Junior Mall Walkers

by Dawn My kids NEED to get out of the house, everyday. Days spent stuck at home because of poor weather outside are torture, not only for them but also for me. We could bundle up and dress appropriately of course, but sometimes you only get 10 or 15 minutes before the kids are whining to go back inside.

Head to the mall! Lots of room to run around. (Leave your wallet at home if you're worried about being tempted. Just remember to bring enough for a coffee.) Go early. Most of the malls are open to the public before the stores open for Mall Walker clubs. It's also an ideal place for eager little walkers who like to touch everything. Let them burn off some energy running down the halls when they can't get into the shops.

Our favourite is Carlingwood Mall. It's almost all one level (the Dollarama and Bargain Shop are downstairs) so few worries about tumbles down stairs and the stores don't open until 9:30 which gives us a little extra hallway time. My youngest (a toddler) and I head over after dropping her older sister off at school. She gets 30-45 minutes to run before the shops open, then is tired enough to sit quietly in her stroller munching on a Timbit while I run my errands. It's a popular mall with seniors too, so if you little one likes attention as mine does, (s)he'll get plenty there!

And it's not bad for Mom's self-esteem either to be told how cute your kids are. :)

Dawn is mom to two daughters, 5 year old Dolly-girl and 18 month old Booboo. She tries very hard to remember which one is which.