Going Shopping Black Friday With Kids in Toe

[lorilwayne]

The youngest any of mine went was around 14 and then it was to line sit initially. My middle one went 1 year with me and ds went last year. Usually their job is to find a few things or cart or line sit while I run. We shouldn't have much to get this year on black Friday so although will probably still go shouldn't be too bad.

[maguszxz]

I don't like it when parents bring the babies to black friday. I be afraid that someone will mistake them for a Baby Alive doll, lol. Seriously, let the kids stay home and find a babysitting or a friend to wake them. People don't care about your children, they care about the deals.

[totallyBF]

Maybe your husband can watch all your children its very scary and cold on bf just be careful!

[bfaddict1977]

exactly. you're right. they don't care about the kids. I may head out later but def not bringing them and after talking with everyone on here, I'm buying almost all of it before bf and maybe just needing a couple things on bf.

[TazErase]

I don't like it when parents bring the babies to black friday. I be afraid that someone will mistake them for a Baby Alive doll, lol. Seriously, let the kids stay home and find a babysitting or a friend to wake them. People don't care about your children, they care about the deals.

I totally agree, it's not the safest, but the original question was how it could be done and she asked us not to judge her, that she didn't have the choice. In any case, if you're a veteran at BF and know your stores, as much as we can try to help, the best judge for your situation is yourself. My son has been bugging me for years to let him stay with me on Black Friday and for his own safety I had to make him stay with his grandparents while my wife and I shopped. We would let the kids sit with us on the lines for about an hour or 2 sometimes so they can say they did Black Friday, lol. They have lots to learn, lol.

[peppysfireball]

I've always taken my kids, but it isn't crazy here. There are not many people out when we go at 5am. I get my big ticket items online from amazon, they always beat everyone elses price and I'm not fighting for it and having it in my car. I go just to browse and get smaller stuff. I have no problem with any of my kids in tow.

[jaymacfla]

I've always taken my kids, but it isn't crazy here. There are not many people out when we go at 5am. I get my big ticket items online from amazon, they always beat everyone elses price and I'm not fighting for it and having it in my car. I go just to browse and get smaller stuff. I have no problem with any of my kids in tow.

So what is the store that is so empty at 5AM? Certainly not Walmart! I can see Garden Ridge, and the smaller $1 stores being empty, but even those are now attracting some foot traffic.

[Rockfordmom]

I've always taken my kids, but it isn't crazy here. There are not many people out when we go at 5am. I get my big ticket items online from amazon, they always beat everyone elses price and I'm not fighting for it and having it in my car. I go just to browse and get smaller stuff. I have no problem with any of my kids in tow.

Where are you at where there isn't many people out at 5am on Black Friday?

[peppysfireball]

Yeah, its walmart. They go to the big towns with malls, and this is a small college town. Only walmart, kmart and penney's. Not enough stores but I get mine online and don't need to go to a big city.

 

So what is the store that is so empty at 5AM? Certainly not Walmart! I can see Garden Ridge, and the smaller $1 stores being empty, but even those are now attracting some foot traffic.

[Mursilis]

I totally agree, it's not the safest, but the original question was how it could be done and she asked us not to judge her, that she didn't have the choice.

You always have a choice - you can stay home and shop online. It's not like we're talking about life-or-death medicine here - we're talking about non-essential consumer goods. I agree with others - nothing offered on Black Friday is worthwhile enough to me to warrant subjecting my kids to physical danger.

[jaymacfla]

You always have a choice - you can stay home and shop online. It's not like we're talking about life-or-death medicine here - we're talking about non-essential consumer goods. I agree with others - nothing offered on Black Friday is worthwhile enough to me to warrant subjecting my kids to physical danger.

Well said.

[jaymacfla]

Yeah, its walmart. They go to the big towns with malls, and this is a small college town. Only walmart, kmart and penney's. Not enough stores but I get mine online and don't need to go to a big city.

I wonder if it is one of the last remaining original style Walmarts, where you can literally see the back and both sides of the store walls from the entrance way.

[peppysfireball]

No, it's a huge supercenter that was remodeled again this summer. It's a college town and everyone goes about 2 hours away to the state capital. I've never had a problem getting anything I want, but I get all my electronics on amazon before I leave home.

 

I wonder if it is one of the last remaining original style Walmarts, where you can literally see the back and both sides of the store walls from the entrance way.

[lovetoshopCA]

thanks. thinking I'm hiring a sitter. I'm not taking the chance, I think it gets worse every year:(

Wow! You can find a sitter for that time on that day? We have a hard time finding a sitter ever, let alone then. My kiddos stay home with DH. He hates shopping and crowds, and I wouldn't want them along with me. If you are looking at items at Target, you can buy the week ahead and then go price adjust a little later in the morning before the sale officially ends. They, at least, will do the price adjustment for the sale as long as you show up during those hours.

