If you have children you understand how much of a hassle it is to run even the most simple of errands. You may have been a highly punctual person before you had kids; in fact, you were probably on time for everything weren’t you? Well not anymore! Having kids adds time to everything and added time means added stress, hassle and inconveniences. Although there is no sure fire way to transform your kids into perfect angels while you go shopping, there are some things that you can do before you go shopping to keep yourself sane with children.
1.Pack the necessary supplies – Kids have a lot of necessary accessories that they need to have with them at all times. Such things would include wet wipes, clean diapers, a drink, snacks, something to keep them busy like a toy, and perhaps a favorite item like a pacifier or a blanket. As a parent you know what your child cannot leave home without. Make sure that you prepare for being gone twice as long as you think. The universe has a funny way of delivering a dirty diaper to you through your child on the trips where you did not think you needed to pack anything because you would “only be gone a minute.”
2.Write out your shopping list – The last thing that you need when you have children underfoot at the grocery store is to have no idea what it is that you need to get unless you see it first. You need to plan your grocery list out carefully not only so that you are not wondering the store aimlessly trying to figure out what may be missing from your pantry but also because you should be planning on the food that you will need for at least the next week, if not two or three weeks. After all, if you can cut down the number of times that you have to go shopping with your kids because you sat down and planned things out, wouldn’t you want to do that?
3.Have a game plan – The goal when shopping with kids is to get in and get out with as few incidents as possible. This means having a game plan. Hopefully you have followed suggestion #2 and have written out your shopping list. Now you need to categorize the things on that list according to where you can find them in the store. For example you want to make sure that all of the produce items are grouped together, all the dairy items are grouped together, etc. It wastes a lot of time if you overlook something on your list and have to back-track across the store to pick it up. Decide which isles to go to first and schedule a snack or activity for the kids before they actually start getting upset because they need something.
4.Make sure the kids are fed and rested – Every parenting expert will tell you that shopping with kids is a lot easier if you and your kids are well rested and fed. Thus the best times to go shopping are generally after breakfast in the morning or after a nap and lunch/snack in the afternoon. Nothing spoils an outing like a child who is tired. You know that when your child is tired, they are completely different (as in more irritable, less obedient, more prone to throwing tantrums, etc.).
5.Don’t forget the essentials – Some parents are so worried about planning for the details of their shopping trips that they forget some of the essentials. I cannot tell you how many times I have been behind a mother at the checkout counter who is trying to pay for her groceries while her kids grab at the candy at the checkout stand only to realize that she does not have her wallet with her. Do not let this happen to you! Make sure that you remember the simple things like your wallet, keys, and clothing that is appropriate for the weather.
