Grocery shopping question
Any suggestions or ideas for how to successfully grocery shop with little ones? I could use all the help I could get.
posted by Crystal Paine at 1:40 PM
Wednesday, June 21, 2006
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22 Comments:
With 23 month old twins, I feel your pain! If we go to the "fancy" grocery with carts that have little steering wheels, we're all set! For regular shopping, here are my three tips:
1) Bring a novel thing to play with - pipecleaners, stress ball, whatever you can find in the bottom of your purse that she hasn't played with recently. I don't bring out the toys until sitting quietly isn't working any more.
2) Bring food that isn't too messy, but takes a while to eat. I give each kid a small bag of raisins - they're easy to pick up if they get dropped and rolled over with the cart! Sometimes I put a special treat (like crackers) in my pocket and dole them out one at a time. I bring out the food only after the toys are no longer interesting. Warning - have enough that you won't run out! Two meltdowns in the produce section after the bag ran dry...not pretty!
3) Hustle!! :) I list my groceries by aisle, so there is no backtracking.
I know of some moms who can leave their kiddos with G-ma, another close relative or friend. Trading off with a friend in the same boat is an option if there aren't too many children to look after.
Another idea is to take along a young lady that you want to mentor or simply spend time with. She can be another set of hands and security in helping you make it through the maze of the grocery store. My aunt had me help in this way when my cousin was born. I was only 10 at the time, but was old enough to be of great help to her.
I would love to hear some tips, too. One thing that has worked well for my daughter (14 months) is going first thing in the morning and either bringing a snack or buying a bagel, plus a few small toys. Elizabeth also likes to hold a purchase I make that she likes, such as bananas or cheese.
Julia
Probably the most efficient way I went shopping when my daughter was about Kathrynne's age was to either go right away in the morning after breakfast or after her afternoon nap and snack. That way she is well rested, fed and agreeable. (hopefully) My Lindsay always liked to "help" so I would try to include her as much as possible. That seemed to help more than any toys or food, which usually ended up on the floor.
Most importantly, have an accurate, detailed list, and all coupons in order before you go in the store. I also noticed that you will try to shop at three different stores in one outing. Sometimes that can be too much time in the car seat for the little ones. My rule of thumb was one store per outing. Sometimes the money you lose on gas making several trips is worth the peace. Good luck! It eventually gets better!
Kim in WI
My mom used to leave us in the car. :) That doesn't work so much these days!
I've found that if I give her the list and maybe even a crayon to color with plus some snacks, she does pretty well.
Hi Crystal~
I have a 6 and 3 year old and one on the way...this will change things up no doubt. However, I rarely go shopping without getting a snack for everyone first(either at home or at the coffee shop). They are both aloud to bring one toy. My eldest helps get things off the shelf sometimes.
Also, you can let them "help" by holding your list until you need it or give them a piece of paper and pen..they can make their own list or draw a pic for mommy.
It isn't easy, but it doesn't have to be miserable. Another idea, make sure everyone has a sufficient nap before going or going soon after waking in the morning...hungry and tired are the enemy!
Blessings,
Sommer
I can't help those with more then one child (yet :-). However, i've had a lot of success putting my 18mo old in a sling, either on my hip or on my back. He is generally compliant, but if he gets really antsy, I let him down. He also likes to "help" push the cart. As long as I'm around to steer, he does a great job... even a full cart from Costco, ha ha!
My husband says he saw someone at the store the other day with a DVD player in front of the little boy on the cart - think that might be a little over the top, don't you? :)
Suckers (or lollipops, whatever you call them) work wonders. :) Give a child a sucker once they start to get restless in the cart. Just make sure you have some wipes in your purse. ;)
We always just bought the little "dum-dum" suckers because they were small and didn't have gum or anything in the center that you had to worry about. And they're easy to stick in your purse.
This may not be an option where you live, and I had to shop several towns away, but when my son was small, and my #2 as well, in that "I don't want to sit" stage, I'd shop at stores that had "cars" for carts. They are shopping carts that have a miniature car attached to the front, almost like an outside play car, and the kids can sit in it while you push them around. Not as much room for groceries, but I found that to be a LIFESAVER for that stage.
I try to not shop with kids along, and for several years that worked out for me because I would shop when my husband could stay home with the kids. Now I try to take only 1 or 2 kids at a time so that they can have some special time with me.
I find that all the kids do better if they feel they are helping me. They may hold my list or hold a bag of something for me. Sometimes I might let them get down and get things off the shelf. You can ask their opinion on stuff that doesn't really matter either way. ("Should we get more grapes or do you think we have enough now?")
