bring an infant or toddler out to stand in lines for BF. I don't agree with people doing it even if they don't have much money and/or no one to stay home with the kids. There are other options, there are other sales beside BF, there are clearance racks.

:yup: Exactly. There will be sales every week from Black Friday until Christmas... with just as good and sometimes even better deals than on BF. There is just NO reason to drag children out into that craziness.

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harrispizza4

harrispizza4

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I just had a talk about BF with my kids. DS is 8 and wanted to go but I told him that he was absolutely not old enough. He was disappointed but understands. He wants to know how old he has to be before he can go! LOL! DD is 11 now and wants to go. I'm not sure that she's ready..she has no idea how bad it can get up here. In Tx, it was much friendlier crowds because we lived in a small college town with a population under 40000 and it was no colder than 50 degrees even at 3 am (she didn't go then either but was not interested). Up here, in Milwaukee, things can get really dangerous for anyone with the huge crowds and crabby freezing shoppers. How could y'all tell when your kids were old enough?

 

If it makes any difference, she is a very small kid..about the size of a 7 year old. She's very mild and sweet which makes her an awesome kid to shop with and normally I love taking her out to the mall and lunch dates just the two of us. However, I'm wondering if she will be afraid or if I should be afraid that she will get hurt. Oh, and we would not be camping out or trying to get at TVs or anything.

 

What do you think?

I took my dd11 for the first time last BF and she was 10. She did great even with our crazy crowds. But.......my 11yo is 5'3 and 120 pounds so I knew she could handle it with me right there. I think you will know if your dd is ready to go or not....go with your gut feeling. My dd was not afraid and I was there to make sure she didn't get hurt and we had no problems. I will not take my 8yo dd yet because she is very small also and she likes to wander off while were shopping so I know she's not ready yet! I will take dd11 this year to and she is so excited.....she was so happy to see the sears ad posted! Whatever you do have fun and stay safe!

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fluffkin79

fluffkin79

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It can be done responsibly. I have gone out pregnant, and I have taken my kids out shopping with me on BF.

 

The first time I shopped BF my oldest DD was 3 months old. The weather was relatively mild, we waited in the car until the store opened (about 10 min after I got there) and the line went in. There weren't any carts left for us, but I didn't need one because I was able to use the basket on her stroller. At 3 months, DD didn't really do much anyways so she didn't mind riding in the stoller. After I got my things and was waiting to check out I was able to take her out to hold and just inched the stroller along. We made it through 3 stores that day and she slept through half of it.

 

Last year my nieces watched my 2 older ones, but they are still pretty young themselves and I didn't want to overwhelm them so I took my DS2 along. Yes, we woke him up early at 5am, but he usually wakes up at 6:00 and it really wasn't a big deal for him. He was dressed warmly (although he did still have his jammies on, but he wasn't the only one shopping in sweats!), happy in the cart, and I had snacks and drinks in the bag for him. He was in the seat of a cart the whole time we were in stores (except Walgreens, where he held my hand), and if I did leave the cart my mom stayed with him. He was a great shopping buddy and when he got tired of the crowds we went home.

 

I do not shop BF because we otherwise wouldn't be able to afford Christmas, I do it because I find great deals and it is fun. If my kids were in upset or in danger I would not be having fun and would not be shopping. I live in less crowded city where people are pretty civil - no pushing or trampling. That said, I will not put myself or my kids in harms way for a deal. I have not camped out (with or without kids) or fought for 1 of 10 available hot items. I wait for the lines to clear out before even entering the store.

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21yankees

21yankees

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I go to the first store (Military BX) by myself. I get in line around 2 am. By the time the store opens and I'm through the line it's around 630-700 am. My dh picks me up with the kids and we head into town for the rest of our shopping. My kids this year will be 8, 5, and

4. They are all early risers (think 5 am :eek:). DH gets up with them, feeds them and makes sure they are dressed and ready to go when I call home. We live in S. CA so it's not really cold at that point in time. Also with both of us there and the initial store madness over, we've never had any issues with crowds and/or the kids behavior.

 

steph

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jade6700

jade6700

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I know that I don't feel like it's anyone's business how I choose to raise my kids and I would not make it my personal business how y'all raise y'alls kids. Live and let live, I think.

 

I don't take my kids, they stay home with their dad. But I have to agree with the quote here.

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cassgurlie04

cassgurlie04

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I use to think the same way, however a few years back there was a young woman in line infront of me with a 1 year old a few people made snarky comments about it and she could hear them ( i was nto one of them) eventually she and I got to talking and I found out she and her brother were the only living members of thier family and her Husband didnt have any family either (he was raised in foster care) And not even 6 months before her Husband had been killed (army) and then her brother had been injured and lost his leg (Marines) so she really had no one and didnt know anyone really. I felt really bad for her, I asked her what she was looking for and it was mainly just the deals ont he clothes for her little girl that she really needed. I asked her for her name and number and she gave it to me, needless to say I added a nother 2 people to my list that year and we are great friends now and her daughter stays with my kids at my home on black friday.

