Grocery Shopping With...(GASP!) Your Children

As I was walking through the grocery store one day it suddenly occured to me that there was once a time when taking my daughter to the grocery store terrified me.  As a newborn...what if she cried?  What if she wanted to nurse and I was only half done shopping?  What if everyone looked at me and scoffed because she wouldn't stop crying?  The mere thought of it made me not want to ever go grocery shopping again, that is until I realized, I would have to.  Somehow I would have to find a new normal.  So I did.  Now I only have one child, but I think some of these tips will easily be applied when I have more than one child as well.

So here you go, a few tips that might help you as you venture out into the grocery store after welcoming your first born into the world, or maybe you are on #2 and you can't fathom how it will work with 2 kids now!  Hopefully these will help put your mind at ease a bit.

Image from Kolcraft.com

• Use a baby carrier-  I cannot recommend enough using a baby carrier for your baby while grocery shopping.  When you have a newborn, how in the world are you supposed to fit all of your stuff in the grocery cart if your car seat is in the basket?  I know you can put the baskets on some stores grocery carts seat areas (some stores won't work) but they never felt completely stable to me.  So I quickly learned to leave the car seat in the car and bring my carrier/sling with me into the store.  Makes for a much better experience, and typically your baby is less fussy nestled into you anyway.  When you have a baby and a toddler then piece of cake...toddler still gets to sit in the seat of the cart.

• Take snacks (and have backup snacks!)-  our trips to the grocery store go much better with an 18 month old if I have snacks with us.  I don't typically bring back up snacks (though I probably should!) but I just fill a sandwich baggy 1/3-1/2 full of whatever the snack is (pretzels, goldfish, crackers, Cheerios  etc) and let it sit next to Abbie in the grocery cart.  She is happy and content and I can get my shopping done.

• Treat your child with respect-  I know this sounds kind of funny, but hear me out on this.  Of course we all assume we treat our children with respect, but do you really?  In the grocery store for example, talk to them like you would anyone else.  Engage them in what you are doing.  Walking by the fruits and veggies section?  Talk to them about the different types and colors.  They are living beings who will someday need to be highly functioning adults.  Now you don't need to push them to learn too much and make every trip be a big ordeal but engage with them while you are shopping and chances are the distraction will help keep them better behaved.

• Give them something to look forward to-  On our trips I try and make sure to keep Abbie's interests in mind.  For us this means a stop at the fish tanks, or better yet...the lobster tank if the store is only a grocery store.  Abbie loves the lobsters, sometimes we even name them (that may be cruel...I dunno, but I find it hilarious!).  If your store doesn't have either, then take a trip down the toy aisle.  Set clear boundaries for your children though.  Make sure they understand that you aren't buying any toys today, just look at them and see if its something they could ask for for birthdays, or even save up their allowance to buy, etc.  I've found that when I set clear parameters, even with an 18 month old and I follow through with them, I get respect and less tantrums in return, since she knows what to expect.  

• Give yourself a break-  sometimes just leave the kids at home with your hubby and go enjoy a peaceful, whine free, shopping trip by yourself.  Heck buy yourself a latte on the way and lavish in the moment of complete silence in your car :)  

Happy Shopping!

Blessings,