8 Tips to Survive Grocery Shopping with Kids

Even though I love to save, I am one of those people that has NEVER enjoyed grocery shopping.  It’s something about carving time out of my week to go get the necessities that just has never been a big source of pleasure to me when there are so many things I’d rather be doing!  Add kids to the mix and the chore of grocery shopping has become even more of a burden (not to mention exhausting)!  We all know that the kids get a little restless when it comes time to run some errands with Mom, so I’ve started working some fun into these trips for them to try to get them to not meltdown in the store in front of my entire community. 🙂

8 Tips to Survive Grocery Shopping with Kids

1.  Make a game out of it. So this mom is a GENIUS!  Check out her DIY Grocery Game that she made her kids to “help” with grocery shopping over at b-inspiredmama.com.  I haven’t gotten around to getting them all on a metal ring yet, but my son is familiar with packaging from some of his favorites, so we talk about it before we go so he knows what his “job” will be.  He has 3 things he has to look for and let me tell you…it has helped a ton!  I’m setting up one of these handy take-a-longs sooner rather than later!

2.  BE PREPARED!  I can’t stress this enough!  There are a ton of great apps right now that are on the market such as Favado that can help you prepare your grocery list, and personally, I can’t imagine taking a paper list with me anywhere anymore.  It helps me to keep track of everything without a child ripping and shredding the list before we even step foot in the store!  Added bonus: since the list is on my phone, it makes it easy to look up a recipe I might have a question about while I’m at the store.  

3.  Prioritize.  In addition to being prepared, it’s always a great idea to prioritize your grocery list, too!  Make sure, in case there is no avoiding a quick get-away, (blow-out diapers anyone?!?!) that you at least are going to get out with the things you HAVE to have.  

4.  Take care of business at home.  Change diapers, take potty breaks, feed the tummies, and make sure thirsts are quenched BEFORE getting to the grocery store!  I even tend to bring some water and snacks that I have tucked away in my purse in case the natives get restless.  But my main goal is that they do NOT go into that grocery store hungry!  Or I might have a revolution on my hands!

5.  Don’t shop at the busy times!  We tend go RIGHT away in the morning after school drop-off.  We actually went shopping this morning and were one of the only people in the store.  It was so nice and makes things a lot less stressful!

6.  Use the fun kid carts!  My kids think that they are about the coolest little people in the world when they get to use a munchkin size cart or get to ride in the awesome plane, fire truck, or (insert child’s favorite object here) carts.  They love being able to “steer” them with their own wheels, and like that they feel that they are getting to do something out of the ordinary on our trips to the store.  

7.  Get the kids involved.  OK, so while this DIY project may not be in line with all of us moms’ abilities, I’m definitely excited to try something like this out! Check out this mom’s answer to stressful grocery shopping trips with her DIY Grocery Bag at She-Wears-Flowers.com.  I love this!  And as this mom said, it’s not just for entertainment, it actually helps your child participate and feel encouraged to help with the shopping experience!

8.  Reward good behavior.  Setting expectations before even walking into the store will help keep the sanity.  My 4-year-old tends to do great when I set expectations up front so he knows what is coming if he cooperates and behaves at the times I need him to.  If he knows that we’ll be going to the library so he can pick out a book after we’re done at the store, or can have one of the healthy treats I got once we get home safe and sound the trip goes much more smooth.  Some may call it bribery, but come on… that seems a little extreme to me.  🙂

Hopefully something here will help you navigate the waters of shopping with small children.  It definitely isn’t easy and poses many challenges, but if you’re prepared and work with the kiddos beforehand, it surely will get easier every time.  Have a day where it doesn’t go very well and you want to pull your hair out?  Just remember…we’ve all been there!  Tomorrow is another day! 🙂

What are some tips that you use that get you through those trying trips to the grocery store with the kiddos?!?!  Comment below and let us know!