Grocery shopping is one of my favorite things to do. I love to take my time and browse the isles for unadvertised deals. Most of the time I arrange a time to go without Captain M. and Mr. B. This is my downtime. However, there are times that I do not have a choice! This week we have been shopping a lot trying to score after Christmas deals. Here are some tips for making shopping with kids easier.
Tips for Shopping With Kids:
- Organize at home before you hit the store. Clip your coupons and pull out the ones you intend to use. Make a shopping list- I get frazzled when shopping with the kids so I often forget things!
- Pack a snack bag and drinks. Kids are notorious for requesting snacks! I let them munch on the way to town and they are less likely to ask for something in the store.
- If your kids are young, keep them in the cart. Once I cave and let them out, it’s all over! I learned that lesson long ago. I told hubby when we were shopping together the rule- never let them out of the cart. Two isles in, they were out of the cart and it was pure chaos. He has taken me seriously ever since!
- If you do have kids out of the cart, avoid the little carts. You know those cute little carts for kids? Yes, try to avoid those at all costs! I let Captain M. use one once and he about ran over everyone in the store. Not to mention he added his own items to the basket!
- For younger kids you might also want to bring a small toy in the store to keep them occupied. If they are older, have them help you find the items on your list. My kids also like to “hunt” for blinkie and tearpad coupons.
- Watch for warning signs of a meltdown. There are times when I have had to abort my shopping mission. I always try to get the most important things first just in case there is a meltdown coming.
- Plan your shopping trip around nap and feeding time. If I am taking the boys, I always go right after breakfast. This prevents many of the meltdowns.
- If all else fails, bribe them! Yes, sometimes I have to resort to bribing. Hey, it works!
What are your tips for shopping with the kids in tow?
This post is linked at Thrifty Thursday hosted by My Coupon Teacher.
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Renae is a married working mom of two handsome boys. She works as a registered dental hygienist by day and blogs here at How to Have it All by night. She enjoys cooking from scratch, working in her vegetable garden and functional training.
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What great ideas. I don’t have any children yet, but have shopped some with my nephews. There is no rushing it, but it can be done!
True Shelly! There is no rushing kids! It does take longer to shop with them, but I also like that they are learning about coupons!
Another thing that I have found helpful is to know what the busy times are at my stores. And avoid them! I have found that shopping in the morning and on Mondays or Tuesdays is not very busy so we try to get there on one of those days every week! Definitely not on Friday, Saturday or Sunday!
And if they are older, give them a job! Hold the coupons and pull them out when you get the product, look for specific products, etc.
Great tip Heather! I try to avoid the busy times too and senior citizen day. Nothing against senior citizens, but it is a lot harder to get around the store.
We got our kids nintendo DS for christmas. They are only allowed to play them at certain times and almost never at home. I think they have played them 1 time at home so far. We have used them to entertain the kids on the airplane, long car rides, short car rides when it is snowing and mommy needs no distractions, the last 5-10 minutes of dinner at a restaurant so mom and dad can finish their meals and pay, and at the grocery store!!! Yes, I caved and allow my son to use his DS while I shop. It makes the trip go faster, quieter, and sooooo much less stressful.
Good idea Karen! We don’t have a DS yet- but I am sure it is in the near feature. For car trips, we have a portable DVD player. We only use it on trips that are over an hour. Since these trips are rare, the kids get excited about watching movies in the car.