Ok, so we all know it's more relaxing to go grocery shopping on your
own, but when you have to go with all of them (and I usually do),
this is how to make it really fun!
1.) Go early. Right After Breakfast is when we go. That's when
everybody is their cheeriest, their tummies are full and they are
completely rested.
We dress them neatly, too. Let's face it--people love cute looking
children, but raggedy ones look bratty---a sure fire way to be a good
testimony for large families is to dress your children neatly, do
something simple-but-cute with the girls hair, and have them happily
tagging along with you at the grocery store! I get a zillion
compliments and smiles everytime we go! :o)
2.) When you get to the store, and the littlest one is (of course) in
the shopping cart, have the others stay nearby with you. If your
children don't know how to do this, practice it at home before you
ever take them to the store. Make it a game. When you are there,
remind everybody to follow close to Mom and if you are in the
beginning stages of learning to stay by Mom, then do promise a reward
for obedience! (And NO, it's not "bribing" them--God
Himself rewards obedience and curses rebellion). If someone is having
a hard time staying close, then I have them keep a hand on my outer
thigh, or a hand on the side of the cart for a few minutes until they
think they can be more obedient. Nobody likes to be in jail--it
inspires one to remember to stay close to Mom next time. :o)
I have mine follow close behind me, simply because when they are in
front I am always having them get in the way of our grocery cart, and
if they are on the sides then they are in the way of anyone trying to
pass through the aisle. So when we are walking, they are right behind
me together. Constant reminders are due for the younger ones, of
course, as they always forget at first (Oh, and always be sure and
compliment all good behaviour! "Catch them doing good" as
they say, and that's good advice!).
3.) Now that you're in the store and about to get started, head
straight over to the bakery section FIRST and let them help you pick
out some yummy fresh bagels. No, NOT the do-nuts or the cookies--and
don't even let them start begging you. You want good behaviour, not sugar-laced
wild children!
The bagels are PERFECT--they take forever to eat, they're really
fairly healthy (the fresh-made kind much more so than the
preservative-laden packaged kind!), and they digest slowly... (In
other words, the energy from the bagels will hit the children right
about the time you are getting out of the final check-out line!).
Plus, they are really low-priced. Mine love deciding whether they'll
do a blueberry, or an everything, or a cranberry, etc... :o)
Next, you need the essential ingredient for Mom. (And this is
something we can't necessarily afford all the time, but we can
splurge a few dollars for a once-a-week grocery trip). Get Mom a
Mocha. I know, I'm normally a healthy-foods-nut, but that Mocha makes
the shopping trip so much fun for ALL of us. It's a special treat for
Mom, something I look forward to, and I have a bit of extra energy
for handling the shopping trip with ease. So if your supermarket
doesn't have a coffee stand, just run through a drive-through
before-hand and shell out a few bucks for a "treat" before
you go on your next grocery trip. Try it--it really adds that *extra
spice* to the outing!
4.) Ok...now MOVE, momma!
While the children are happily munching down on their bagels, YOU are
busy shopping. *grin* You have approximately 20 minutes before the
bagels kick in and make everybody feel like wiggling--so SHOP, woman,
SHOP! :o)
5.) Make the Shopping Experience a Part of Your Educational and
Relational Time.
As they trail along with you, chatter to them--talk about what you're
getting, why you pick that item out instead of the others, etc...
Chattering, for me, is always helped by the fact that I am sipping on
my mocha and feeling that nice energy kick! *grin*
I always make it a point to show them what the Sale signs look like
(how to tell if an item is on sale), or to tell them why this product
is healthier than the other product, etc... My 6 year old now reads
the price signs with ease (helping her 4 year old sister to do so
also) and enjoys seeing which products cost more than others, etc...
When they are older and reading better, they'll be expert
ingredient-label readers too! I'm training future
"healthy-but-frugal" mothers!
Heeheehee...
My 3 year old boy is a "wild-boy" but even he has been
trained to stick with Mom and not to climb all over the cart (which
at first, when he was newly turned 2 and graduated from the front
basket seat, was not easy! He's "all-boy" through and
through, that one is!). But, the good ol' bagel keeps those grubby
fingers quite occupied, and the constant reminders are now fairly ingrained!
When no one is in the aisle with us, I'll throw out a quick game
using the tiles on the floor of the store--if they are black and
white tiles, then I'll say "Ack! The white tiles are hot
lava!" and they love that, bouncing from black tile to black
tile. Or if the tiles are all one color, I'll have them try not to
step on any cracks (they pretend that crocodiles will eat you if they
step on the cracks--they love that game too). They know that if
somebody else comes into the aisle near us, the game is over and they
need to be very quiet and get on one side so the person can pass.
This must, again, be constantly reinforced with the younger ones, but
they do get it eventually. :o)
If items are on low shelves ,I'll sometimes assign one of them to
grab a certain amount of the product, to hand it to the other one,
who will walk it over to whoever is assigned for putting things into
the grocery cart. Meanwhile, baby is still sitting in the cart,
happily drooling over his bagel. :o)
I go grocery shopping once a week with my children (and have
ever since we started having children) and (believe it or not!) I
actually enjoy it. :o)
Personally, I'd rather go grocery shopping WITH the children, and
then when I get some time withOUT the children (when Daddy is
watching them solo or something), I choose to go to the library or to
a big bookstore and just RELAX and peruse through books to my hearts
content. Going grocery shopping by myself isn't relaxing to me--it's
like doing a chore, only it's lonesome all by myself! Plus, I always
find myself getting jealous of all the other mothers who have their
children with them. I find I've gotten accustomed to the special time
with my children at the store, as well as used to all the friendly
smiles and delighted exclamations we get (from almost everybody who
passes us). When I go by myself, it's just plain ol' me and it's
really boring!
This is for all of you mothers who, like me, have your hands full
with young ones and don't always have the ability of going grocery
shopping alone. Hopefully these simple tips will help you enjoy your
trips as much as we do!
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