Tips For Shopping With Kids

As a mum to 2 little boys under the age of 4 I am constantly on the move. It never seems to amaze me the amount of energy a little body can produce. I often wish I could harness some of this energy to store for later when we hit the shops. That’s right the shops. Shopping with my boys is like stepping into the circus ring and performing unforgettable acts. It truly can be a handful.

My youngest is fearless; he loves standing up in the trolley seating section. It scares me to no end, as the last thing I want is him falling out and hurting himself, therefore it’s a constant battle of trying to hold him down, pay, and shop. He’s simply an unstoppable child. My eldest is like a mini teenager. He really doesn’t want to be there but tags along to see if he can work his charm on mum to get a chocolate or better yet a toy. Boy oh boy this truly does get exhausting and the last thing any parent needs is a temper tantrum or a mummy/daddy melt down.

I have been on a little mummy mission to find a way to stop my circus act falling apart. I tried a few tips that friends and family have shared with me to make shopping with my 2 boys that little easier and fun. I have so much respect for the mums/dads doing there food shopping with 3, 4 even 6 kids! I would be the one throwing the temper tantrum if that was the case.

Here are the tips I have received from friends and family over few years of becoming a mum. I’ll be honest, some help; others did more harm than good, yet as each child is different I’ll give them all to you and I hope you may find one or two helpful.

DO NOT give your kids lolly bribes along the way. I made this mistake one to many times. I would give them a lolly to be good. Then of course they worked out I would give them a lolly if they were naughty. Before I knew it, I was dealing with major sugar high kids and no shopping was done.
DO NOT give them money to go buy Lollies, in fact just stay away from the lollies. Kids and lollies just don’t mix when food shopping, ALSO eating lollies produces a sticky fingered body monster.
Make healthy snack bags, so when they do get hungry there are snacks ready to go. It helps to have some fun stickers that they can stick onto the bags to give it that extra personal touch.
Pocket money and food shopping can offer a great way to explain to your kids the importance of saving and how much things actually cost.
Choose a time shopping when the children will be well rested, fed, and you will not be pressed for time. Kids pick up when you’re tense and in a rush making them more likely to play out. SO stay clear if they haven’t napped, hungry or just in a really bad mood. I take my kids at 9 in the morning to beat the crowds, making it less stressful for me and my kids.
Make it a game – a fun ‘spot that’ game before going to the shops, sit down cut out some pictures of the products you will purchase. The kids will love playing ‘spot it at the shop’ not only will it keep them focused but less likely to be distracted.
A reward sticker chart can keep them the motivation to be good while at the shops. Be sure to explain what sort of behaviour you expect from your children when at the shops.
Talk and sing to your children, I do (they secretly love it…. I hope) You know you’re getting old when you can sing all the words to the songs Coles and Woollies are playing…..the songs are from the 60’s, 70’s and 80’s. Spice girls….just STOP
Before leaving the house, give kids their own reusable shopping bags so they can help pack groceries at the end of the trip. It’s all about empowerment!
ALWAYS thank your children for being good when you’ve finished your shopping. It makes them feel good and proud that they did something well.
Shopping with children will never be easy and if you have a friend or family member that is able to watch your child/children while you do your food shopping, take it! and enjoy that little bit of me time. I know I do. I seem to vanish for 2 hours and come back that little bit poorer. I do a mixture of all of these tips and I am honestly still guilty of giving my eldest a lolly-pop because I figure it will last longer than soft ones. I am no perfect parent, but do what I can to manage my circus act.

You’re doing a great job being the best parent you can be and it’s okay to feel like you have lost all your sanity. It comes back in small little patches; my hair is proof of this 🙂 Trust me; I’m still missing a whole lot of patches!

Aimee

Share with us what tricks work for you?