Aug 15, 201208:00 AMCup of Joe
Your weekly dose of strange parenting news, trends, and polls
He shops, she shops
What is it about being asked to go shopping that causes men to cringe?
I like heading out to the store every once in awhile, but when I do, I usually have one mission in mind: go in, find the items I want and get out.
When my wife and I shop together, however, my linear plan usually gets dashed. We end up browsing every section of the store a little bit, and then backtrack and browse some more.
A recent study published by The Sun found that the average woman spends nearly 3 years of her life shopping—somehow I don’t find that too hard to believe.
But why is it that men take a different approach to shopping than women? I believe it’s a bit of a vicious cycle. Stepping back to my childhood, I remember three words that struck fear into my heart—House of Bargains.
Parents who frequented the Lancaster area for shopping 15 years ago likely remember House of Bargains, a retail store known for its large selection of kids clothing at affordable prices. What did this mean to me at 8 years old? An hour-and-a-half of tortuous boredom.
But I was a trooper. I attempted to set up base camp in one of the clothing racks. This would usually lead to me being drug out by my feet, as I clawed at the glassy surface of the floor. I’d then be verbally reprimanded and shoved into a fitting room with multiple pairs of jeans and told to determine which ones fit the best. I was the antonym of a shopaholic.
I still carry those memories with me to this day, as I’m sure many other guys do—and they are perhaps the reason my wife’s shopping habits vary so widely from my own. All I know is that if my kids ever ask me why they have to go shopping for new clothes with mom, I’ll say “it’s a part of growing up,” as I slowly back away and try to sneak out the back door.
Do your kids enjoy clothes shopping? Share your experience in our comments section below.
Joe Barry is a web developer for Journal Multimedia. He and his wife Kristi live in Mt. Joy.
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My daughter LOVES shopping!! Almost everyday when I pick her up from childcare, she asks, "are we going shopping". However, is only three and we haven't begun the fitting room stage yet so this enthusiasm for shopping probaly won't last much longer!