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On a recent trip to the toy store to buy a last-minute birthday gift for a friend, my 4-year-old had a massive meltdown. There are no other words for it -- crying, hitting, ugly words. And why, you might ask. Did some other child hit her? Of course not, she wanted a $10 toy, and I said, "Not today." This should not have been a surprise to her. It is what I usually say. It isn't that I wouldn't love to buy the toy and see her smile, but if I bought every $10 toy my children "really love," we would be bankrupt. Not to mentioned that my children would be extremely spoiled.

We recovered from the incident, and she apologized once she finally calmed down. However, I was partly to blame because I should have known better. I was in a rush, didn't explain that we were only shopping for a gift, and she was very tired. I learned years ago that when shopping with young children, all are happier when you use some creative strategies.

• Choose the right store at the right time. Several stores in the area have free activities scheduled each week. If you can time your outings at the right time, your little ones can have fun while you do the shopping. For example, Santa's Toy Emporium has weekly story times on Wednesday and Saturday mornings at 10:30 a.m. Barnes & Noble has story times, crafts and guests to entertain children at various times. Other stores have children's play areas or sample toys to entertain children.

• Empowering the young. This takes a little planning up front, but our best grocery trips have been to Mathern's, where they have pint-sized grocery carts. Beforehand we make a separate shopping list for the children with simple, lightweight foods that I know they can identify. Then, they work together to find the items for which they are responsible.

• Reasonable rewards. I am not a big fan of bribing the children with food or toy purchases while we are out because I find that it distracts them and they really melt down if the reward isn't purchased (it makes a bad trip even worse). Having said that, the Bee Safe Playground at the Mall of Louisiana is a wonderful reward for children who patiently sit in the stroller while Mom and Dad shop the post holiday sale racks. Plus, it gives them a chance to get some energy out before you head home!

• Don't forget your purse. Lately, I have been encouraging my children to bring their own money when we go to the store. It is also helpful for my 7-year-old, who is learning to count money. If you "really want it" then see if you have enough money. If not, then save my friend. They have done lemonade stands and chores and pooled their money to buy a toy they all really wanted. But most of the time I find that they are not willing to part with their own money, which lets me know it isn't worth mine either.

I hope this helps and it was definitely a good reminder for me that meltdowns still happen. So shop smart!