Teaching a Biblical Worldview in Target

Saturday I was at Target at the same time as a young couple shopping for Super Bowl party food. I was also there at the same time as their young daughter who did not want to be shopping for Super Bowl party food.

I know this because she told me (and everyone else in the store).

See, the couple is walking down the chip aisle and the child is screaming: I don’t want to be here! I want to go to the toys.”

“Do you think we’ll need four or five bags of Doritos?” the man asked his wife.

“I don’t want to be here! I want to go home,” the girl screamed.

I heard her yell her displeasure of being in the Doritos aisle at least 23 times. Seriously. As did everyone from electronics to pharmaceutical, but not, evidently, the parents. Not once did they even look at her, much less tell her to STOP!

I don’t know these people. I know nothing about their lives (except apparently they can’t multi-task and watch a child and buy a bag of Doritos at the same time).

But the incident got me thinking. Can parents teach a biblical worldview while shopping at Target?

My conclusion is “yes.”

Here are some ideas I came up with. Do you have any to add to the list?

God’s Word says we’re to live honest lives. (Ephesians 4:28: Let the thief no longer steal, but rather let him labor, doing honest work with his own hands.)

1. Don’t take a few grapes from the produce section to keep your child quiet as you go through the grocery store … and then not pay for them. Yes, sometimes kids get cranky, but when you do this, you’re teaching your child it’s all right to steal.

2. If you do open a box of crackers (or a box of anything) to entertain your child as you’re shopping – make a big deal about paying for it once you get to the cash register. This teaches kids that store merchandise belongs to the store until you purchase it.

3. If your child is holding a box of animal crackers or anything else – make him put it on the counter so you can pay for it. Don’t just say to the cashier, “she has a candy bar.” Kids need to understand that everything needs to be bought.

God’s Word cautions against greed. (Proverbs 28:25: A greedy man stirs up strife,
    but the one who trusts in the Lord will be enriched.)

1. Treats and small gifts are fine, but shouldn’t be expected every time a child walks into a store. Sometimes you really are there just to buy milk and eggs.

2. Children should be expected to be obedient, just because … and not because of a reward.

3. But, if a child does behave well during a long and tiring shopping trip, a small treat or gift can be unexpectedly given as a “Thanks for coming with me today. We got a lot done and that was tiring, wasn’t it?”

4. Occasionally give your kids a small amount of money to choose something they like. Make them stay within the money limit and unless it’s inappropriate, allow them to get what they want even if it seems like a silly choice to you.

God’s Word tells us children are to obey their parents. (Ephesians 6:1: Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right.)

1. Understand that kids know parents are under scrutiny in a store and they know how to take advantage of that misbehave.

2. Be consistent in what you expect out of them. If you say, “No, we can’t get that kind of cereal,” don’t change your answer to “Oh, whatever,” after they ask 57 times. They’ll learn that the more they whine, the better chance they have of getting what they want.

3. Make rules. One mom told her kids, “If you put up a fuss, whine, scream or otherwise make a scene, we will go to the car and sit there until you’re ready to go back and behave.” She kept a book she wanted to read in the car, and the next time her child started with the tantrum, she calmly picked him up, took him outside and put him in his booster seat. She explained why they left the store, then read her book until he said he was ready to go back in and behave. She didn’t have to do that too many times for him to learn that anger, screaming and whining didn’t work.

4. Create ways for shopping to be fun. Choose a recipe together and have your child help you find ingredients. For young children, glue pictures of food items on index cards. Let the child help you find the items. (Cards can be used over and over.)

A biblical worldview can be taught any time – even at Target.

Do you have any ideas to add?