Tips for Successful Supermarket Shopping With Young Children

Shopping at the supermarket can be a challenge for many mothers with young children, no matter how much they need. There’s always the fear that the kids will get up too often and fall out of the cart, that one of them will throw a pretty big tantrum in the middle of the aisle, or that you’ll spend more than you should because they want candy and toys. By the time you get back to the car after shopping, you’re so stressed that you swear you’ll never shop with your kids again.

This doesn’t have to be the case. There are many tips and tricks that every mom with young children can use when shopping at the supermarket or running other errands. Here are some tips that can turn the shopping nightmare into a pleasure, even for kids.

First, never go to the supermarket hungry. This goes for you as well as your child. When moms are hungry, it’s harder for them to respond appropriately to their children. Let’s be honest: it’s much easier to grab the next candy bar and let the child climb into the cart on their own because it’s much easier to handle a stressful situation when they’re hungry. If possible, plan a meal or snack before you go shopping. This way you can better control your stress level and avoid unnecessary “impulse buys”.

When you go shopping, you should also give the kids something to snack on. Bring cereal in a small bag and give it to the kids when you get to the store. This way they will be less likely to “want it” and you won’t waste time buying random snacks in the store. It could be lollipops, granola bars, fruit snacks or something special that you save for a trip to the store.

Prepare a “to-do” bag. A small bag of crayons and paper, a favorite book, a small eraser or anything else that will help your little mind focus on something other than shopping. If you set aside these bags for shopping, the kids will look forward to using the items in them when you take them shopping. Make bags for crayons, paper, books and other food items.

One of the most important rules when shopping with children is to make a list. Otherwise, you will inevitably buy things you don’t need but want to have, and forget what you really need. A list will not only help you remember what you need, but it will also help you define specific tasks with a deadline. If you go to the supermarket without knowing what you need, you’ll spend more time in the store and your children will of course protest in their own way – with tantrums, screaming and complaining.

Lists can also help you get kids involved in tasks. Tell them what to buy, where to buy it and even how much to pay. This is a good opportunity to help them develop a sense of money. And don’t be afraid to make a list at the same time. If they’re tempted to get distracted by other things that aren’t on the list, don’t be tempted. Children will probably realize this and respond accordingly.

However, if your child is already not listening or throwing a tantrum before you take the above steps. Don’t go to the supermarket. All food shopping follows the same pattern. If your child is not behaving as you would like, take him or her back to the car immediately, put him or her in the car seat, get in the car yourself, and tell your child that you will give him or her a few minutes to stop before you leave. This “time out” can be a good time to analyze their behavior and think about what you want from them, or simply to give them a moment of calm, to reassure themselves and prepare for the next step. This technique worked wonders with my two young children.

However, we all know that there are days when the kids or some kids just don’t feel right and don’t want to cooperate despite our best efforts. If you can’t reschedule your food shopping to another time, you need to have a close friend or relative that you can call in such an emergency. This friend or relative can pick you up at the store and hold your baby while you shop. Time with friends or relatives, however, should not be used to entertain a misbehaving child. It should be a time-out or quiet time together in the car. They understand that it is a punishment, not a reward.

Some parents look forward to going to the supermarket or doing some shopping, and they should. I hope these tips will help you maintain that atmosphere. Some of them may work for you, some of them may not. And perhaps you can adapt these techniques to the way you work. Whatever your needs, we hope you have a fulfilling shopping experience.

About Author:

Sara has completed her education in marketing and started her career as a digital marketer. She is a content writer by profession. And she would love to add multiple things to her knowledge that she can add to her writing style. She writes about buy indian grocery online in Canada.