Shopping can be very challenging for people with children, especially young children! In fact, during a parenting course that I recently took, grocery shopping and bedtime battles were shared as the top two challenges that parents face with regards to parenting their children.
Every age and stage has its challenges! When you have babies, it is sometimes difficult to find a “happy time” that is in between naps in order to get your groceries done. When your child becomes mobile, they often don’t want to sit in the grocery cart long enough to get your entire shop done and when they get older, they want to “help”, but that can often make your trip last much longer than originally intended.
In my family, grocery shopping trips can either go AMAZING or absolutely, positively HORRIBLE! My children can be amazing helpers in the grocery store when they are in pleasant and cooperative moods, but when they aren’t, WATCH OUT EVERYONE!
The issues I have experienced are:
- they don’t stay with the cart
- they fight with each other
- they want to grab all of the items off of the shelves that they want
- they can crank and fuss if they are in a miserable mood, making every one around them miserable
Here is what I have done in order to make shopping trips more manageable with my kids:
- lay out the ground rules ahead of time – stay with the cart, keep your hands to yourself unless you are asked to help and treat your sibling nicely
- establish clear consequences for misbebaviour
- organize my list ahead of time in order to plan situations where the children can help with the groceries
Dates: October 10 – 24, 2013
Location: Loblaw stores across Canada
What: Check out your local Loblaw store to find out more, or go to themommyofallbabyevents.ca!
Also available at Dominion stores in Newfoundland & Labrador only.
As Loblaws is my preferred store to do my weekly groceries, I will definitely be keeping my eyes peeled for the promotions, classes, demos, sales and contests that are being featured during The Mother of All Baby Events!
along the way:
- Check the fridge and make a list of what you need to buy.
Making a list allows you to target exactly which aisles to visit. No more aimless wandering around the store with you cart – just get in and get out! - Make a meal plan.
By having a weekly meal plan, you know exactly what to buy and how much so that you make fewer trips to the grocery store and don’t waste the food you buy. - Bring a friend – time flies when you’re having fun.
Schedule a shopping date with a fellow mom and visit the store together! You can take turns shopping and watching the kiddies, or help each other by visiting different parts of the store and grabbing what you need. What a team! - Book a regular time with your spouse and find a babysitter.
While this may not be the most romantic setting, booking a weekly grocery date with your spouse while the kids are with a sitter, friend or family member can help you shop savvy – and helps you spend some time together too. - Pick a store that has everything you need.
Don’t waste time travelling to several stores. Visit a store that sells everything you need – from baby, to food, to clothes for your entire family.
Share a grocery shopping tip with us. We can use as many tips as we can get!
I am a P&Gmom/mamanP&G. As part of my affiliation with this group I receive products and special access to P&G events and opportunities. The opinions on this blog are my own.
These sound like great tips for parents. Loblaws is definitely one store that has everything you need in one place.