Definitely a snack and a drink of water.
Definitely organize your list by aisle to make it as fast as possible.
Having kids along is what killed my use of coupons. I could not hem and haw in the aisles figuring out which thing was cheapest when I factored in my coupons. It saved my sanity a lot more to just go ahead and but all of the regular stuff that I get.
(I have a standard grocery shopping list on my computer. I print it out every 2 weeks and add or cross off any changes that need to be made. Keeps things simple.)
I think that for kids that are old enough to understand, make an impression on them about the importance of their obedience in the store. Before going into the store you can tell them the rules, and what the consequences will be. The simplest consequences you can do that work in a store is, "If you do not behave properly we will leave the store." If you think this will be challeneged by your child, be sneaky and plan a trip to the store when you don't actually care of you get your shopping done. As soon as the kids break your rules, turn right around and go back to the car and drive home. They will be shocked and horrified, but you have made an impression. For parents with really tough cases you may have to do this act two times or so, but once they see that you really will leave, they will know you mean business. After that your trips should be simpler. :)
My kids love to go to the store with me so nobody wants to get in trouble.
This is what worked for me:
1. Make sure my son is rested.
2. Bring him to the store hungry and then when we get to the store, let him have a bagel and/or fruit. He thinks of this as a special treat and it keeps him occupied for quite some time. (Before he was eating bagels, I would bring his lunch and let him eat that while I shopped.)
3. Involve him as much as possible. Talk to him, explaining what I'm buying, what it is used for, etc. Let him push the buttons for the produce stickers. Let him get the items from the shelf and put them in the cart.
4. Be very attuned to him, and wrap up the shopping when he's showing signs of reaching his limits. (This keeps the shopping a positive experience, which lends itself to the next time being positive as well.)
5. Use the special cars that some stores provide. If rules aren't followed, the priviledge is removed and he must sit in a cart.
6. Use a time out, if necessary.
7. Provide special treats for good behavior as we shop, such as going to look at the lobsters, playing in the kitchen aisle, etc.
For me, I would never dream of leaving my son with someone so I can shop in peace. By being with me, I am able to teach him appropriate behavior and involve him in all aspects of the shopping process, thus teaching him many valuable skills. (My son even learned some of his numbers by pushing the numbers on the produce scales. He's also, at only three, learning about money, paying for things, getting change back, etc.) He's also learning self-cotnrol, not to mention he and I are having a wonderful bonding experience together. Now that he's 3 1/2, I can honestly say that grocery shopping is one of our favorite activities to do together.
This has been on my mind recently, too, having just ventured out grocery shopping for the first time since baby boy #3 was born. We used to use the fun racecar carts (all our grocery stores have them now), but until I get a better baby carrier (ergo, here we come!), three kiddos don't fit. So the older two (4 and 2) have to walk now. I require that they stay right by me, and letting them help definitely keeps them busy - selecting and weighing produce, even if I don't care about the weight; choosing the cereal (within limits), etc. They love to be given the responsibility to put things in the cart as well. We like to go see the lobsters, too. :-D I rarely bring snacks, but that can be helpful - if you get something at the deli, you can usually get a free slice of cheese. :-D
This isn't exactly advice, but I saw this on a blog right before reading your post...photos from a mom who takes photos of her baby each time they go to the supermarket. The photos are so cute! Maybe they will help by being inspiring. Here's the link:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/paseodelsur/sets/1519430/
Wow, these were some great ideas and encouragement. Very, very helpful! Now I'm almost anxious to go to the store again and implement all this!!
Hi Crystal,
Thanks for posting my comment! The URL I gave doesn't show up entirely, so I've reformatted it at tinyurl.com:
http://tinyurl.com/h5fxc
Thanks,
Emily
With 4 children to take to the store, I got a couple of ideas. When I was young my mom always took us everywhere she went. It was really good for us! We learned how to grocery shop as we grew up. I remember being really small and holding the calculator for mom so we could figure out which package was the cheapest.
With just one child I would buckle her in the front of the cart. I told them at that age several times to make sure they remember and remind them several times in the store. "The bakery has free cookies, if you are quiet in the store you will get a cookie. If you are not Mama will eat your cookie" I am not sure if she will get this yet or not, but it worked wonders in the grocery store after 2 times of going without a cookie, it was alot more peaceful.
With little ones I make sure they have eaten otherwise the sight of all that food and hungry tummy is way too much. I have heard bagels reccomended as they are harder to chew and take the entire store to chew.
Something that helps too when I have to go alot of places is bringing someone with me. Then if the baby falls asleep in the car and you have 2 more places to run into, you can run in and out without waking the baby.
