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Hi Sarah,
I enjoyed this post - it reminded me of having a membership at Heritage Plantation in Sandwich, MA which has a FREE merry go-round - we went there frequently during the summer, bringing a picnic, when my sons were young. If your children are older than about 4, you may be able to get around the $20 purchases at the zoo. If you wait until they are asking for something (i.e. a dvd rental, for example) you can let them choose (but not rent) the dvd and some special snacks to bring - and then after they agree to and don't "ask" for stuff at the zoo, you can stop for the dvd on the way home...Just a thought, it worked for me...I hope you get to the zoo! It's also a great chance to teach about money...Beth

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Maybe your kids would be willing to buy a treat for the animals instead of themselves? I think the sugar water for the Lorikeets costs a buck (although maybe that's gone up too!), and that's more exciting than elephant ears even if it's not as tasty. The first few trips will be the hardest, but then they'll get used to knowing that the zoo isn't a treat place for them anymore.

One other hint--we always hit the zoo right at 9:00 and most of the food stalls aren't open yet.

I do sympathize with the underlying problem, though. We don't have it with the zoo, but it sure shows up in other places. Once you buy your child a treat (food or toy or whatever) once, they'll demand it every time you go to that store or event. For us it is ice cream at indoor soccer. And invariably these situations are out in public so who wants to provoke the yelling, screaming showdown? Right now it's just not a battle I want to fight.

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This is a shame..we need our zoo's, the kids need to be able to enjoy and learn from these facilities. Obviously they make money off the vendors, but I would agree with the ladies above, work something out for the children so that they may continue and we don't lose funding for the zoos. This is one of the few childrens attractions..and adults...that you can also learn from. Don't deprive our youth from the learning experfience, plus time with family. At worst..that would be the best $20.00 you spent..Family..Education..Fun..Relaxation

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Waaa, waaa, waaa. So much whining these days. I have to agree with the others, but I'm not gonna sugar-coat it like those other nice folks did. To penalize our wonderful zoos for your lack of parenting/disciplining skills is selfish, to say the least, AND then there is the question of your children's welfare. Maybe you had too many children, did you not know how they got here?, did someone force you to have three when one or two might have been the number of children you could handle? I'll admit, I only had one cuz that was all I could handle. But she didn't get a quarter to ride the grocery store horsey until after the shopping. It all starts with YOU deciding you are going to be their parent, their caregiver, their nurturer, their teacher, and NOT their friend (not yet, anyway)! You (= you & your husband) set the boundaries, you maintain the controls, you drive the boat! And guess where it all starts? In your home before you go anywhere or do anything. I'm sorry to have started so negatively but today I hear so much about people not taking responsibility for their own actions that I could scream (& I'm loud!)! And that's how you sound, you had your children, take care of them, stop blaming overpriced vendors for your shortcomings as a parent. I am a nanny to my 19-month old grandson, who is 1/2 orphaned cuz his wonderful Dad was killed in Afghanistan in June 2007 (see "alwaysatexan" on My Space for more about him or Google Capt. Darrell C Lewis) & I could blame a lot of people for that but I refuse to, for RaShawn's sake. My daughter & I maintain a happy, positive home for RJ as my husband is an over-the-road truck driver, a career he & I shared until my son-in-law's death. RJ is a very headstrong little boy (the total opposite of my daughter) but he is not gonna grow up thinking that his way is the only way, and IT IS SO HARD sometimes, I get out of his sight & cry but it has to be done to allow him to become the outstanding grown up he is destined to become. He is an amazing child so loved by everyone he encounters because he is so loving himself. And that is because we affectionately give him boundaries that let him know how much we love, adore & care for him at home & those same boundaries are maintained in public. He tries & tries...& tries but he knows, but he tries any way cuz he is so hard-headed just like me & that's is also why I know good & loving discipline starts at home, just like good manners and good etiquette, etc. because of the loving rearing I got growing up in the 60's when everyone around me was allowed to do whatever they wanted. OH, lastly, I said earlier "not their friend, not yet anyway", I meant when they are children. Because if you raise the greatest people in the world then when they are adults they want to be friends with you and next to grandparenting and being raised by amazing parents yourself, that is one of God's phenomenal gifts, a gift extraordinaire. God bless your little brood & you & your husband, you've got your work cut out for ya but it is an amazingly rewarding job, I know because our Liz is now 26 & one of the the most refreshingly astonshishing persons I've ever known. It is hard but so-o-o-o worth it. RaShawn's Grandma, Carey :)

