Kids at the Grocery: From Chaos to Calm

Navigating through the supermarket with a baby and a toddler in tow can complicate your life. The simplest way to handle the weekly shopping chore when you have kids is to assign the shopping to your spouse. If that isn’t feasible, have your spouse sit with the kids while you do the shopping. If that won’t work, do a kid swap with a friend--you watch the kids on Tuesdays, the friend watches them on Thursdays.

If you can’t avoid taking your kids with you, here are some steps to make grocery shopping more enjoyable for you, your kids and fellow shoppers.

1. Always shop with a list. Arrange the items in the order they appear in the aisles of your supermarket. Print up copies to keep in the kitchen, and post one to the fridge each week. This will cut your shopping time in half.

2. Plan to grocery shop only once a week and schedule enough time so you don’t have to rush.

3. Avoid shopping with your kids when they’re tired or hungry.

4. Clarify your expectations before you go into the store. If you allow your kids to get candy or a treat, let them know what they can get and how much. Then stick to your agreement.

5. Set a policy for your kids’ behavior and let them know what will happen if they cry or throw a fit: You’ll take them home, no treats, and they won’t get to come with you next time. If you keep your word and take them home in the middle of a tantrum, you’ll have to do it only once.

6. The single most important step you can take to make shopping with kids a pleasant experience is to adjust your attitude. You can approach shopping as a tedious chore, or you can make it another opportunity to have fun with your kids. Make shopping together an enjoyable continuation of their learning experiences. Have them pick out the blue milk carton and help you count the number of apples you need. Make it a game to see who can spot the next item you call out from your list.

When they’re old enough, let them carry a small store basket and assign them two or three items to find and carry. Let them select their own snacks or breakfast cereal--but make sure you retain veto rights.

When you’re waiting in the checkout line with your kids, snuggle them, love them, talk to them and listen to them.

While standing in line the other day, I watched a young couple pay attention as their 7-year-old told them about school that day. Both parents hugged her and told her how proud they were. These parents had taken advantage of the supermarket chaos to simply be together and enjoy those moments with their child.

7. Praise your kids and let them know how happy you are with their good grocery-store behavior.

* Elaine St. James is the author of “Simplify Your Life” and “Simplify Your Life With Kids.” For questions or comments, write to her in care of Universal Press Syndicate, 4520 Main St., Kansas City, MO 64111.