Shopping and children just don't go well together

The other day, I witnessed an ugly meltdown by a mother of 2 toddlers in a mall. I overheard the frazzled mom shouting at her crying toddler to shut up and something about throwing her younger sister away. Said younger sister was sitting in her pram none the wiser while the girl wailed her lungs out. This noisy drama played on for quite a while.

I don't know what exactly happened, only that the young mother was stupid enough to attempt shopping while dragging 2 unwilling toddlers with her. What was she thinking? I had a good mind to tell her to abandon her shopping and settle her tired kids at home. To young children, the mall is a big scary place with giants moving along huge sign boards and shops. It's a place full of noise and smells and negative stimulation.

When my princes were small, I hardly brought them to the malls. They were more familiar with the zoo, the parks and the library. What benefit could they possibly get from the mall and what joy would I derive from crying children and crowded places? This explains why I looked frumpy when my princes were small. I barely had time to rest. What more shop? The current yummy mummy generation would raise their brows at me for saying this. But let me put it this way - could you possibly work full-time, raise good children, maintain a household, put good food on the table, have a healthy marriage life and yet look fabulous all at the same time? Impossible! Something's got to give. When the kids are older, you will take back your time and your old self again. But for now, one less trip to the mall won't kill you. Trust me on this.