[0:11]  This episode is all about tips for making it through that grocery shopping trip meltdown-free. This topic comes up pretty regularly in my parent coaching sessions, so I thought it would be valuable to provide some tips around this topic on the podcast.

[1:17]  The first thing you want to keep in mind when you need to go shopping with your kids, is to have a plan in mind for your trip.  Those trips where you don’t plan for having your kids along are usually the ones that go ary.  It is also important to communicate this plan to your children so they know what to expect.

[3:29]  It is also important to communicate your children’s proximity to you as you navigate the store.  Will someone be in the cart?  Will they need to keep one hand on the cart at all times?  Or are they okay to walk freely?

[5:21]  The next important tip I have for you is to give your kids jobs. By engaging your children in the shopping process, it is less likely that they will get out of hand or lose focus.  I encourage you to even make it a game if your children are old enough.

[7:31]  Now, what happens when your children request items that are not on your list.  I find this happens less in grocery stores and more in stories like Target, where there are toys and clothes.  What I try to tell my kids is that we’ll put that on a wish list for their birthday.  Do I always follow through on purchasing these items?  Occasionally, but more often than not, no.  The idea that their desires have been acknowledged though, can sometimes prevent tantrums.

[11:45]  By the same token, tantrums are sometimes unavoidable.  No can be very difficult for children to hear, and the younger they are the less they understand.  So when you do have those trips where your child is just melting down, it is better for everyone to plan to just leave and let them regroup, and come back later or another day.

[12:36]  Another area where parents often lose focus on their children is in the check out line.  This can make this part of the trip particularly difficult, so some tips for this part of your trip would be to pick a magazine and talk about it with your child.  Show them photos and have little conversations.  Another thing you can do is play games with them, like I Spy.  Then when it is time to unload, let your kids help with that.  This keeps them busy and gives them a job.

[14:07]  I just want to note, I do resist using my phone as a distraction as a last resort.  If I’ve gone through my bag of tricks and I still need to finish checking out, I will give them my phone, but I will always set the expectation of only playing a few games or for a few minutes until we get through the line.  Same for breaking into the snacks you’ve gotten them; it’s a last resort to get through the line.

[15:42]  I also highly encourage you to spend as little time as possible in the store.  Go with a plan, keep a pretty steady pace, get in and get out.  Kids tend to get tired and when they get tired things can go south fast, but if you keep them focused and move through with a purpose, you’re more likely to have a more pleasant experience.

[16:20]  If you are one of those parents who has had notoriously stressful trips to the store, I want to encourage you to not completely avoid it.  When you know you are going for shorter trips, take your kids with you.  This increases your chances for success and also gets your kids used to taking these trips.