Shopping at Target nearly ruined my relationship with my children

I have a confession: I’m a Target lover. The bright lights, red carts, and expansive aisles make it the ultimate one-stop-shop for our bustling household with two kids. With a laundry list of errands, I relish the convenience of grabbing kids’ snacks alongside a cute top for myself, picking up prescriptions, and stocking up on groceries all in one go. I’ve even turned it into a social outing, meeting up with fellow moms to shop and catch up. But amidst the excitement, there’s a problem lurking.

My kids weren’t fans of shopping. Their less-than-ideal behavior turned what should have been a straightforward errand into a Herculean task for this stay-at-home mom. With no sitter on hand and the idea of paying for one just to hit up Target feeling extravagant, I found myself resorting to bribery. “Come with me to Target, and you can pick out a Hot Wheel,” I’d coax. A small price, I thought, to maintain my sanity and get things done. But, as it turns out, there was another snag in my plan.

I found myself at Target at least once a week, tallying up to a staggering 35 trips a year with two kids in tow. That meant nearly 100 Hot Wheels flooding into our home annually. And it didn’t stop there. We needed storage solutions — custom Hot Wheels carriers, tracks, and storage for said tracks. The cars and accessories…