Stresses from shopping with kids

Shopping trips with kids can go smoothly, while others… not so much. They can literally make me feel like a juggler. As a parent, we learn that hunger, nap times, and potty trips can interrupt the flow of our errands. So we try our best to work around those times, and make sure we are all fed, energized (somewhat), ready to run to the grocery, on an empty bladder. Sometimes, even when we have worked around these conditions, things happen! For example: sibling quarreling, lost shoes, tantrums, lost toys, whining, boredom, and additional random distractions).

Shopping Tips

The following list is not a magical cure to make grocery trips perfect ones. Nor will all tips work for every one. But, hopefully they are good tricks to keep in the bag:

1. Get the family more involved with the shopping list:Go over the items on the list with the kids. Assign a child and/or children particular items to remember and “hunt” for at the store. By knowing what is on the list, the expectations will be set. Then hopefully there will not be any tantrums asking for certain items not on the list.
2. Let them have a say in shopping list creation.If age appropriate, let them have some input in meal planning. Maybe the kids can decide on one or two lunches, or sides, or snacks for the week. This can vary per family, depending on what you are all comfortable with, and what level of planning works for you. Empowering children decreases power struggles. Less power struggles = happier grocery shopping.
3. Ask the kids to be helpers in loading and unloading the shopping cart.(This can be adapted depending on the age of the children). My kids feel so special and “grown-up” when they are able to put groceries in the cart, and when they load up the conveyer belt. I do remember the age when all they did was dump stuff on the ground, so this tip would not work for that time. But the moment they are capable, use their help!
4. Ask yourself, what things can be bought online?Amazon has saved us many trips for things we need regularly, or even on the whim. Amazon Prime members enjoy FREE Two-Day Shipping. If you have little ones like me, Amazon Family members get 20% off diaper subscriptions too! I for one prefer getting the large box of diapers delivered to my door versus taking a trip to the store with the three kids, and needing to carry the box of diapers in addition to the remaining groceries. For items that are needed regularly,  there is also a  Subscribe & Save program. For example, we purchase soap because we need that all the time, and we save money by having it delivered to us every x amount of months. Amazon has almost everything, from groceries, electronics, office supplies, clothing, health and beauty… The shopping list can definitely be cut down if the prices are comparable. Sometimes for me, having to spend a couple dollars more compensates for the gas money and the craziness that can happen on grocery runs.
5. If all else fails, then send the significant other or another family member with your shopping list to the store while you stay home! 😉

Joking aside, shopping can be challenging with the kids, but with more involvement as a family, it can hopefully alleviate some of the stresses, and make it feel more like a team goal,

Comment below if you have additional strategies that has helped you?