6 Powerful Tips for Grocery Shopping with Kids (And Saving Your Sanity!)

We all dread it. The meltdown in the checkout line. A “helpful” child dropping the glass jar of pasta sauce, shattering the jar and splattering the floor red. The tantrum in the parking lot about getting in the car seat. Let’s be honest: there are many possible points of frustration when it comes to taking kids grocery shopping. But sometimes that’s the best option (or the only one). In this post, I’m sharing my top sanity-saving tips for taking kids grocery shopping because I promise, it really can be an enjoyable experience for everyone. Whether you want to go grocery shopping with a toddler or you have several kids in tow, these tips will help.

Our kids are fairly close in age. That means I had five young kids before the oldest was old enough to start babysitting. And with a husband working crazy hours for our family, I was seen week after week during the summer grocery shopping with five kids. During the school year our caravan lessened a bit. With older kids in school, I was grocery shopping with a toddler and baby, which if you’re in that stage, you know it’s not always easy.

Over the years I’ve learned a lot of tips for grocery shopping with kids, many from personal grocery shopping failures. So, I hope these tips are a little shortcut to peaceful shopping for YOU. 🙂

Things a Little Too Chaotic Right Now?

If grocery shopping with kids isn’t your only pain point right now, you’re not alone. Parenting is no easy task. From meals to cleaning, scheduling and teaching kids (whether it’s why we don’t hit our toddler friends or the new math homework help), there’s a lot asked of us. Time-saving home systems are a game changer. They allow us to do the things we need to do faster, so we have more time for the things we want to do, like reading a beach novel, binging a favorite show after the kids go to bed, or simply feeling like there’s enough time to enjoy parenting.

My Simple Systems Starter Guide is a great first step. Grab it today…it’s FREE!

Why It’s Often BETTER to Grocery Shop with Kids

All the horror stories I mentioned in the opening paragraph (meltdowns, tantrums, even the jar of sauce shattering on the grocery store floor) have happened to me. Yet, I still say it’s often BETTER to grocery shop with kids.

Here are some of the positives about grocery shopping with kids:

• It helps kids learn self-control (we don’t get everything we want).
• Parents and kids can connect while they’re face to face pushing the cart or chatting side by side.
• Kids can learn life skills like healthy meal preparation, budgeting, and patience.
• Alone time for parents is important and often limited. For me, there are many other ways I’d rather spend my alone time than grocery shopping, like making self-care happen (even as a busy mom) or hanging out with other adults.

As you can see, there are a lot of positive reasons for both kids and parents for taking kids grocery shopping. But remember, successfully grocery shopping with kids requires skillsets for both parents and kids. Gratefully, like all skills, they can be learned.

6 Sanity-Saving Tips for Grocery Shopping with Kids

If you’re wondering how do you go grocery shopping with a toddler (or older kids) or how to make grocery shopping fun (not just not so awful), here are 5 sanity-saving tips for grocery shopping with kids, so you can reap all the positives.

1. Prepare Kids for Shopping Expectations

Before grocery shopping with kids, clearly set the stage. Help kids understand what kind of behavior is appropriate at the store. Young kids love role play and pretending, so pretend to be at the store. Take turns asking for things and having the other person say you’re not buying it today. As you drive to the grocery store, remind kids how the shopping trip will go.

Pro Tip: Prepare kids physically as well. Hungry or tired kids (like all of us!) are much less likely to behave nicely in the highly stimulating shopping environment. So, choose a time for grocery shopping with kids that’s not right before a meal, nap, or bedtime. Eating a healthy snack on the way to the store can prevent a lot of meltdowns.

2. Be Consistent

If you “give-in” to kids’ requests sometimes, you’ll find yourself in a debate every time you get in the car to buckle-up and every time you turn down another grocery store aisle. Kids whining about what they can’t get is one of the most frustrating parts of grocery shopping with kids, and when we sometimes cave to the pressure of whining in public, it reinforces the behavior. Instead, be consistent with family guidelines and how shopping trips work.

Along those lines, here are five magic words to stop the begging and enjoy grocery shopping with kids.