[georgiarose2004]

I was tinkering with the idea of letting my six year old go this year with me my mother and my aunt to Wal-Mart. She had asked last year and I told her No. But we went into a wal-mart the night before school started. OMG It reminded me of BF but more centralized just around the school stuff. I told Her that this is what its like on BF but the whole store looked like this. I then let her decide and now my husband is just going to bring her up to me after Wal-Mart. I couldn't imagine having to bring Babies with me.. Honey I would say let those babies sleep and shop online!!

[Aurion07]

LOL...I feel like I post this same response every year. To the OP, where do you live? If you've been BF shopping before, was it insane? See, I live in Miami...I hear all these horror stories online, but I've been BF shopping 4 years in a row and have never seen or experienced anything like some of the posters above are describing. I attribute it to suburban sprawl. I have two walmarts within 2 miles of my house, four targets that I could get to within a 10 min drive and the same goes for Best buys, sears, jcpenny, toysrus etc. I took my son when he was 5 months old and again when he was 1 and a half. It was me and my husband and the baby in his stroller. Yes there were lines, yes a number of people would rush in the store, NO, I've never seen anyone nearly crushed or the stores get very packed. I've never even had any trouble navigating with a stroller and a cart (pushed by my hubby). I am always on the hunt by 3 am... (5am the year my baby was only 5 months). My child has never been in any danger and slept through most of the hunting when he was a baby. I understand this is not the situation in some other places, so I guess you will have to go with your experience to decide if you live in an area that is somehow dangerous to your children on BF. I do think that, personally speaking, you couldn't pay me to go out on any shopping spree, on any day, with 5 kids. Especially not by myself. Truth be told, I wouldn't take out my one kid by myself on BF. Just not convenient. But I wanted to put in my vote for those who read this and have one or two young kids, that its not the greatest sin in the world (depending on where you live, I guess) to take out your warmly clothed child on BF. Heck, we consider it a fun family adventure now. (I suppose this also depends on how commando the parent is...I can imagine this trip isn't fun for some people)

Also, to the suggestion that your 8 year old can help watch the kids...I don't know your child and I am sure he/she is great, but taking care of two 5 year olds is a task that many adults cannot handle. Best of luck.

[honey_bee_1979]

I took my kids with me every year except for the last 2 when I accually had a sitter. When you have 6 kids its hard to find a sitter. Firstly finding a trustworthy sitter off of craigslist is not going to happen, I would never get one from there. Secondly if you do take your kids i would NEVER got to Walmart. Just as an adult going to walmart on BF gives me the creeps. I went one year & it was so crowded, not worth the few items I got, I had to stand in like for HOURS. We have always gone to our local mall which had big stores in it like, toys r us, Kmart Sears exc... they are just so much safer then walmart, target, best buy exc... Also just keep your kiddos comfortable. Mine were always in awe to be up so early in the morning, lol. They were excited too. Its really not that bad or bad for your kids as long as you are safe. Walmart for sure will never be safe. If you just had your little one, or a few that you could stick in your cart that wouldn't be too bad, but keeping an eye on everyone would be very hard. My hubby always has gone with me & it helped having 2 people to watch the kids. The last 2 years it was like a date for us, lol. No kids, but I was 38 weeks pregnant last year on BF :) Good luck

[honey_bee_1979]

LOL...I feel like I post this same response every year. To the OP, where do you live? If you've been BF shopping before, was it insane? See, I live in Miami...I hear all these horror stories online, but I've been BF shopping 4 years in a row and have never seen or experienced anything like some of the posters above are describing. I attribute it to suburban sprawl. I have two walmarts within 2 miles of my house, four targets that I could get to within a 10 min drive and the same goes for Best buys, sears, jcpenny, toysrus etc. I took my son when he was 5 months old and again when he was 1 and a half. It was me and my husband and the baby in his stroller. Yes there were lines, yes a number of people would rush in the store, NO, I've never seen anyone nearly crushed or the stores get very packed. I've never even had any trouble navigating with a stroller and a cart (pushed by my hubby). I am always on the hunt by 3 am... (5am the year my baby was only 5 months). My child has never been in any danger and slept through most of the hunting when he was a baby. I understand this is not the situation in some other places, so I guess you will have to go with your experience to decide if you live in an area that is somehow dangerous to your children on BF. I do think that, personally speaking, you couldn't pay me to go out on any shopping spree, on any day, with 5 kids. Especially not by myself. Truth be told, I wouldn't take out my one kid by myself on BF. Just not convenient. But I wanted to put in my vote for those who read this and have one or two young kids, that its not the greatest sin in the world (depending on where you live, I guess) to take out your warmly clothed child on BF. Heck, we consider it a fun family adventure now. (I suppose this also depends on how commando the parent is...I can imagine this trip isn't fun for some people)

Also, to the suggestion that your 8 year old can help watch the kids...I don't know your child and I am sure he/she is great, but taking care of two 5 year olds is a task that many adults cannot handle. Best of luck.

See I totally agree, in our small town there wasn't another walmart for 30 miles so everyone (really alot of the poor in town) was at the local walmart & it makes it very dangerous!