I'm not even sure when my love affair with IKEA morphed into an obsession. What I DO know is that I need an IKEA fix at least once a month and sometimes more. It has nothing to do with the furniture (although our house does slightly resemble an IKEA showroom). The fact is the IKEA people have modelled their stores into the perfect parent/child friendly shopping experience and more stores need to follow suit.
The moment you walk into IKEA, its obvious that they cater to parents. From the free, fully staffed playroom (i.e. FREE BABYSITTING), to the incredibly cheap kids meals, there's the play stations strategically placed through the store, and last but not least, the spacious family bathrooms with little sinks and toilets to fit your toddlers small stature and tushy. IKEA lets parents enjoy their shopping experience with or without said children in tow. Not to mention cool, funky and affordable furniture.
My kids love IKEA as much as I do. I use it as a bribing tool. When all else fails, I play the IKEA card and it works every time.
Unlike most kids, they don't love IKEA because of the play area. I mean, why should I be able to shop in peace and quiet while they play happily in a supervised area? Like that would ever happen. I'm convinced I'm being punished for my transgressions in a former life.
The reason my boys love IKEA? The reason I can get them to stop fighting with the mere mention of the word? The reason I would have a nervous breakdown if IKEA ever closed? Drumroll please..............
Office furniture.
My boys love the office furniture section. They play with the filing cabinets and pretend they are garage doors and/or stores. I sit in a very comfortable office chair with my coffee and a book and they play their pretend games. Every time we do this, an IKEA Sales Associate will come over and ask us if we need help. And every time when I reply no, the inevitable question comes up. "Why do they like the filing cabinets so much?" I really don't know what the attraction is but I do know that IKEA has given me more hours of peace than all our other outings combined.
If you'd like an enjoyable shopping experience or just a great place to take the kids on a rainy day, go to your nearest IKEA. And the next time you're there, take a look around the office furniture section for me. I'm the woman relaxing in an office chair drinking a coffee, reading a book and having a rare moment of peace and quiet.
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