How to Survive the Grocery Store with Your Kids
I happen to be one of those people who spend hours comparing prices in grocery circulars and clipping coupons twice a month. (Ok, so truth be told, I do coupons weekly!) I make an extensive list of meals that I can make for the following two weeks and shop only to that list and of course to the other little necessities that we use daily. I go to at least 4 different stores on my twice monthly grocery run and do my best to do it all very early on a Saturday morning when my husband is home to watch the kids. But there are just sometimes that early Saturday shopping trips just aren’t workable and I have to venture out during the week with my kids to do major shopping.
I’ve found that for short trips to places like Target or Wal-Mart, the kids do fairly well and are entertained as long as we stop by the dollar section or toy section first, even if just to browse, or if I promise that we will visit it within a few minutes of arrival. But on those occasions when I need to focus on my list and purchase more than just a handful of items, the following “survival tools” are essential!
1. GET ORGANIZED BEFORE YOU GO! – If you are familiar with the store you are going to visit, write your list out in order of how you normally go up and down the aisles. Even if you aren’t 100% familiar with the store layout, you can organize your list by produce, meats, dairy, baby items, household goods and processed foods. The less time you take looking up and down the aisles for exactly what you need, the less time you have for your kids to act up.
2. GO EARLY! – don’t wait until naptime or right before to do your shopping with your kids if you can avoid it. Meltdowns are inevitable if you are pushing that threshold. All it takes is one “no” and you’ll have a screaming child for your entire trip!
3. TAKE A SNACK! – Who can be cranky when they have something to stuff in their mouths?! Bring along some Cheerios or fish crackers in a snack cup or give them a special treat and pick up a fun-sized box of their favorite snack food at the store. As long as you aren’t going through the do-it-yourself checkout lane, it won’t matter if they’ve eaten some or all their snack!
4. GET YOUR CHILD INVOLVED! – Go down each isle and have your child pick out 5 things with blue packaging, get them to help you find exactly what you are looking for (even if you know where it is), or have them count the items in your basket. If your kids are older, use the grocery store to teach them about nutrition facts by having them read and compare labels of their favorite foods. Another fun trick is to have them keep a tally of how much you have spent with a small calculator. It will help keep you in budget and will teach them basic math skills.
How do you manage shopping trips with your children? What tricks or tips do you have that help keep the peace?
Photo Courtesy of Joe Thorn
Share the fun: Email + Del.icio.us + Digg + Technorati
I asked my friend (Amanda!!) to watch my son last time. It helped a lot because he always needs to go potty at some point and I have my 9 month old too. However, there are times that I have to go with my kids too. I ask my son to help me with things (he is 3). If I don’t do that he will ask me about every 5 min. if we are going!
Great post! Looking forward to seeing more of you.
Thanks Natalie! And yes, there is nothing like running to the potty with your preschooler 5 times while trying to shop!
I only have one tiny tyke who’s 22 months. I like to get all the chores done during the week so that the weekend can be fun time. I swear by your 1, 2, and 4 suggestions. Number one gets you through the store fast, two helps you beat the crowds, and four keeps the kiddos (or at least my kiddo) interested.
I recently did a post on my blog about a horrendous shopping trip with my 4 kiddos (7,5,4,and 8 months). My oldest having to go potty multiple times is what almost put me over the edge.;) It is truly one of my least favorite things to do. I would rather fight the Sunday crowds and do it by myself.:) Your idea of involving the kids is a good one. Two of mine are definitely old enough to even be given a short list and be responsible for finding those items when we get to that particular aisle…love the calculator idea too. Great post!!
Thanks for the compliments everyone!
Another tip I try to do with my son is make sure we try to potty before we leave the house AND when we get to the store… then as we check out, I’ll ask him again. Sometimes prevention is key!
Love it Christy! As the children get older you will find ways to involve them even more. Parker (6) amanages the list, reads coupons and marks items off the list as Kennedy (2) counts the items and then hurls them into the basket. *This allows time for Parker to unconsciously practice reading and for Kennedy to practice her numbers…and pitching skills…lol
Thanks for the helpful tips! Much needed advice! I tend to avoid grocery shopping entirely lately because I just don’t feel up to it, but obviously that’s not really an option
These are great ideas!
Thanks for the tips! I would add one thing, and it kind of ties in with #4 and #2. I try to remember that, when I go shopping with my kids, it’s probably going to take longer than it would if I were by myself. So I think it’s important not to shop when you’re rushed or pressed for time. It will make the experience much more enjoyable if you’re not in a hurry!
Sharon, you mentioned my biggest shopping downfall. Rushing! If anything will sabotage our shopping experience this is it. ): Getting better though!(:
I have finally accepted that someone WILL have to go potty while we are out no matter how I try to prevent it. Just stepping into the refrigerator/freezer section and my 2 1/2 year, like clockwork, has to potty! (:
Not rushing is a great point too!!! We usually don’t have a time-crunch problem, but it is definitely much easier when you don’t have to look at the watch constantly! Oh and Dawn, my shopping trip last week inspired me to revisit all of my old tricks that work! Of course last week’s horrific trip was because I didn’t implement my own tips!
Live and Learn!
Debbie, LOL my five year old son pulls out the “I-have-to-go-potty” card EVERY time we go to the store. I think he just likes using the toilets there, though, because you have to go up this cool, windy staircase to get to it.
I actually like going shopping with my two (6 and 1). I just make sure to go at the right time of day, have a shopping list made in the order we’ll walk around the store, and have a snack for the little one. We do lots of talking and singing to get through happily. And the kids are typically so cute that strangers will stop and visit with them (that helps!!!).