I fed mine! (My children are all grown now and I am a grandma). They learned early on that they had to be strapped in, or sitting down in the back of the cart, or when older, walking alongside holding onto the edge so I knew where they were at all times. I had 3 to deal with. When the older 2 were very small, I would go immediately and get something like animal crackers for them to munch on. As they grew older they understood that I had to finish first and THEN they got a treat to choose, or if they had misbehaved, no treats were bought. I also involved them as much as I could in choosing what kind of cereal, or helping find the best veggies...etc. All of them are fairly good shoppers today.
My son's family who have all my grandchildren so far, have food allergies, so this system is not available to them. So they are not taken to the store anymore than necessary. Also, my dil has not trained them to sit in the cart quietly yet...if mine misbehaved, a few times I simply put everything back and left the store and they were not allowed to go again for a very long time. They grew up viewing it as something of a special treat to be allowed to go.
When my siblings and I were young, my mom went grocery shopping with all of us lined up behind her in age order. Everybody thought it was neat and gave us compliments, which made us feel special and want to behave well.
Now, I do our family's grocery shopping with my 1 1/2-year-old brother. He's a great helper!!! I do 3 specific things that help make our shopping trips very enjoyable experiences.
1.) I talk to him intelligently about what I'm doing, and listen to his responses. We converse at a pretty high level, much to the amusement and amazement of my fellow shoppers!
2.) I let him help. It's his responsibility to:
-hold twist ties in his pocket and hand them to me when I need them;
-put in bags the produce that I hand him (apples, tomatoes, lemons, etc.);
-help unload the cart (just the things that are on top, that he can reach by turning around in his seat); and
-push the buttons on the PIN pad device.
He knows his jobs, loves them, and reminds me when I forget and start to do them myself.
3.) I plan the shopping trip for maximum efficiency. We move very quickly through the aisles and I always know exactly where I'm going, so he never gets bored sitting in the same place.
These 3 things help a great deal, but they work only because my brother is trained to obey. Knowing that I simply won't let him get his way helps him to behave well -- so well that I often hear other moms pointing him out to their kids who are throwing tantrums, "Look at that little boy sitting so quietly? Can't you do that?!"
I'm grateful for my parents' commitment to train their children in this way, so that it's FUN for me to take my brother shopping!
My 2 daughters have always loved grocery shopping and have done whatever they could to "help". However, both of my sons, have had different 'ideas' at the grocery store!! When my 8 year old son was between 18mths-4 yrs. these 2 ideas worked great for him and now they are starting to work with my 18mth son as well. Make up a couple of 'Grocery Bingo' cards. I have little cards (in page protectors so they can be marked on and then reused) with things they can find in the store...of course you can change the items with age appropriate items...start with easy things and you may even want to start out by just talking about them when you find each one (if they're too young for a marker). Another 'game' that has worked is our 'color game'. "Can you find 3 things on this aisle that are green?" and so on...
The other ideas people have listed on here have worked great too...make sure they aren't tired, they're tummies are full, etc. etc. etc.
This is my first time of 'official blogging'...too exciting!! My 2 daughters were always great grocery shopping with me, as long as they thought they were 'helping', they were content. AS for my sons..that is a different story! When my oldest son was between 18mths. and 3 yrs. a couple of games worked great with him and now they are starting to work just as well with our 19 mth. old son! Try 'Grocery Bingo'. Make out little cards (in page protectors so they can be marked on and reused)with different things for them to look for at the store. You can start out easy (depending on age) and get harder. You can even start out just talking about items, instead of marking them. Another game is the 'Color game', "Can you find 3 items on this aisle that are green?" you can make this more challenging based on age, as well. The other ideas that have been listed work great too...make sure they are rested, tummies full, etc. etc. etc.
I remember those crazy shopping days! I have 5 kids, the oldest is now 16, youngest is 7. To this day, my 16yo son, who is taller than I am and has facial hair, will put his hand on the cart as we walk in the store. It is funny! I say to him, "Hon, I know you're not going to run away. You don't need to keep your hand on the cart anymore." LOL
My tips don't differ from others. I did insist that the youngest stay in the cart seat, and older ones have a hand on the cart when we were in any parking lot... people just don't see little ones, and are in a hurry to get in or out of a parking lot. Dangerous!
Also, timing is key. Go when everyone is fresh, or go when dad is home to watch the kiddos. I shopped many nights at midnight, between nursings, but I live in a very safe area.
I would also add that we need to be careful as moms to remember that A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger." I have seen too many moms acting like toddlers themselves in stores when their kids misbehaved.
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