Take the Stress Out of Grocery Shopping with Children

You have just arrived at the supermarket and your three-year-old takes off running. You want to scream “Get your butt back here.” You’ve tried everything you can think of to get him to stay with you. As you move about the store you meet the eyes of people who cast you the evil stare that you take to mean “Can’t you control your child?”

This used to happen to me when I went shopping with my children. I have a three-and-a-half-year-old and a 17-month-old. My youngest is at the age where he will sit in the cart but my oldest has decided he wants to walk.

As a parent I do not have the luxury or the time to go shopping alone. In order to take the stress out of grocery shopping with my children, I will do any number of the following:

1. Give the child a list with pictures of the items you are shopping for.
2. Limit the number of items you are shopping for at a time.
3. If you live close to the supermarket walk instead of drive — this will tire the child out.
4. If you want the child to remain in the cart, allow him to carry a toy around the store.
5. As the parent always try to remain calm and positive.

Before entering the store, my son and I discuss the rules I have while shopping. He is to stay with me, because I need to know where he is. He is beginning to understand this.

We had an incident not too long ago when we were shopping as a family. He ran off from me. I knew where he was but he didn’t see me. I decided to teach him this lesson. I followed a short distance behind him.

If the child had turned around, he would have seen me but instead he kept running. A short time later he headed back to where he thought I was. He started to panic when he couldn’t find me. Since then he has stayed with me. From time to time, I will remind him about it and remind him about how scared he was.

Our local grocery store has a “cookie club” where the children can get a free cookie. My son is well aware of this. He also knows there won’t be a cookie unless he behaves and stays with me.

For most parents shopping with their children can be very stressful. However, by setting rules before shopping and allowing the child to help can take the stress out of shopping with children.

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