Before becoming a parent, I’d have such relaxed grocery store trips. I’d read every label, search out the healthiest options, change my mind and go back to get something… If I ever find myself falling back into old habits like these, or thinking I could get away with it because everything is going smoothly, you better believe shit hits the fan. Ugh, silly me.
With the Holidays here it means even more time at the grocery store. So I was looking around for some shopping tips to help myself, and even have a few tips of my own to help keep the shopping fiascos at bay. These should buy you an extra five minutes so you can decide which eggs to buy and remember what ingredients you need for your fave dish.
**I’m not an expert at the whole parenting/advice thing, this is just what works for us at the moment! Also, I know shopping with a baby, an older toddler, and multiple children is a whole different set of issues, we will cross that path when it comes!**
Organize Before Hand – I always tell myself this but, most of the time don’t plan ahead. When I do make a list, I prefer writing it on actual paper vs. the notes in my phone. Why? Because the phone can save you in a bind if all else fails. This is definitely a last resort and only comes out if we are in full blown melt down mode. I love the PBS Kids App, although we haven’t had to use it in a store yet. I’ve also had times where I forgot to charge my phone and ended up making a list for nothing!
Design Love Fest has the cutest, free printable grocery list, click here!
Give them a Snack – My husband and I both know that if D sees an apple, we better be ready to give him one. We can’t exactly avoid the produce aisle, and so what if he wants an apple? How are you supposed to walk past fresh produce and not give a 1 1/2 year old a piece of fruit? You can have a piece packed beforehand and ready to go.I love an apple because it will keep D busy and happy for a good chunk of time. I know some may say not to give in, and I agree when it comes to things like a toy or candy, not so much when it comes to snacks. And you know what else? I do totally give him a new small toy when we are cruising around Target, so what? Bringing they’re favorite snack isn’t exactly original but it works so well, or, if you have to open a pack that you will be buying from the store anyway (yes, this has happened to us when I’ve been out of D’s favorites, hence the grocery store trip!).
Distractions and Play – The last time we were shopping, we grabbed a straw from the takeout counter and spent a good 5 minutes or more playing with it. I’m pretty sure he held onto that straw the entire time! I usually try to pack my bag with a couple favorite toys as well.
Teachable Moments – There’s tons of vocabulary and sensory opportunities at the grocery store. Right now, naming what we see and identifying colors is a big hit, as well as things like cold, soft and hard. There are so many objects here that you wouldn’t find at home! D really loves the cow in the dairy aisle, he always spot him as soon as we are in the store.
I’m so using these free printable flash cards next time
Include Them – I notice when he starts to whine it’s because he knows he’s not getting my full attention. So if you see me rushing around the aisles and having a full conversation with my toddler, you’ll get it. I usually ask him what he thinks about certain things, or if he’ll hold something for me. Toddlers love to help, so I try to center the topics around that.
I love the way this mom included her kids!
Let them Stretch their Legs– For your own sanity, I only recommend this one if there is more than one adult around, especially if your little one is prone to taking off as soon as their feet touch the ground. The truth is, for as much as kids need and want to run around, they do need to be restrained a lot. Going from car seat to cart doesn’t always go well, and I get it, especially if we haven’t gotten out of the house all day! So sometimes we will be brave and let him roam around a little bit. We are always with him if we do this and he always has a great time exploring and pointing things out (teachable moments!).
Grab a Bite to Eat – Shopping on an empty stomach can be brutal (for everyone!), so trying to eat something before venturing out helps. If you have a grocery store that has an eat-in restaurant, think about making a morning or evening of it. On Tuesdays, kids eat free at our local Giant Eagle Market District (that we happen to love), so we ordered our food and grabbed our essentials while we waited for it to be ready. You could do this in the reverse as well, but ordering our food, shopping a little bit, eating together when the food is ready, then finishing up shopping for anything we forgot and checking out works really well for us. This isn’t our typical grocery trip, but it’s nice to throw it in the mix every once in a while. It’s also where we got to take these photos (notice how empty it was on a Tuesday evening, so nice!).
Since we were making an evening of it, I dressed a little nicer than my typical grocery attire 😉 You can shop all these items here, I’m obsessed with this plaid scarf (it’s 50% off right now!), it’s the same one you’ve probably seen on my instagram. Happy Holiday grocery shopping, and don’t let it drive you too crazy!
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my look: striped turtleneck (50% off) | plaid blanket scarf (50% off) | boots (similar here) | hat (similar here, only $6!)
doni’s look: hat | boots (the brown is sold out, but there’s still some in black!) | skinny jeans
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