shopping with kids

oceanforest · by **oceanforest** on Mon Apr 02, 2007 11:43 am

How DO you ladies do it??
DS is seven months old now - and its getting darn near impossible to grocery shop.
Today I really really needed groceries but had to abandon a half full grocery cart in the middle of shopping because he wound up having a meltdown - poor little guy - so I just left it all there and got in the car and drove home.
Does it get easier?? I'm thinking more like harder! Maybe itll have to be a weekend activity with DH or just one of us after he gets home from work could go from now on. Yikes.

MELANIE · by **MELANIE** on Mon Apr 02, 2007 11:47 am

it depends it can get easier or harder.. when i was a single mom i still shopped when my son had a meltdown or i would just go to teh cash with what i had on my cart. sometimes it just has to get done

or i would try to go shopping and that when it was after anap or early morning, i would adapt it to his godo time sof day on ocassion..

and yes sometime si would just pop a bottle in his mouth and keep on shopping.. kids have meltdowns so do adults even lol

WCM · by **WCM** on Mon Apr 02, 2007 11:47 am

What does he melt down about? I've always shopped with my kids (now 3 of them) and for them it's a simple routine and not an issue. but likely temperment plays a factor too (and obviously my kids are now older). but at no age were they a problem shopping . . . I've always carried them, either in a sling or front carrier. Have you tried this????

kattnipp · by **kattnipp** on Mon Apr 02, 2007 11:53 am

We always try to get out right after breakfest for shopping. Even when I used to go alone I would get up get myself ready get her ready feed her then out the door to the store. I would take a drink for her as well as snacks. Cherrios or something like that. We still take a few different types of snacks. Generally at that age I had to talk to her none stop when I was getting what I needed. I shopped by importance and if I saw she was starting to get overwhelmed by everything then I was at the cash and gone. I suggest taking him to the store a few times a week so he gets more used to it? When we go shopping now we have 3, sometimes 4 stops before she has had enough. Good luck
Annette

oceanforest · by **oceanforest** on Mon Apr 02, 2007 11:56 am

westcoastmama wrote:What does he melt down about? I've always shopped with my kids (now 3 of them) and for them it's a simple routine and not an issue. but likely temperment plays a factor too (and obviously my kids are now older). but at no age were they a problem shopping . . . I've always carried them, either in a sling or front carrier. Have you tried this????

Yeah - he was in his front carrier today when the meltdown occured!
I think he was just tired - but its hard because right now his nap & tired times are not always predictable (thankfully his bedtime routine is totally predictable - at least the night sleep is going well!)
He's down for a nap now - maybe when he gets up I"ll try again with him after a quick feed.

kattnipp · by **kattnipp** on Mon Apr 02, 2007 11:59 am

One other thing, if all else fails you can do shopping online and have it delivered. Sometimes it is just worth the 8 dollars.
Annette

WCM · by **WCM** on Mon Apr 02, 2007 12:04 pm

yeah, likely in his head he's thinking "i need to nurse/eat, I've been grinchy about it for ages, now I'm gonna let loose cause no one's LISTENING TO ME!!!!!!!" When on our end we're thinking "I fed him, changed him, we're bouncing around here . . .what's his deal?"

We do our best mama. Hope this afternoon goes better.

ander · by **ander** on Mon Apr 02, 2007 12:05 pm

I used to get anxious about grocery shopping with ds even though he's always been really good in the stores. I still had him in his bucket until he was 10 mos. old. I'd give him something of mine to hold (that's always a great distration for him - must seem more exciting than one of his own toys). Now that he sits in the cart, I have a cart cover that he plays with (bought at Winners) but his favourite is still my keys. That keeps him happy for ages. I also talk to him the whole time. Tell him what I'm putting in the cart, let him smell different things, read the grocery list to him to make sure we have everything. But as mentioned before, it could just be a temperament thing. If he's RARELY into it, it might be an idea to make it a 'family' outing when the 3 of you are together (one for putting the stuff in the cart, the other for distracting). Or as you mentioned, just leave him at home and one of you go on your own.

Cheeky · by **Cheeky** on Mon Apr 02, 2007 12:06 pm

i second shopping online... i had two kids 18 months apart and it saved my butt a few times

SO worth the $7.00 and the drivers back then were all really hot

and they delivered right to my kitchen

chopped_liver · by **chopped_liver** on Mon Apr 02, 2007 12:43 pm

oceanforest wrote:How DO you ladies do it??
DS is seven months old now - and its getting darn near impossible to grocery shop.
Today I really really needed groceries but had to abandon a half full grocery cart in the middle of shopping because he wound up having a meltdown - poor little guy - so I just left it all there and got in the car and drove home.
Does it get easier?? I'm thinking more like harder! Maybe itll have to be a weekend activity with DH or just one of us after he gets home from work could go from now on. Yikes.

Ohhhh does that ever bring back memories!!

It was always hit or miss with mine. Had two in tow. Many stores, many pissed off stock people unloading my abandoned cart.

The big shopping trips I would do alone most times. It was just better for all parties involved.

Benjorsam · by **Benjorsam** on Mon Apr 02, 2007 12:44 pm

I do it on weekends when dh is here to watch them or if he's at sea, I get someone to watch them. I tried doing it with all three kids and it was horrible. They weren't bad really it was just hard saying no every other minute when they wanted stuff that wasn't on the list.

Mamaof2boys · by **Mamaof2boys** on Mon Apr 02, 2007 12:52 pm

Now that mine are a little older it is not SO bad, BUT there are still times when they melt down becasue I wont buy something that one of their friends had and so on.

I only go to stores that a) have a car carts (safeway)
or b) have their own mini carts for kids

This has helped BIG TIME
THe kids are distracted with their cart an like me putting stuff in there, mind yuo sometimes they fight over who gts what.. I end up buying two, LOL

and if they are in the car cart I make silly nosies and puposly run into things so that they think its funny.

Really though if I have everythign written out as to what I need I find that I can get in and out in about 20 minutes and the meltdows are kept to a minimum!

Oh I almost forgot, the bakey in most stores gives kids a cookie, so we start at teh produce end and work our way to the bakery, if their behaviour has warrented it then they get it otherwise no, I have given it to one and not hte other, melt down occurs but next time they were both GREAT!

HA HA HA

shortkakebc · by **shortkakebc** on Mon Apr 02, 2007 1:03 pm

My son is the same way it seems and he just turned 4. Some shopping trips are good as long as they are quick but most times we dread taking him shopping and we leave him with a friend. I hope it gets better with him soon . We take him shopping once in a while just so he gets to understand that he can't act that way . I dont know about other parents but i sure get embarrassed and afraid that others are judging me thinking im a bad parent for my kid acting the way he does. Good luck in the future OP.

oceanforest · by **oceanforest** on Mon Apr 02, 2007 2:48 pm

Well we just got back from the second try of the day - and this time it was successful!
I tied a couple toys onto his carrier - tried to be as fast as humanly possible, and thankfully he hung in there.
He started to get cranky at the checkout but the nice older man and his wife behind us started chatting to him and he went from tears to all smiles and cooing in seconds!
Phew! Glad to have groceries in the house!