Now that I have two little people who go everywhere with me, even simple errands can be unpredictable.  Shopping is no exception!  I never know whether to expect angel-children or beast-children.

Here are some ideas that have worked for me:

1. Choose a good time for shopping. Obviously, you don’t want to shop right before meal time or nap time.  You also don’t want to shop late in the day when the stores are busier and the entire process will take longer.  I find that our best shopping time is first thing after breakfast.  We usually end up getting home right before lunch time and then I can put everything away while the kids are napping.
2. Use baby-wearing. Since Kelvin is still pretty young (11 months), I still wear him in the mei tai nearly every time we shop.  This leaves the seat in the cart open for Ava, so I can strap her in and no one can go anywhere I don’t want them to go!
3. Bring plenty of drinks and snacks. My kids literally eat their way through shopping trips.  They constantly have crackers or granola bars in one hand and their sippy cups in the other.  Not only does this keep them busy and content, it keeps them full so Ava isn’t begging for junk food because she’s “so hungry”!  LOL
4. Get them involved. Some people make a picture list of everything they need from the store and let their toddlers tell them what’s next on the list and then check it off once it’s in the cart.  I don’t think Ava’s quite ready for something like that, but I involve both kids in choosing the different types of food (i.e. apple or strawberry granola bars, cherry or lemon yogurt, etc.).  This trick also cuts down on begging for things you don’t want in your cart, since they’re the ones helping pick each item.
5. Know when they’ve reached their limit. I shop at several different stores every week and it takes a couple of hours total.  But if the kids are really grumpy and I can tell they’re close to meltdown, we finish up in the store we’re in and go home.  I’d rather finish the shopping later that day or even the next day than deal with screaming kids in a store!

What are your tricks for making shopping with young children more enjoyable?

For more tips and tricks, visit Works For Me Wednesday!

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