 

wow thats a great bf story, thanks for sharing

 

 

and in response to the post i have never personally taken my kids with me, but when my first son was 8 months old my parents were watching him as i worked for walmart at the time and were my absolute only choice for babysitter.They are avid bf shoppers and they took him with them, my mom and grandmom waited in line and my dad and son stayed in the car til 5 mins before opening. They didn't get any rude comments outside the store but i got a rude remark from a coworker who saw me talking to my mom when they got in the store and asked me what kind of moron had that baby in the store with them. Needless to say i flipped out but in certain circumstances i think the situation is just unavoidable and if you are one of the people in those situations make sure you use common sense, dress the child warmly, get in line at the latest time possible and for goodness sake don't take you eyes off of them for one second.

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love2beurwifey

love2beurwifey

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My kid is young but I don't have any other family here to watch her. Even my hubby is currently gone so if I ever have to, I will take her with me. Granted, I'm not going to stand out and wait in the cold, I'd either just go to Walmart which is 24 hour or wait in my car or go later in the morning.

I agree, I have no family really to watch my daughter so we will wait in a 24 hour walmart or we will wait in the car. My hubby is taking off this black friday though so she may stay home with him like she did last year.

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AngeP

AngeP

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I too am fortunate enough to be surrounded by those who can/will help me when I shop on black Friday. However, not all have a support system like I do. I would rather see children out on black friday than read about them being found alone, or burned in a house fire etc. Kudos to those parents who can get their shopping done in such craziness with their children in tow!
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BabyBear24kGold

BabyBear24kGold

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well to be honest i can understand both sides and seen boths sides. but as for me i am a mother of 6 and well my hubby is the only one who works we decided when i was having my kids we would never leave them with anyone. my mom is very ill and my sis works full time hubbys family dont live close but we always did black friday. since we got married he would stay home with kids and i would shop with my sis. well as my kids got bigger they wanted to go with me i took my oldest when he was 12 then so on every year now they are all die hard black friday shoppers lmao my oldest is 21 and then i have a 19 year old that is in the army good thing he is stationed here with my in fort worth texas then i have a 17 year old son , 14 year old son and 2 girls 11 and 12. now i will say just kidding we might not go this year and they say mom have you lost your mind lol .they are on here everyday with me waiting for ads to see what we get. we each line up my hubby has a tv in the van and bed and well we do it in style it has really became a family thing and we truly love it we really bond while we are there the boys play ball and games and we all just chat and have fun. we in texas so most times it is not real cold but i guess it just depends on the situation but me i wouldnt take one of my small ones cause it is real hard i am real small peeps dont even believe all my kids are mine lol but after 22 of this i am kinda skilled at it and so are my boys :) my army boy will be 20 on black friday and he is so excited we will be in line he said you can get me a gift same time lol . and with 6 kids black friday deals for us is a life saver . gotta deal for me saves me huge bucks and i love it here and the people also .
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ribbit1072

ribbit1072

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Posted

I use to think the same way, however a few years back there was a young woman in line infront of me with a 1 year old a few people made snarky comments about it and she could hear them ( i was nto one of them) eventually she and I got to talking and I found out she and her brother were the only living members of thier family and her Husband didnt have any family either (he was raised in foster care) And not even 6 months before her Husband had been killed (army) and then her brother had been injured and lost his leg (Marines) so she really had no one and didnt know anyone really. I felt really bad for her, I asked her what she was looking for and it was mainly just the deals ont he clothes for her little girl that she really needed. I asked her for her name and number and she gave it to me, needless to say I added a nother 2 people to my list that year and we are great friends now and her daughter stays with my kids at my home on black friday.

That is an AWESOME story, I'm teary just reading it. I am very fortunate and have a wonderful support network around me and don't have to take my children with me. However, there was a time years ago when I was a broke single parent and would have taken them if I had to.

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felixdacat

felixdacat

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My DD, who will be 11 in Dec, has gone out the last 2 years, but not initially. I do the crazy 4am thing, and then take her with me, aka I pick her up around 7/8 am. I dont tend to go to the real crazy places though either. This year we have someone who has offered to keep our kids and we are greatful, but DD still wants to go out. I told her I will get her around 7 again and then we can do our thing. If I did not have anyone helping, at 9 and 11 years old, here in GA, I would consider taking them out. As young children/toddlers I would have never done it. Thats just me.
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bpr

bpr

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:yup: Exactly. There will be sales every week from Black Friday until Christmas... with just as good and sometimes even better deals than on BF. There is just NO reason to drag children out into that craziness.

This is true! There were sales before and after BF with better prices. BTW, we never took our DS when he was young, mainly because we were buying for HIM (and we were out in the middle of the night when little boys should be asleep :tongue1:). Now that he is older, he is right there with us :yup:(he has his own money now, lol).

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braylan1

braylan1

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Well, I have done it when my step daughter was 4. She stayed in a buggy at all times though and was bundled up believe me!! She is a early bird and getting up at 3 a.m. was exciting for her. She had the best time too, and has asked me to go back every year, but she just turned six and very aware of what I buy so no more until she's older and doesn't believe in Santa anymore. So all in all we were up at 3 and home by noon. :)
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jedigirl21

jedigirl21

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The first AND last time I took my kids to BF was about 11 years ago.

