Before Cabin Fever Takes Over. . .(Part 3)

(Part 1 here; Part 2 here)

A few days ago, the kids and I went to one of their favorite places for food and play: IKEA. Yes, IKEA.

Now, I'm going to assume most of you know of the Stoughton location and may have even been there for a shopping ~~binge~~ trip. But, you may not have thought of it as a place to spend a few quality hours with the kids on a lazy afternoon. I will attempt to show you how you can do this without spending a fortune.

First a couple of "don't say I didn't warn you's":

1. Under no circumstances should you attempt to do this excursion on a weekend or other major shopping day. I've had to run into IKEA on a Saturday (alone) and nearly suffered a panic attack. If I had to watch my children AND maneuver through the crowds, I don't think I'd make it.

2. This is not a good idea if you've never been to IKEA and really, really want to look at everything and SHOP. The kids will think the shopping is fun for about ten minutes, and it is a R-E-A-L-L-Y big place. There is always a mom trying to ignore her weeping child as she looks at "just one more thing". Forget it. If you want to really shop, go without the kids.

3. Don't attempt this if you can't control yourself among all the inexpensive racks of stuff. Set a limit to how much you are willing to spend, bring cash and leave the credit cards at home.

Now, here is my plan: when I take the kids, there are three, sometimes four, areas we need to hit. The first three can be done in any order, depending on your moods (with some scheduling which will be noted).

(First, a tip: when you pull into the parking lot, one of the first aisles of parking--I believe it is "C"-- has "Family Parking" at the very end. There are about 5-6 spots specifically reserved for families, and it allows you to get the kids into the store without having to walk behind any cars in the parking lot.)

Stop 1

Look for the drop-off play area called "Smalland". It is a brightly colored, fully staffed play area that is available to kids who are both potty trained and within the required height markers. It is a good idea to check this place first since it can fill up quickly and wait times for a spot can get long. On our last visit, we didn't check Smalland until we had done everything else. When Belly heard that the wait was going to be more than 30 minutes---longer then we could wait---she almost wept.

If your child goes into Smalland, you will be given a beeper and told what time you need to return to pick up your little love muffin (usually between 45 minutes and one hour). There is glass on the side of Smalland so that you can watch your child for a bit before you tear off into the store. (My recommendation? If you want to buy things, stick to the first floor, the Marketplace; if you want to browse and look at things, go upstairs to the Showroom).

When I take the kids, usually the girls go into Smalland, but I'm still left with my tall-enough but-still-in-diapers son. We will usually head to the Showroom to walk around. He sits on couches and runs through each room display. There are strategically placed mini puppet theaters around the Showroom for him to play in as well.

Stop 2

A visit to IKEA without food would be a real downer, so our second stop is always the cafeteria which is on the second floor. To get there, take the elevator (next to Smalland) to the second floor, and it will pretty much open into the cafeteria. Restrooms are also nearby (and please forgive this bizarre display of affection, but the bathrooms even have cute, teeny tiny sinks just for the kids! Hold me!)

If you have a load of kids, grab one of the metal carts that allow you to slide your trays onto little shelves---so much easier to carry everything. There are several options for the kids, from Mac & Cheese to Swedish Meatballs and Fries. They even sell those little PB&J frisbee-sandwich things. My three adore the meatballs & fries, which comes with a drink (I wish they offered lids for their cute little plastic cups. Without fail, one of my kids knocks their drink all over the place).

For us grown ups, there are plenty of options. I was saddened to see my favorite vegetarian dish was replaced by an Alfredo-sauce/Vegetable/Pasta combo, but it tasted good and was a bargain at $3.99 for the pasta, garlic bread and salad. Our four meals cost just over $11.

If your kids don't need you to feed them, head to the brightly colored plastic eating area. They can sit with their meals at little IKEA tables and chairs and watch a movie while they eat (Monster's Inc was on Thursday). I sat at the counter around the play area and wished I had brought a book or a friend.

Stop 3

Just outside the cafeteria, on the other side of the elevators, is the children's merchandise. Here you can buy toys, art supplies, night lights, swings and stuffed animals. What makes this a "stop" on our playdate is that IKEA has placed a bunch of these items in the middle of the floor for the kids to 'try out'. There are pop-up tents, a see-saw, tables and chairs, a big air mattress and a few other toys. While you need to keep your eye on your kids in this section, lest they wander away (yup, happened to me, so heed my warning), it is possible to browse the aisles nearby for drawing paper, storage bins or fun lamps. When your kids ask you to buy them a cute, squishy stuffed animal, do what I do and tell them the animal lives at the store and needs to stay with his friends. You could just say no, but I prefer my lies.

Optional Stop 4

By now, the kids should be full and tired. Make your way back downstairs---if you have any merchandise, you will need to walk through the Marketplace and the Warehouse to find the registers. My advice is to ignore the signs, find an employee and ask them for the fastest route to the registers. IKEA has directional signs everywhere, but these signs are designed to insure that you miss no section of the store. If you follow them, be ready to walk for quite a ways. There are carriages on this floor, so tired kids can ride.

Just past the registers, you will find my "Optional Stop 4". I say this is optional because, chances are, no one is still hungry for food. But, IF the kids still need a small smackeral (as Pooh would say), there is an "Exit Bistro" which sells hot dogs, ice cream cones, cinnamon rolls and other low-fat, healthy food items (ha!). Prices are cheap, cheap, cheap (my suggestion: grab a bag of frozen meatballs too; they come in handy when you have no time to make dinner).

And, rejoice! Spring is here, so it is only a matter of time until cabin fever is just a distant memory.