Shopping with a toddler; advice needed
Do any of you have any advice for shopping with a toddler? Normally I try to make sure my child has eaten and/or napped, but he's so sporadic with those times that it's getting more and more difficult to plan. I always take a snack, but do you have any other 'tricks of the trade' for 'entertainment'...or are there better times of the day for you...heck, maybe in the end I'll end up saving money since shopping isn't as easy as it once was!
Farm fresh
I like to shop at Farm Fresh w/my 2yo. They give her a balloon when we walk in the door. She plays with that. Then they have samples posted throughout the store, so we walk around eating the samples and talking about the food.
Try to limit your time in the store to an hour or less if you can. Kids do get bored and we cannot expect them to sit still for too long.
Also, you can use Farm Fresh's online grocery shopping. It is awesome. You order from home and they pull your groceries, bag them, and have them up front waiting for you at a set time. I have used it several times. All you do is walk in and pay. They will even help you to your car!
Cant beat that!
I always take my 2yo backpack
I always take my 2yo backpack with us with lots of things for her to do. I pack a few of her favorite toys, a coloring book & crayons, a small spiral notepad & pen, sometimes I pack her electronic activity board too. She also has a few bags of snacks & her sippy cup in there. I will hand her something new each time she starts to get restless, that usually keeps her pretty content to stay in the cart. I don't give her the option to walk. Ever. Made that mistake with my older ones! You can never get them back in again! I believe that was mentioned before too. : ) Oh, yeah! There are a few toys she only gets to play with when we're on outings, that way she looks forward to getting to play with those special toys. Every now & then I take her picture & alphabet flashcards along too. Good luck!
~ Katy S.
Take care of yourself, too
I agree with all these suggestions; it's all about distractions. My boys especially loved those grocery carts shaped like cars; I could tell them the direction we needed to go in and they'd "steer" us there. But I've come to learn that my mood also matters a lot when it comes to patience taking my kids on errands. If at all possible, I go when I'm not very tired or hungry. Moms and dads need snacks too... keep a stash of something healthy like nuts or granola bars in the car!
Alison Johnson
love the stroller
My 20/20 hindsight is to hold on to that stroller for as long as humanly possible. Once they're out, they're out and bye bye mall or any shopping that doesn't involve carts and seat belts. My four year old is not allowed to go to the mall, well, neither am I, because I simply can't carry the purse, the bags, his hand and pick up anything off a rack. It's impossible and stressful.
Love the grocery store ideas, and Target's popcorn is my saving grace, (it's not a bribe or a treat, it's just my lifesaver) or I'd never see the inside of a store with kids again.
Michelle Galvez, Community Editor
If you're talking about
If you're talking about grocery shopping, be sure to go during a non-busy time, maybe mid morning early in the week, and get one of those cute carts with the cars in the front. Your toddler will love it. And talk about what you'll do next -- "I'm looking for your favorite cereal." "I'm looking for your favorite crackers now -- can you see them anywhere?" If you're clothes shopping or gift shopping, be sure to be realistic: You can usually only last about an hour and a half. It's frustrating, but this wonderful age won't last forever. And if you can, try to get on a regular eating and napping schedule. It's so easy for me to say that and I wasn't great at doing it myself, but when I did, life was much easier because my kids knew what to expect and they were happier. Good luck!
Kristen De Deyn Kirk
Editor, Mytidewatermoms.com
It's all about distractions, distractions, distractions
Since it sounds like your child can still be locked in the cart, you've got the benefit of not having to constantly track him/her down as you weave through the aisles. I've actually found it more challenging once they leave the safety of those locked-down child seats in the carts.
But I would say it's all about distractions, whether they are free to roam or confined. I hand my kids the non-breakable stuff to put in the cart and they also have a coupon-collection game that can be a lot of fun. They have to look for the coupon dispensers that most stores have scattered in different locations. I don't often use the coupons because they are generally for things we don't want, but the kids love to have a scavenger hunt for them. There was even a time when one coupon dispenser was broken that my oldest son complained to the nearest grocery store worker. You can also let your child hold your list or scratch things off your list.
What I wouldn't do is promise food or toys if they are good in the store. Buying them a treat is fine, but don't tie it to good behavior.