3. Make Grocery Shopping Engaging

Invite kids to help you count how many apples you put in the bag, look for the right items on the shelf, or check things off your grocery shopping list. Have conversation or play I Spy. The more connected kids feel, the better they feel in general. And the better they feel, the better they behave. This helps prevent major meltdowns and makes grocery shopping easier and faster. It also helps kids learn important skills.

How do you make shopping fun for kids?

Here are a few more ideas that can make grocery shopping more fun for kids.

• Toddlers:
  • Keep little hands busy by giving them responsibility for holding something in the cart. A block of cheese is a good example because it can’t be smashed or broken if dropped or squeezed.
  • Sing songs (maybe a little quieter than you would at home).
  • Hold up two options and let them pick.
  • Practice counting the items you put in the cart.
  • Play Peek-a-Boo or hand clapping games while you wait in the check-out line.
• Older Kids:
  • Let them be in charge of a meal and help prepare the shopping list.
  • Depending on how brave you are, let older kids have a turn pushing the cart, riding on the cart, or riding under the cart.
  • Teach them how to pick ripe fruit and have them try.
  • Let kids check items off the grocery list or help figure out which item is a better deal.
  • Chat about the day, what they want to do over the weekend, or a funny movie you watched together.

4. Have Something to Look Forward To

Plan story time, lunch, or another outing during the day to help kids look forward to the next event and keep it moving in the grocery store. This can be incredibly helpful when kids want to climb in and out of the cart (ugh! stick with your consistent boundary on this one) or are slow moving through the aisles. Choose a simple snack your kids enjoy for when grocery shopping finishes and buckles are on.

5. Don’t Let Them Smell Your Fear

Kidding but not on this one. Kids truly do feel the energy we put off. So, if we’re feeling stressed and flustered as we try to hurry through the grocery store, our kids will sense it. They’re more likely to go into fight-or-flight tendencies and other stress responses, which are very often not conducive to a smooth day. Instead, go into it with the aim of being a calm and efficient grocery shopper.

Determine to stay calm because you know no matter what happens (tantrums, splattered food, or any horror imaginable), it’s really not that big of deal. If nothing else, it’ll make for a good story someday. And we know that the most important thing we can do for our kids is help them know they’re loved, even (and especially) when their behavior is less than desirable.

And remember: if any fellow shopper can’t handle having kids in the community, that’s their problem, not yours. Although it can be hard, remind yourself of this if you’re feeling judged.

6. Point Out the Positive

It’s really easy to get in a habit of nagging, correcting, or simply coming off grumpy. But remember, what we pay attention to typically continues because it’s drawing attention, and we all like attention! Or in other words…

So whether you see it in others around you or especially in your own kids, draw attention to the positive. This can be done very simply.

Here are some examples of positive things we might point out while grocery shopping with kids:

• That was so kind of that woman to help us.
• Thank you for staying seated in the cart.
• Wow! Those cucumbers look yummy! I’m excited to eat them.
• You’re doing such a great job looking and not touching.
• I noticed you were very polite to that gentleman.

Point out the positive things you notice while grocery shopping with kids and, almost like magic, there will be more positives to notice. Because remember, often shopping with kids is better for them and for us.

How Do You Shop with Kids?

What else have you see that works well for grocery shopping with kids? Do you have any tips for grocery shopping with kids that you’d add to this list? Share any ideas for how to make grocery shopping fun or how you make shopping easier for kids. Or do you want to share any challenges or horror stories? Feel free to do so in the comments! I love to hear from you.

Here are a few other helpful posts as well:

• 12 Time-Saving Grocery Shopping Tips
• 5 Magic Words to Curb Childrens’ Begging at the Grocery Store
• Meal Planning 101: How to Meal Plan Even If It’s Never Worked for You (Meal planning is one of the best ways to make the most out of your grocery shopping time both with time and money.)

Do you want more tips about finding calm in the chaos of kids? You can also join the thousands of families in the Lovin’ Life with Littles community and simplify your parenting life. Downloading the free Simple Systems Starter Guide is an easy way to join and start taking control of your home life right away.

I hope these tips for grocery shopping with kids has been helpful for you! I promise the emotional scarring of the grocery shopping horrors will fade with time, and with intention, you’ll be left with funny stories and a strong relationship with your child.

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