Mum’s simple Christmas shopping hack puts an end to toy tantrums

A mum has shared her genius hack for Christmas shopping with kids to avoid present meltdowns and it is simply brilliant.

Toy tantrums

You know when you go to Kmart for socks but you fear your kid will have a tanty in the toy aisle as you tell him, “No, I am not buying you that. It’s not even your birthday or Christmas. Put it back.”

So you plonk him in the trolley and leave without the socks?

Yeah, that.

Well, for this reason, you might be a late-night Christmas shopper after the kids are in bed. It’s just easier.

But, if you would rather shop when it isn’t past your bedtime, then a clever mum has the answer to avoiding the grizzles.

And it works. It bloody works!

Take a picture

Mum Kristina Watts’ idea is so smart and simple you’ll wonder why you didn’t think of it.

She simply takes a picture of her kiddo with the toy they are eyeing to send to Santa. No meltdowns. No-fuss. Santa is informed, so it’s time to move on and get the actual shopping done.

In full force

Kristina reveals in the helpful post that her trips to the shops at this time of year used to be painful.

“Toys are out in full force…and of course my kids WANT 👏🏼 IT 👏🏼 ALL. Obviously I would love to have sweet, well mannered, non-greedy, chill kids, that don’t ask for all the things … but I don’t.”

“So drop your judgement Karen, and stop reading if you have kids like that 👆,” she hilariously writes.

Kristina also says if you also have kids like hers who, “Want the shiny amazing things that fill Target, the grocery store, Office Depot, the gas station, and pretty much everywhere you go this time of year,” then the picture hack is for you.

“Pause for a second, comment on the thing they’re pointing out, and say, ‘Let’s take a picture with it and send it to Santa so he knows you want it!'”

Kristina says her daughter, Emmie, smiles for the picture and then PUTS THE TOY DOWN AND WALKS AWAY.

“It’s magical. No tears. No tantrums (by either of us). And she forgets about all of them within minutes.”

Kristina’s hack has been shared over 54K times and picked up by media all over the world.

It works, it really does!

I for one can vouch that this hack really does work.

Last weekend we went Christmas shopping – with kids in tow. My husband thought it would be ‘fun’ to see what gifts the boys had their hearts on while filling the trolley with presents for others.

It wasn’t.

It was painful.

Needless to say, we where one of those bickering couples in the toy aisle because our youngest couldn’t understand why he couldn’t have the Paw Patrol Chase truck right this very second.

But it turns out my husband could have been famous too. Like Kristina, he decided to snap a picture for Santa and my youngest was thrilled.

We got the rest of the shopping done and there were no tears. And now we also know what to tell the grandparents, Aunts and Uncles to buy the kids.

Also, because we had their wish-list in photos when we got home, we were able to ask each boy to look at them and pick a present they would be willing to give up for a child who will receive nothing this Christmas.

It was heartwarming to have them ask why some kids aren’t as fortunate as them and to see their little faces understand that Christmas is a time for giving, not just receiving.

I will be popping a LEGO set and a dinosaur book under the charity Christmas tree specifically from them.

Christmas shopping with kids need not be the nightmare we fear, thanks to this genius mum tip!