Shopping with kids can be such a pleasant experience. Having these young ones make their choices at every glance and being able to afford their needs can be such a relief. However, this experience can turn sour at times.
Here are some simple yet powerful techniques that will make your shopping experience better, curated by https://www.kingjohnnie.info/en/.
Shop alone if the list is big
If you plan to literally spend the entire day shopping, no need to tag your toddler along. It is better to leave your child at home with a caretaker. Avoid unnecessary stress and save your child the trouble.
Plan your trip well
Choose the time of the day when your child usually behaves the best. If she is less cranky in the mornings, then do the shopping in the mornings. Before leaving home, ensure that she is well-fed and take along some of her favourite toys. The toys will come in handy when she starts to feel uncomfortable. Also, time management is very important when you are shopping with your toddler. Prepare a list of things to buy. It will be great if you know the layout of the shelves in the supermarket well and prepare your list according to that. This will reduce the time you spend running between the shelves.
Give them a task
Kids love to be helpful. Before you take your kids grocery shopping, make them each a list of a few simple items they are responsible for locating (e.g., apples, eggs, milk, etc.) Alternatively, print out a shopping bingo card or something similar. If that in itself is not enough to keep their attention, consider rewarding them in a small way—such as giving them a quarter for each item they find and allowing them to spend their “earnings” in the store.
Make a game of it
Play a game like I Spy with your kids or make up your own games on the fly (“Let’s see how many square tiles we can manage to step on in a straight line without running into someone else!”) Better yet, if you have more than one child with you, think of a fun game and encourage them to play it with each other.
Allow them to bring a friend
It may sound counter intuitive to voluntarily increase the number of children you’re bringing along but, for older kids, it can actually help. If your child’s main complaint while shopping is that they’re bored, a well-mannered friend will give your child someone to talk to, not gaming at casino de jeux.
Give them little money
Especially if you’re out holiday shopping, why not give your children some money they can use to purchase gifts for their siblings, cousins, grandparents, etc.? There are plenty of inexpensive, gift-worthy items to be had in most stores, and you may be pleasantly surprised or amused by what your children pick out for their loved ones! Allowing your children to shop for others will keep them occupied, and teach them the joy of giving!