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Seriously...sorry, gotta agree with the last post and TOTALLY disagree with the blog. The very IDEA that you have to deny your children something as wonderful and economical as a trip to the zoo is NUTS. We had virtually NO money when our kids were growing up. Our entire budget for the children's entertainment consisted of a zoo membership and a museum membership. And that was ALL we needed. Between regular trips to the venues, special events held there on holidays, behind the scenes weekends, the lending libriaries of books and artifacts, that was all we needed. And we NEVER heard ONE bit of whining about snacks. Do you know WHY. Because we NEVER offered them. They were NEVER an option. Like all the other things we couldn't afford. WE brought a wagon and a cooler or a soft side cooler and PACKED LUNCH. The treat for the day was a special dessert they usually didn't get, or just eating outside next to an animal. My children were taught to be GRATEFUL for the little things. Children WHINE because parents LET THEM. My children were NOT perfect, but they sure NEVER whined about not getting material things. There are SO many other things that are difficult in raising children. Why parents allow themselves to fall into a trap that's as simple to avoid as this is CRAZY. Be honest next time you're at the zoo. Look around you. Is EVERY child whining. No they're not. DON'T BLAME THE ZOO for YOUR SHORTCOMINGS.

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Did it ever occur to you that this is a wonderful opportunity to teach your family how to eat healthy? Bringing nutritious snacks and lunches and allowing one splurge will set the foundation for learning a healthier nutritious lifestyle. If you give in to your children's every whim and whine you are headed down the road to disaster. You can show your family what healthy foods the animals eat too. Make this learning experience fun for all. My husband and I would rather give up eating out than forgo our zoo membership (at the midrange level of $250 to your $100). You should not deprive your family of a wonderful time spent together.

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Gracious, this is not a sign of recession. Those things have always been high and will always get higher and people will always complain. Discipline the kids, I have four. Not one of them whined more than once. Why, if we went out and they whined, I packed them back up and we left. I also gave them a budget for the day. They could spend in on anything. Souvenirs or treats. They soon learned that treats disappear, while souvenirs last.

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I was shocked to hear about people backing off visits to the zoo. I guess that I am a little spoiled due to the fact that The St. Louis Zoo has FREE admission. There are small fess for some of the special exhibits, but you can just walk right in and enjoy the day. If you are worried about the cost of treats and snacks at the zoo, then put your foot down and say the word that to many parents these days have forgotten, NO!! I have taken young siblings and relatives to the zoo on numerous occasions and have not once had to buy snacks. We go with our water bottles and few things to munch on, or we pack a picnic and enjoy lunch in the park, and I have never had to deal with the "I want" and "Give me that". You are the adult, act like one.

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Like so many others, I'm on a very tight budget, but I still take my kids to places like the zoo because it IS affordable. Once you spring for the membership, it actually doesn't cost anything to go there (other than gas, but that's another story).

My kids are 4 and 6 and they know that the reason we get to do fun stuff like the zoo is because we don't spring for extras like the overpriced snacks and souvenirs they sell at places like this. In their entire lives, I've only bought them one sno cone at the zoo and they haven't died from a lack of treats. Guess what, I even made them share it, so it only cost us $1.50. Can you tell that I'm frugal?

I think you need to teach your kids about needs vs. wants. This can be a good learning tool. They don't need an elephant ear, but they do need something to eat. Pack your own snacks and be firm about how lucky they are to get to go to the zoo at all.

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Woah, folks. You are all right that it's better not to give in to whining ever, and it's best not to make a habit of buying treats in the first place. Yes, the zoo is a wonderful place and we shouldn't withdraw our support.

I think Sarah's post is more about what to do if your family/children expect a treat and it's not something you can afford anymore or if your spending priorities have changed. How do you break that cycle and change children's expectations? It's a hard thing to explain to a young child, and sometimes it is best to avoid the whole situation for awhile until parents have a strong enough resolve to deal with the potential public upset.

For me, this means avoiding taking my eight-year-old to the bookstore when we're buying a gift for his friend's birthday. Why? Because if he's with me, he'll want a book or two himself, and I will have a hard time saying no. Better to make that trip myself and take him to the library instead. I just don't want to blow my budget these days, even on something as wonderful as books. Same as Sarah and the zoo.

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