After you have kids, shopping becomes a whole different experience. I used to be able to dash into the grocery store grab a gallon of milk and be back home within ten minutes. Now when I run out of milk, I start experimenting with sour cream to avoid the 45 minute ordeal that I will inevitably face with my kids at the store. My boys transform into screaming banshees everytime we walk through those automatic doors. This usually results in a lot of empathetic smiles and a few angry glares. Grocery shopping is a very necessary part of life for most moms. So it is essential to find a way to help your kids and your shopping trips co-exists peacefully. You can create conditions that help your kids to behave better by trying these sane shopping tips:
PLAN AHEAD
Go to the store during the time of day that your child(ren) are best behaved. Usually well before naps or right after one. Make sure that you and the kids have full bellies to avoid hunger melt downs for them and impulse buys for you. Organize your shopping list according to where things are in the store. This will help you avoid zig-zagging around the store. Bring a small toy to keep them occupied while you shop.
DISCUSS YOUR SHOPPING LIST
Talking to your kids about what you need to buy help them to embrace this shopping trip as their job as well as yours. They also become more amicable when you tell them about all of the snacks that you are getting for them. As an added bonus, they may help you remember something you otherwise might have forgotten.
TRY TO TALK OUT THE TANTRUMS
If a melt down does occur, react calmly. Take your child to a quiet corner and ask them to express their feelings. It may take a minute to get them to calm down and talk. Acknowledge whatever feeling they seem to be feeling (usually anger or frustration) and try to relate. Say something like, “when I feel like this it makes me want to kick a pole”. That will usually make them giggle and chime in their own solution to their frustration.
Taking your kids to the grocery store is always a gamble, but by applying these tips you can increase your odds for a successful shopping trip.
