How to Shop with Your Child

If you’re like most parents, you might dread the hour when you have to take your children with you to the grocery store. Maybe you wait until you have a sitter or until your spouse is around, before you make the trip. However, if there comes a time when you must bring your little cherubs along for the ride, fear not. There are some good survival techniques you can use, which might make the whole experience a little bit easier and more pleasant for both you and your children.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• A comprehensive shopping list
• A repertoire of games, songs, and stories

1. Make the trip fun. Going to the grocery store may not be your idea of an adventure, but to your kids anything can be fun and exciting if you present it that way. For example, you can pretend the shopping cart is a boat, or a car. Pretend to zoom around the aisles as you shop--slowly and carefully--and let her make the engine noises. Or you can play pirates, pretending that each item you put in the cart is part of the treasure, and your shopping list is the treasure map. Have her help you put the treasure in the cart, by pointing out each product on the shelf so that she can get it herself. Don’t let her pick up anything breakable, though. Items in glass jars might have to be your own treasure to plunder.
2. Sing songs with him. You might feel a little self-conscious, but your child will love it. Sing his favorites, and get him to sing along with you. If you’re feeling really creative, make up some songs about the food you’re buying, or about the grocery store in general. Don’t sing too loudly, or you might bother the other customers. Just sing so that your child can hear you.
3. Let her help you shop. For older children, allowing them to help gives them a sense of responsibility and teaches them about money. Ask her to help you determine which brand is the least expensive, or have her read the labels. Let her help you find the produce you need, or have her pick out the ice cream of her choice. The more you let the experience be about her, the more she’ll want to help, and the more she’ll learn.
4. Stop looking at the clock. Children do not like to hurry, and many younger children don’t yet understand the concept of time. In order to make shopping with your children successful, you must realize that it’s going to take a lot longer with them, than if you were by yourself. Try to relax about getting out the door, and take your time. If you rush around, dragging them along with you, you’ll get a lot more resistance and much more complaining. Then you’ll get frustrated, and the whole trip will be filled with conflict. Slow down, and pace yourself.
5. Make up a story. It can be about anything, but make sure it grabs his attention. If the story is about him, chances are he’ll want to listen. Or let him start the story, and then you can finish it. One good game to play is for each of you to take turns making up words to the story, so that you are both creating it, one word at a time. For example, you could start with the word, “Once,” and he could continue with the word “upon,” and so on. Make it as silly as possible, for optimum fun.
6. Play a game. Try “Twenty Questions,” where one person thinks of a word, and then the other must guess the word by asking twenty yes-or-no questions. Or you can play “I Spy,” where one person describes one physical attribute of something he or she spies in the store, and then the other has to guess what it is. For example, your child would say, “I spy with my little eye something BLUE!” And then you would look around for anything blue that you see. Make sure that you can actually get your shopping done while you play, however. Also, make sure your child knows that you might need to take a small break, if you need to look something over that you intend to buy.

Tips & Warnings

• Make sure you bring along a complete shopping list. You don’t want to go to the store with your child, and then have to think about what you need once you’re there. If you have a list to refer to, you can devote more of your energy to your child without having to concentrate solely on what you need to buy.
• Have your child eat something before you go. Some fruit, or another healthy snack like cheese and crackers, are good bets. Don’t let your child go with you on an empty stomach. She’ll want you to buy everything she sees, and you’ll end up getting irritated.
• Some grocery stores now offer big carts specifically intended for children, which allow your child to sit and “steer” his choice of truck, bus, fire engine, or automobile. If you can successfully maneuver these large carts without running over your fellow customer’s toes, your child will be busy in his own imagination, and you’ll be given the chance to shop in relative peace.
• Try not to go to the grocery store when you have no energy, whenever possible. Sometimes it’s difficult to pick and choose when you have to go, but the more alert you are, the easier it will be for you. Have a cup of tea or coffee before you go, or eat a banana – a good source of energy.
• Although you might be tempted, it’s usually not a good idea to bring toys along with you, to any store. For one thing, the toy might get lost. For another, your child will most likely keep dropping it on the floor, with you having to continually pick it up, and as well as being annoying, you will have to wash it thoroughly when you get home. It’s better to find other things to occupy them, and to leave the toys at home.