 

DD was 3 at the time, and DS was 5.

 

Pulled into TRU parking lot, and got a great parking spot. DD said "mom, I don't feel so good" and proceeded to PUKE :gdpuke::all over herself, carseat, and whatever else was within range.

 

Sad story, I know. I felt it was a sign. They have never gone with me since.

 

The End.

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josetann

josetann

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Posted

I would have no problems taking my kids with me. Neither have been yet, and probably won't again this year (things came up last year and looks like we'll be skipping this year too).

 

My oldest camped out for the Xbox 360 at Target, but he didn't get one (some stupid rule about only giving tickets to people who've already been born). He also helped camp out for two Wii preorders (one of which was also a PS3 preorder) and again for the actual PS3 launch. He made an excellent line holder, and we were more than prepared (nice tent, small heater that kept it warm enough you didn't need a coat inside, etc.). Don't worry, he did get a tickle me elmo out of the deal :)

 

Now, if we had problems like many places do, I would never consider letting him go out on BF (or any crazy event where people are lining up days in advance). People have been pretty civil, no big rush on the doors when they open, and at least at Best Buy they only let so many people in at a time. Might be a bit crowded, but again everybody stays civil.

 

Oh, and about being dressed appropriately. I'll dress them as much (or little) as I/they think is needed, not as much as some random stranger (or even family) thinks. I've had the audacity to let my 1yr old out with just a diaper on in the middle of summer (and my wife's been asked if he was cold...he wasn't in the least). Both kids would kick off socks when they were infants, and of course we'd be asked where their socks were (true, they may end up sockless even in winter, but we carry a small blanket to keep them warm). Heck, it's in the 60s today and most people were wearing long sleeves or jackets, and my son was out playing with long shorts and short sleeves (he'll tell you when it's cold, and he didn't say a peep about it).

 

Anyways, unless I see something that is way wrong (such as a child with no jacket/pants shivering and crying while in line outside below freezing, in the rain, parents not keeping track of them, etc.) I'm not going to worry about it too much. Now, feel free to look at what I do and say to yourself "that's something I'd never do", just don't come up to me and shout that to the whole world.

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retosha

retosha

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I have never taken my kids out shopping on BF.....BUT that is only b/c i have been blessed to have someone to watch them and have not had to take them with me. HOWEVER if I had to choose between taking my kids with me to be able to afford for my kids to have a decent Xmas or caring about whether people have an opinion about me having my children in line......NO Big Choice there...so I have learned to never JUDGE anybody b/c you never know what is going on with them or their family..:confused:
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elicia423126

elicia423126

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A close friend of mine took her DS with us once, he was only 3 months old at the time. We didn't wait outside in the cold, she kept him in his car seat in his stroller. He was safe and warm, slept nearly the whole time we were out. She was nursing, so had to bring the little guy. As long as the parent uses common sense I see no problem with it.

 

I plan/want to bring my 12 year old for the first time with me this year. I have been blessed to not HAVE to bring any of my kids with me before.

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CatandJacks

CatandJacks

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BF isn't the only sale day of the year. I think it's irresponsible so I won't do it with my child. Do I care what other people do? No because they aren't my kids so not my place. It makes me sad to see newborns out in the cold and toddlers hysterical because they are scared. No toy or sale is worth that, but different strokes for different folks. As long as you don't use your stroller to run me over or block the aisles it's all good.
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nikkilugi

nikkilugi

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BF isn't the only sale day of the year. I think it's irresponsible so I won't do it with my child. Do I care what other people do? No because they aren't my kids so not my place. It makes me sad to see newborns out in the cold and toddlers hysterical because they are scared. No toy or sale is worth that, but different strokes for different folks. As long as you don't use your stroller to run me over or block the aisles it's all good.

It might not be the only one but it is generally the biggest one with the best deals. For some people saving the $30 or so dollars on a toy can mean a whole lot to them.

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georgiapeach717

georgiapeach717

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I was going to stay away from this, but I can see by reading on here a few things:

 

1. Most people on here who support the idea either A. have considerably older kids, or B. have a friend keep them in a warm car until right before doors open.

 

So I *think* the OP wasnt talking about those who IMO (again, my opinion) resposibly bring their children with them on BF, but those who *are* in the freezing cold for hours with babies and toddlers at 2am and usually there for the deals b/c they *want* to shop at these prices, not so much b/c they *need* to.

 

And thats pretty much why my *first* post stated that for me its very situational. But I dont think its "judging" just expressing our opinions on it as well.

 

When it all comes down to it, I pray for the best for the kids' sake (and these "kids" I usually mean for me the infant/toddler age bracket) and get on with why *I* am there. :)

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jbdinos

jbdinos

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Posted

This is where some gottadeal business cards would come in handy! There are so many good deals here that one doesn't HAVE to go out on BF anymore.

:eek: don't HAVE to go :eek:

 

PLEASE PLEASE don't tell that to my husband... k? Let's just keep that as our little secret ;)

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