Tips For Successful Shopping With Kids

There have been shopping battles in our little family. 

Mica used run from me laughing when Isaak was a baby.

Isaak liked to pretend our cart was the Polar Express train. He'd yank on the safety belt and make a hideous noise like a train hitting it's breaks. The cart would be yanked back towards me. It was possibly funny to others, but it annoyed the heck out of me.

6 Tips I've Found for Successful Shopping:

1. Have the child write your list. This not only helps you, but it also helps with their handwriting and spelling.
   
   *Note Mica wrote this list, while in a moving car. I don't know how much this list helped his handwriting. He did draw a little cart on the list for me. Also "Shells" are tortilla shells. I abbreviate a lot.
   
   
   
    
2. Have the kids look for the items you need. Treat the stop at the store like a scavenger hunt.


3. Have one kid get the produce bag, and the other one get the twisty ties. Trade kids for this task. The last thing you need is them arguing about who's turn it is to get the twisty ties. *We've been there.


4. Let them weigh in on an item they want. Talk to them about nutrition.
   
   Isaak always asks for 1 grapefruit. Mica, well he's more of a human garbage disposal. He asks for Luchables. I got one once for a field trip. Mica said it was gross. I refuse to get Lunchables. Mica sees other kids with them at school. I tell Mica to pick out a fruit, or veggie he wants. The bottom line is that it's a great time to have dialog with your kids about what's healthy, and what's not.


5. If you get the newspaper, have them clip out the coupons.