grocery woes

my dear friend becky posted about her recent grocery trip with kids. oh, don't you just love those? hers wasn't about her kids though, just another customer. but it got me thinking about all the failed, embarrassing meltdown trips i have had with the girls over the years. my all time favorite. lucy started to freak out over something, probably because i wouldn't open the fruit snacks right there (yeah, don't start that one) and i showed my angry face to her right when a nice little old lady was walking by. and i kid you not, lucy shields her face with her hands and screams, screams at the top of her lungs "don't hit me!" ugh, as if! but you should have seen that old lady, i'm sure her ticker stopped for a second. she was aghast. but overall, the good trips have outnumbered the bad. and you are saying,what? successful shopping trips with children? oh yes, we almost always have great trips. and i'll tell you why.

my mom.

she taught me all the tricks and trades to master successful shopping trips with kids. and she should know, as she had seven. it's called damage control.

#1-keep the children in the cart
i've never,ever,ever,ever let a toddler out of the cart. ever.not even once.okay, maybe if they barf or need to go to the bathroom. but other than that, containment is key.

#2-we are not allowed to ask for things. we can say things like, "wow, i really like those." or, "remember when we all had those" and "those are good!". but it is a nono to say, "i want that mommy!"

#3-don't shop during snack times or meal times.

#4-no whining. but this is a rule we have for every day, twenty-four-seven. i have considered having it tattooed on my forehead.

and it really helps to make 'practice' runs. this is where you purposefully take a shopping trip knowing that you might not buy anything. once the kiddos know the rules, they know that if they don't follow them, you are putting the cart away and going home.no matter what. luckily, i only had to do this twice with lucy. abby just sort of caught on.

and the most important tip of all. try not to shop with your kids at all. i know, makes me sound like a cold mom, but if you can find time to shop alone, e.g. early morning (i've gone at 5:30 am before) or late at night, do it! but lots of times i don't have the luxury, or don't want to sacrifice husband time for the store. this is when the tips come in handy.