For many mums, a quick weekly shop with the kids can leave you in tears and ready to pull your hair out. But, thankfully, there is a solution and stress-free grocery shopping is possible - and it doesn’t involve leaving the kids at home with someone else.
So, if the very thoughts of bringing your kids grocery shopping leaves you in a cold sweat, here are six tips to make it go a whole lot smoother.
Make a list
First things first, write a list. On it put everything you need to buy - try to write it in order of the floor plan of the shop and work your way around. This will make you work quicker and will ensure you don’t forget to pick up anything – with one eye on the kids it is very easy to forget the all important milk.
Feed them
Make sure the kids are well fed and watered before heading off. Hungry kids make for very cranky children so stop this before it happens. The last thing you want is your darling son or daughter opening packets of crackers before they have even hit the bottom of the trolley.
Make sure they aren’t tired
If you are bringing younger kids, only go after they have had their nap, otherwise, like the hunger point above, they will be cranky. And for older kids, avoid going after a football match or straight after school. Think of it from their point of view – they are already tired and the last thing they want to do is traipse around a shop for an hour picking up food.
Get them involved
Get older kids involved. Give them their own list and basket and send them on their way. Children love feeling independent and helping out. This makes shopping that little bit more fun for them and they are less likely to moan about it.
Play a game
However, getting toddlers to go off picking up items is not practical so you need to get them involved in others ways. Kind of like eye spy, tell your toddler the next item on your list and try to see who spots it first. While they can’t get out and pick it up themselves they can help you to find it.
Don’t expect too much
If they start to get cranky after about 30 minutes know that now is the time to head home. Mark where you got on your list and go to the checkout to pay. Pushing the kids too far or for too long will only end in tears and time outs.
