Taking Little Kids Shopping On Black Friday

[RavenStarr]

Now I know we've had threads about working and/or shopping on Black Friday. I thought I would start a thread to see what you think about people taking thier little kids shopping on Black Friday. Now I say little kids because I know there are older kids like teenagers that go out on that day, but are big enough to handle themselves.

Anyway my opinion is that you should leave them with a babysitter or not go at all. The way people act on that day is horrible. I know because I went last year. I almost got ran over several times, and almost got hit in the back of the head by some crazy woman with a box.

So I think any parent who takes thier baby/small child shopping on that day needs to have thier head examined.

*dons flame retardant clothing and holds up shield*

[jackfaire]

Given the well publicized incident from last year I would consider taking a young child to be child endangerment.

[RecoveringKinkoid]

I don't even want my six foot four inch tall husband going out for that.

He goes with my equally large, Viking-descended Finnish brother in law, but I hate it.

[Greenday]

People die because of Black Friday. No reason to add people who don't have a measurable chance at defending themselves from the morons who turn into wilder animals than those in nature.

[LadyBarbossa]

I think Black Friday sales should be done away with altogether, but that's just me. In my retail years, I can't really remember seeing many little ones out on that day, but it wouldn't surprise me. Said parents would also probably scream at them the whole day, threatening to return or not buy all the sales crap or that Santa won't come if they keep being bad.

[Ree]

I think Black Friday sales should be done away with altogether, but that's just me.

But if you do away with Black Friday, you just end up with the same mess on the Saturday.
People are on a long weekend break with nothing else to do but shop for Christmas.

[LadyBarbossa]

But if you do away with Black Friday, you just end up with the same mess on the Saturday.
People are on a long weekend break with nothing else to do but shop for Christmas.

I realize this Yes, people will still flood the stores, but what I'm mainly talking about are the doorbuster sales most places advertise so heavily, where you can get things for outrageously low prices, only with the risk of being maimed, trampled, etc. I think they should just carry on business as usual. In a perfect world, I know, but like I said, that's just my two cents on the matter.

[tropicsgoddess]

I refuse to go shopping on Black Friday. I'm not going to waste my day with a crowd of people acting like rabid dogs just to get sales. I can get a good sale any other day of the year without all that hassle.

[RecoveringKinkoid]

You know what places are NOT busy on Black Fridays? Really nice upscale restaurants that serve great food, a wide assortment of girl martinis, and have hot waiters.

Those places are empty. You can spend hours there.

Me, my mom, my sister, and my cousins. Black Friday. Girl's Annual Martini Lunch.

I am so there.

[Boozy]

You know why people shop on Black Friday?

Because for many people, it's the one day out of the entire year that they can afford to buy high-end items. If Mom doesn't get one of the MP3 players on sale for $10, her kid doesn't get an MP3 player for Christmas. And that's all her kid has asked for.

So she gets up at 2 am the day after Thanksgiving and stands in the freezing cold for hours on the off chance that she can get her kid something awesome for Christmas that year.

When I watch the crowds of Black Friday shoppers on the news, I see more desperation in their eyes than greed.

Waiting until after Black Friday to do your Christmas shopping is a luxury for some. If you can afford it, great. You'd be insane to participate if you don't have to.

[LeChatNoir]

This year, our local Walmart is not closing Thanksgiving night like they have in the past. Instead, all the Black Friday shoppers will get to line up in the store in strategic locations until the sales start at 6 am. So all the employees will get to work around the crazy, instead of waiting for it to come barreling into the store like a cow on speed.

That said...kids and Black Friday seems like a bad combo. I wouldn't do it with or without a child. But I don't go shopping on Black Friday anyway, I usually have to work. That's bad enough, dealing with all the people while behind a counter.

[RecoveringKinkoid]

Well, that is true. I guess my issue with it is that people shouldn't be so hung up on things.

Of course people want their kids to be happy on Christmas, and kids like things. I mean, who doesn't? I like things, too.

But I think the focus is too much on things and not enough on people. We seem to have no problem with the message that if a kid does not get that one hot toy, his Christmas will be ruined.

I grew up pretty poor. But I think I also grew up before this whole "hot toy of the season" thing became such a phenom. At least, if that phenom existed, we didn't really know about it.

[RavenStarr]

Oh I understand that people are trying hard to find the best deals for thier holiday shopping. However when 2 people get into a fistfight over the last item, that is just pathetic. Back when cabbage patch kids were popular, my mom told me about 2 women getting into a fight over the last doll. What kind of example does that set for the kids? Why can't people realize that you can't always get what you want?

I want to take advantage of all the great deals, but sadly I just can't. I'm just too afraid of being run over or getting hit with something. Also after breaking my ankle back in May, I have that fear of breaking it again if I go out on Black Friday. People are just mean and don't care.

[AdminAssistant]

Back when cabbage patch kids were popular, my mom told me about 2 women getting into a fight over the last doll. What kind of example does that set for the kids? Why can't people realize that you can't always get what you want?

Back when they first came on the scene, Mom fought the crowds and got two Cabbage Patch Kid dolls, one for each child. A woman nearly hit her, and tried to take away one of the dolls because she felt it was unfair for my mom to buy two when they were in such short supply. Needless to say, Mom came home with two dolls.

I grew up really poor in the 80's and 90's. But Mom and Dad always made sure we got at least one big thing that we wanted - a Nintendo, a Cabbage Patch Kid doll, a Jem doll or Barbie. This year it will be crazy, due to the recession. There will be a lot of desperate parents who want to make Christmas as good for their kids as they can. They don't want their kids to know that they're poor.

[jackfaire]

They don't want their kids to know that they're poor.

And in my mind that is a bad philosophy. I knew growing up that my family was poor. I knew that we were on welfare and my dad was busting his hump to get through college so he could get a better job.

I grew up with other kids that I later realized were poor too but they often had this 'I can get away with anything because my parents will buy me anything' attitude.

I learned the value of hard work and making your own way in the world. By the time I was going to college my dad could have afforded to pay for me to go. He didn't he made me pay for it myself so I could understand the value of my education.

I know what's important in life and while I may spoil my daughter with a really nice toy it won't be because I bloodied someone's nose for it.