Dear Parents, Please Encourage Your Children To Explore New Places

Do we even see our local businesses anymore, or are we starting to be just robots, programmed to blindly search for a logo we recognize? Have we stopped making choices based upon how we wish to live and spend, and are now just operating in "safe mode" of familiar chain brands and national retail or dining options?

It's occurring to me more frequently these days how much we (consumers) have come to rely upon the chains, corporations and recognizable logos - the ones which are familiar and are easy and comfortable to walk into. Does that mean we are avoiding anything out of the ordinary, perhaps choosing to avoid a new store or gamble on a different type of dining experience? If we stick to only the places we know well such as chain food outlets which are reassuringly all the same, are we shrinking away from trying new adventures - and perhaps unknowingly launching a process of closing our eyes and minds and wallets to the independent gift store, a family-run diner or the locally owned bakery?

Parents of course, are instrumental in the development of how their children perceive whether or not to take such "risks". Encouragement of a lifestyle which embraces new possibilities, prompts curiosity and promotes excitement over exploration of new places could lead to wonderfully inquiring minds! This in turn, may create adventure seekers eager to try out independent restaurants or allow them the ability to pass up heavily promoted corporate brands. But are parents doing this? By large, I see people gravitating towards familiar logos, colors and signage - making decisions to turn away from Smith's candy shop and head to Walmart instead - or who quietly shoo the kids peering in the windows of a family style restaurant, away in favor of a Denny's.

We all have the ability to suggest lunch at Bob's Diner rather than Applebee's. With the eyes of your kids observing and mimicking what they see, might showing enthusiasm for adventure be a wise strategy? These seemingly small and yet often-repeated actions could greatly influence how they will perceive future decisions - hopefully, with a flexible mind, one which is open to trying new things and excited to explore the uniqueness found in many independent businesses. I'd hate to think that following the norm, heading to the same dining establishments or shopping only in big box warehouses, could send a message of zero tolerance for anything off the beaten path.

community advocate • marketing consultant • voice for small business

classic car lover • salt life • believer that "together we accomplish more"