Cresta Shopping Centre recently launched an oasis for parents and their little ones at an intimate breakfast setting in the lower level of their newly renovated food and entertainment court. The state-of-the-art family room facilities sets the Centre apart from any other shopping mall in the country.

The breakfast launch was hosted by, content producer, presenter and mom of two, Kim Jansen, and featured a special keynote address by renowned parenting expert, author, motivational speaker, regular TV and radio guest presenter Nikki Bush. Bush who is co-author of three bestselling books: Future-proof Your Child, Easy Answers to Awkward Questions and Tech-Savvy Parenting, enthralled the audience with her latest on The 10 Commandments When Taking Your Children Shopping.

“In a world where everything is on the go and digitized and parents are becoming more mindful of being present with their children, we saw the creation of this beautiful family room as more than just a facility, but rather as a parent-shopper’s dream,” explains Virginia Bester, General Manager of Cresta Shopping Centre.

When it comes to finding that perfect place to change nappies, feed your baby or offer your kids a clean and beautifully decorated area to take a break from shopping, the new facility definitely sets a new standard. In the picturesque, clean setting you will find well-appointed rooms with lockers, pram and trolley stations, a kitchenette with microwave ovens to warm up bottles or food, an interactive playroom with toys, a nappy changing room with comfortable changing stations and dedicated basins, a family bathroom and the much-coveted breastfeeding room complete with rocking chair .

“One of the things that Nikki Bush shared in her presentation resonated with me – we need to keep finding ways to connect with our children. We hope the family room oasis, will make it a little bit easier for parents and caregivers to connect with their children on their shopping days out,” says Bester.

Bush’s presentation which will be also shared on her blog www.nikkibush.com guided parents on how to make the most of their shopping experiences by means of engaging more with their children, creating a bonding and happy experience for their children and reducing the anxiety of shopping with children. Her 10 Commandments for taking children to shopping Centre’s are outlined as follows:

1. Avoid rush hour – according to Bush, any time after 5pm would be incredibly difficult for both parents and their tots.
2. Make shopping an outing after naptime – when children are refreshed they are much more relaxed and responsive to the experience.
3. Work the visit to the shops into your child’s normal routine – in so doing, your child is much more manageable and responsive to the experience.
4. Never take a hungry child shopping – as this will likely result in delaying the experience until after you have found a place to feed them.
5. Always keep something to eat and drink on hand – this to avoid situations where you succumb to buying fizzy, sugar laden drinks.
6. Hunt in pairs where possible – this makes the experience a lot easier to handle particularly when you have more than one child.
7. Plan your outing strategically so that you are in the right place at the right time – if you do this, you will avoid wasting time going back-and-forth in a Centre and being purposeful in your mission.
8. Take a break if it’s a marathon shop – breaks are important as they allow for children to refresh and handle the experience a lot better.
9. Set the scene/rules/boundaries before you arrive – giving your children a breakdown of what they can expect also allows them to behave in the best way possible.
10. Be the boss – guide your children through the experience, engage with them so that they feel comfortable and confident knowing you are in control.

As one of SA’s most loved-shopping Centre’s, Cresta is committed to creating pleasant and safe shopping experiences for the thousands of shoppers who visit the Centre every year.

Boasting over 250 stores and an immense variety of quality offerings, and a newly launched three level Food and Entertainment Court which includes over 25 local and international restaurants encompassing fast food and casual dining as well as cinemas, bingo, and entertainment offerings , and now the family room oasis, Cresta Shopping Centre knows that parents will enjoy their experiences at the Centre a little bit more with the benefit this safe haven offers them and their little ones.

“We are passionate about making sure our customers are able to shop in a pleasant, safe and secure environment at Cresta shopping Centre and that is why every step of our renovation process is so carefully thought through keeping our shoppers’ needs at the heart of everything that we do,” concludes Bester.