It has been an eventful week with my DD developing her caterpillar crawl (in a style that any 80`s body popping dancer would have been proud of) to mastering the classic crawl.

 To celebrate I thought of no better way than some retail therapy for Zara, so I decided on an afternoon of shopping for some new clothes for her. This was something that had been on my mind for some time as I have struggled with dressing her in the past. I had taken Zara to her first class wearing what I thought was a dress and tights but was actually a top and tights doh 😮! Although I dress Reuben all the time, the number of different elements to a girls outfit can be a little mind boggling. So a second benefit to the shopping spree was to help me work on this 😀

Now I will let you decide if it was a successful in terms of clothes purchased (see photo below)

You only have to speak to Seetal to know that I am pretty rubbish at shopping and need to be on my own when shopping. This coupled with my lack of knowledge/experience with girls clothes was going to make for an interesting trip. I actually found it less stressful than originally thought.  As sad and boring as it sounds, I think my background in project management came in handy and having everything prepared and planned in advance made it far smoother than I had anticipated.  I timed the shopping spree to start straight after her nap and having things like the change bag and bottles ready allowed me to have a 3 hour window. Being prepared really did work (for me at least) and made life with a 7 month old a little less challenging. On the flip side I am conscious that I don’t want our children to turn into robots by having to be exposed to a regimented way of life. I often remind myself that they should not loose the fun of life that you can get from being spontaneous.

So how did it go?

I am pretty sure Zara enjoyed the shopping spree and although she cant speak, she did not cry (well not for the first 2 hours) and looked happy to be people watching. This allowed me to focus on buying and I also found it easier than shopping for myself. Every time I showed and asked Zara if she liked what I had picked for her she either gave me a smile or non threatening look and I certainly didn’t get the odd expressions or silences that Seetal occasionally gives me, lol 😂. I was able to get most of the shopping done in a couple of hours and  although needed a short feeding break (for Zara), this  was made far easier by the awesome family/baby facilities that many shops have these days. I used the dedicated family area that John Lewis have in the form of feeding rooms and changing facilities This made the pit stop pretty comfortable. It was only right towards the end of our trip that Zara`s (initially quiet) whines developed into a full blown, roar of a cry, She looked unsettled and irritated, probably because she had enough of sitting in her pushchair for so long. I remained calm and was in luck as I was in Boots, this worked out perfectly as I headed straight to the baby food aisle and Zara`s eyes seemed to light up as I picked up the Heinz chocolate biscuits. As soon as I handed the packet to her the sounds of her whining stopped and her tears ceased – she seemed to be happy to have the foiled packet in her mouth and smiled again (result in photo below). Next time my change bag will be loaded with these and other slightly more healthy baby snacks.

 

Would I do it again?

Big fat YES! The great thing was that at no point did I feel odd or strange about being one of only a couple of guys that I saw shopping alone with their children. It felt very comfortable, natural and I enjoyed it far more than I thought. I would like to think that as Zara grows older I will be able to continue to have daddy/daughter shopping trips without feeling awkward or out of place and I think that starting now will only help. More than the activity that I am doing with my little ones I am realising that the time spent with them is the most important and valuable bit. Zara may not remember this trip but the constant talking, cuddling, kisses and time with her seems to be what she needs, especially right now. I am also finding that you don’t always need to be doing things such as baby classes. Simple things like going for a walk or shopping can be just as rewarding, stimulating and fun for the little ones and me.