A number of Canadian women with small children find that online shopping is perfect for them. This is because going shopping with little kids can be very demanding and draining, especially if a woman wants to buy something for herself such as a swimsuit, lingerie or clothing. And even if a woman needs to buy, say, pyjamas for her children, it can still be a hassle taking small children to a bricks and mortar store.
First, you have to load the children into the car and drive to the shop itself. And if you live in one of the more remote parts of Canada, this can be quite a long drive and is really only worth it for a really big shopping trip… and it can be quite hard squeezing time to choose a great outfit into the time you have. Even if your trip is only short, there’s a chance that your children will either act up, need diapers changed or fall asleep by the time you get to the store. And this cuts down your shopping time.
Then you’ve got the actual experience of shopping itself. If your child is only a baby, he or she has to stay in a stroller or even be carried while you try to shop. Have you ever tried to haul a stroller into a store changing room? There’s hardly enough room for the stroller and for you if you want to actually pull the curtains. And if you leave the stroller outside the changing rooms, even for half a minute to try on just one bra, your baby usually chooses this moment to start crying for Mommy, making you feel like a horrible monster who has abandoned her baby.
And it doesn’t get much better when the children get older. This is when they get into mischief. You might be able to leave the stroller behind to avoid the screaming-child-in-a-stroller while you try on an outfit, but this causes other problems. Small children seem to find all those clothes hanging up on display to be fascinating and great places to play hide and seek. Or they try pulling everything off the hangers (they can even do this from inside a stroller). If you’re in the changing rooms, small children have a tendency to wander in and out looking for you – and they don’t seem to realize that Mommy doesn’t really want the curtains left wide open while she tries on a frilly baby-doll nightgown. Or, even worse, a child might wander into every single changing room hunting for Mommy.
Even if a child is quiet enough to sit calmly in a stroller, this doesn’t guarantee that they won’t embarrass you. Small children will say things that you really wish they wouldn’t. “Look at all those knickers! Some of them are see-through! Why?” “Did you see that really fat lady going into the changing rooms?” “You’ve got really hairy armpits!” And a child who is learning to read may try spelling out the cheeky phrases printed on men’s boxers and want an explanation. Cringe, cringe, cringe…
Add in the fact that most changing room lights and mirrors are cruel, even to thin little supermodel types, and are especially vicious to post-baby bodies, and it’s no wonder that a lot of mothers with young children put off going shopping. However, you know you need some nice new clothes to help you feel good as a woman as well as a mother – you deserve it!
Or you can try online shopping, which is so much easier. Your children can play happily (or sleep) while you browse our catalogues, and if you need to give them some attention, it’s easy to bookmark the page or leave it open and come back later. Most of the clothing merchants we deal with have handy fitting guides, avoiding the need for changing rooms. And all of the merchant’s ship to Canada (for free, in some cases!) so you can shop confidently, knowing that wherever you live in Canada, you can get the gear you and your family need.
