Have A Pleasant Trip Through The Grocery Store With Your Kids In Tow

Going to the grocery store is a chore even if you are by yourself.  But when you have your kids along for the trip, it can be downright difficult.  The grocery store is not a place meant for a fun family field trip.  But there are things that you can do to make it easier to get through the grocery store with your children and get everyone home safely and mostly, happily.

One reason that taking your children along for a grocery run is so difficult is that they are bored.  There is really nothing for them to do there except to pick on each other and whine that they want to go home.  You can fix this by giving them something to do.  Give them their own little list of items to find.  Make sure that the items are things that they know the location of and will not miss. Forgetting an item is not something that will make either of you happy. A good rule of thumb is to give them the same number of items to look for as the age they are.

Explain your expectations to your children.  Simply saying that you want them to behave doesn’t define what you are expecting out of them.  If you want them to stay close and not whine, say it that way so that they understand you clearly.  Offer a treat or two if they meet your expectations.  Tell them they may pick out their treats but have to put them back if they break the rule and stick with it.  After a time or two, they will learn that you mean what you are telling them.

Try to make it quick.  A long grocery store trip is not something that will work out well.  Try to stay focused while you are at the store so that you can get home as quickly as possible.

Image Credit: KSL