Children Will Be Children

We call our store a resale boutique because of the high quality of our merchandise and the smaller-shop atmosphere we have tried to create. But we are a children’s store and we are very well aware that children will be children.

I was in another resale store the other day and one of the salespeople told my 10 year old daughter to go find her mommy, which upset her terribly. And during the same trip, another salesperson told a mother not to let her child play with the merchandise-- that there was a specific area of the store where children could use the toys. After that experience, I really had no interest in returning there. How can the staff of a children’s store not expect developmentally appropriate behavior from children?

Babies cry, toddlers run around and grab anything they can get their hands on and try to put it in their mouths, preschoolers want to play with everything including baby toys, and older children either want to try on clothes or tell everyone how bored they are! We get it. We’ve had little ones pee and puke in the store. We’ve had others pull every book they could reach off the bookshelves. And we’ve had lots of crying, yelling, falling-on-the-floor-kicking-full-out tantrums. Children will be children and that’s as expected. Most of the time we just smile our knowing smiles. We’ve all been there. And sometimes you just have to laugh.

So next time you come for a visit and your adorable angel of a child decides to do the unthinkable, don’t stress. Know that you are in a tolerant, accepting place. Tell us if we can help in any way. We would, however, appreciate it if you took a few moments to help your child tidy up. We’ll be happy to teach them, and you, the Clean Up Song or play clean up games. You’d be surprised at how well they work! And then take a deep breath or two before heading out for your next adventure.