How to Keep Children Busy At the Grocery Store

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By jaredsgirl
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Keep Children Busy At the Grocery Store

Taking children to the grocery store can sometimes be a frustrating task. If you child does not behave at the grocery store due to boredom, wanting a toy, or not wanting to go in the first place, you could end up having a cranky child on your hands. So what do you do to avoid a misbehaved child in the grocery store so that you can purchase food and necessities? Here are some tips for keeping children busy at the grocery store.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Step 1

Keep your child busy at the grocery store by taking along books, crayons and markers, or small hand held toys. Allow your child to sit in the cart, if he is still small enough, and entertain himself with a few activities so that you can get the groceries you need without hassle. If you are going to a store where toys or books cannot be taken (in case you're worried the grocery store staff might think you stole them), try taking along plain scratch paper and a pen for your child to draw. Tell your child to draw something neat he sees in the grocery store. This gives your child a fun drawing activity and gets him a little excited to be in the grocery store because you'll have him looking for something in the store to draw.
Step 2

Bring your child food and something to drink to keep him busy in the grocery store. Many children get hungry and thirsty in the grocery store and unable to sit still because this makes them antsy. Giving your child something to snack on will keep him busy while you get the groceries you need and keeps him from getting cranky from having an empty belly. To keep your child even busier while you grocery shop, bring along colorful snacks such as fruit snacks, colorful cereal pieces, or animal crackers. Give your child something fun to snack on that will keep him entertained by looking at the foods while he eats them. If your worried that the grocery store staff will think you took the food, bring the snack in a plastic Tupperware container.
Step 3

If your child is a bit older and learning to read, give him the grocery list to keep him busy while you shop. Having your child take on a role while in the grocery store will keep him busy and out of trouble. Ask your child to find and cross off each item from the list as you get it. This not only keeps him busy in the grocery store, it also helps to teach him his letters and encourages better reading. My son loves to be in the charge of the grocery list when we shop. It makes him feel very important and have an active role in what we are doing. Plus, he gets to keep track of how long before we are done grocery shopping and tells me exactly what is left to get. He even knows if I forgot to put something on the list because he is able to recognize the words so well and has learned to read well from doing this activity. So I hardly ever go home without everything I need.
Step 4

Have your child take an even more active role in the grocery store to keep him busy. Ask your child to be your helper and get grocery items for you. Children love to be helpful and giving them a job to do promotes their self-worth and confidence. Have your child pick up each item as you name it off. Let him put it in the cart and move onto the next grocery item until you are finished grocery shopping. If there are hard items to get that are high up or a little heavy, lift your child up to them or each take a side of the item and put it in the grocery cart. You can even make a game of it and see how fast you can get all the groceries. Your child will love to help you out and you'll be keeping him busy in the grocery store at the same time.
Step 5

Have your child be in charge of pushing the cart while you grocery shop. Allowing your child to drive the cart can be a fun activity for him that keeps him busy at the same time. However, this could be a difficult feat since some children may want to go super fast with the grocery cart, run into things, or find it hard to push the grocery cart straight and around people. If this is the case, simply let your child push the front of the grocery cart while you grab onto the back and help him to steer. That way, your child gets to be a big help, and you get to make sure no one gets injured by your child, the speed racer. Allowing your child to push the grocery cart also helps him to feel as if he has a job to do and is helping you out. This teaches him responsibility and helps increase his confidence.