Taking your kids with you on shopping day is never an easy thing. They are likely to go over the smallest things and demand to have it, and create a big scene by crying and screaming if you say no. They will point at anything that catches their fancy or even just grab it off the shelves and demand that you buy it.

Kids behave the way you guide them to do. Be patient and when you are shopping let him understand that everything that he wants cannot be bought, and even some of the things you are buying are not for him alone and that they are meant to be given to his siblings or cousins. Giving is something a child can understand easily and if you make it a pleasurable activity for him, shopping with him in tow can be a very nice experience.

While you are shopping you need to teach your child the value of money and he has to learn to be careful on what he buys.

Before you get inside the store, tell him that he can buy what he wants as long as it does not cost more than the budget you have in mind. You will be surprised as to how easily they absorb this, and the discrimination that they display when choosing what they want or need. They may need a little help to calculate the total price if more than one item is involved, and if the sum does exceed the budget, help him to decide the things that are a priority and what can be postponed for the future.

Explain everything to them before you enter the store, or at home before you start. Tell them that they need to stay focused on what they are going to buy, and not be distracted into seeing some other things. Your budget is limited and you need to make it with whatever is available and not to look at more expensive things that will go over budget.

Make sure that they pick an item that is within the budget you have set. They can change their choice, if they continue to stay below the budget. This will impress them the need to be careful when they are buying things.

Before you go to the store, the child should be very clear on what he wants to buy, a new toy, a new shirt, or a present for his friend. Head straight for that particular section, so that the other window shopping is avoided, which can tempt the child to change his mind. A big departmental store with its many departments can be quite overwhelming for children and they could get easily distracted.

A child can always change his mind. Learn how to compromise if you are not too concerned with the change that is made, but insist that the budget remains. Do not scold. Conduct a conversation and listen to his point of view, before you say anything. You never know, his new choice may make more sense. And if he asks for an extra toy, ask him whether he is prepared to pay for it from his pocket money. They will then learn to appreciate that there are no such things in life that are free.

While shopping ensures that the items that you buy are within your own budget, the child is also aware that you are also sticking to it. They will grow up with this knowledge that you practice what you preach, and they will do well to emulate you.