Dealing with toddler wanting toys in stores
Parents struggle to manage toddlers throwing tantrums or demanding toys while shopping in big-box stores and supermarkets.
What the numbers show
Counted from the threads quoted below. How we count
- People have been saying this in most months since September 2026.
What people tried
Every workaround mentioned in the threads below. We haven’t tested any of them — and nobody here is claiming they worked.
Found another way around this?
Share your steps and trade-offs so fellow engineers don't have to reinvent the wheel. No account required.
- 1Take a picture of the child with the desired item to add to a Christmas or birthday wishlist.Did this help you?
- 2Redirect the child's attention by asking if they want to go look at something else fun.Did this help you?
- 3Acknowledge the toy and remind them to remember it for a future birthday, then move on.Did this help you?
- 4Limiting toy purchases strictly to birthdays and major holidays like ChristmasDid this help you?
- 5Saving items to a list or taking photos of toys in stores to send to Santa/save for upcoming occasionsDid this help you?
- 6Buying small activity or travel-specific items (e.g., coloring books, road trip items, pool/beach toys) instead of everyday toysDid this help you?
- 7Shopping at thrift stores, dollar stores, or yard sales for cheap findsDid this help you?
- 8Encouraging kids to play with art supplies, books, dress-up clothes, or household objectsDid this help you?
In their words
Unedited, grouped by where they were said, most upvoted first within each place, each linked to the thread it came from.
“I ask because I have a three year-old and a four-year-old, both males, and it seems that anytime they want a toy of their mom complies in one way or another. It’s always I we’re gonna get one later instead of no. Such, they are expecting to get a new towing almost every weekend.”source ↗
“Lol, this is one of my issues taking my shopping buddy to Sam's.”source ↗
Where this came up
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