Mystery shopping is a great job for so many different people because it offers a great deal of flexibility with regards to your work schedule. While people from full-time workers to retirees and even college students enjoy the flexibility this job provides, it is also a popular job for stay-at-home parents to do as well. Many assignments allow you to bring kids along with you, which is ideal as it allows you to earn money without the need to find and pay for childcare. Of course, as you may know first hand, mystery shopping with kids can present challenges that you will want to plan ahead for.
A Look at the Challenges
Mystery shopping without kids is often challenging in and of itself because of all of the assignment requirements you have to remember and fulfill, all while remaining incognito and not catching extra attention from employees. When mystery shopping with kids, you have to do all of this while keeping your kids busy, happy, and out of trouble. Rowdy kids can draw unnecessary attention to you any time, and when you are mystery shopping, this unnecessary attention by store staff and other regular shoppers can turn into unwanted attention at times.
Remembering the Details
Parents can get really get frazzled when out in public with their little ones, and this can make it downright impossible to remember all of those assignment details you are supposed to remember during a site visit. A little prep work on your part, such as entering some reminders into your smart phone or creating a shopping list that doubles as a cheat sheet for you can give you a reference of sorts to refer back to. After all, the last thing you want to do is to head home from your site visit and realize you didn’t fulfill all of the requirements!
Keeping Kids Happy
As a parent, you no doubt know first hand how whiny and fussy your kids can get if they are bored for too long, and if you spend more than about five minutes walking through a store, you may have reached the limits of their patience. Of course, as a parent, you also have some tricks up your sleeve for how to keep them occupied. This may include passing over your smart phone or tablet so they can play some games or fool around with apps, keeping their mouths and fingers busy with a lollipop or other snack, or putting some headphones on them so they can enjoy some music quietly while you walk through the site location. You will want to plan ahead so you remember to bring snacks, gaming devices, or other fun things to keep them happy for a few extra minutes.
Mystery shopping with kids is a great way for parents to earn some extra money, but it does come with its challenges. When you put some of these tips into motion, though, you can enjoy happier and more productive days mystery shopping with your little ones.