Tips for Turning Shopping Into a Fun Adventure

Moms often have to shop with unwilling or unmotivated kids, making the process of getting groceries or running errands stressful. Your child may throw a tantrum, kicking and screaming in the aisle as they start to get tired, or they may simply complain the whole time you’re out. This type of behavior makes your tasks take longer and makes them a much more agonizing experience. But it doesn’t have to be that way! There are several strategies you can use to make shopping with a child more fun – for you and for them.

Start With a Snack

Children seem to get hungry every few minutes. They have a ravenous appetite that tends to peak during the least convenient times. If your child starts to get hungry in the middle of your shopping trip, they’re going to start getting cranky and eager to leave. They’ll also become less placid and more prone to temper tantrums – and they may not have the vocabulary or self-awareness necessary to let you know they’re hungry. That’s why you should start the entire shopping trip with a snack, quelling that hunger before it even starts.

Choose the Right Stores

Choose the right stores to visit. You don’t always have direct control over the stores you shop at, but a little bit of novelty can go a long way. Instead of going to your conventional grocery store, go to a fun “everything” store where you can pick up some of the foods you need and get exposed to a wide range of other interesting products. Unique, new settings can keep your children interested in the experienced and less fatigued at the thought of a repetitive, “boring” chore. It can also be a great learning opportunity and a chance for new types of conversations.

Set Expectations

Before leaving for the shopping trip, set proactive expectations with your kid. Which stores are you going to? How long are you going to be? Are you going to take your time or are you trying to get done quickly? Your child may not be old enough to fully process all this information, but even if they partially understand, they may be more tolerant of the trip.

Have Your Child Help You With the List

Children love to help out. Making them in charge of crossing things off the shopping list, or having them look for specific items, can make them feel involved and help to hold their focus. It’s a great way to make the experience more cooperative and engaging.

Set Rewards for Good Behavior

Positive reinforcement works better than punishment for changing behavior, but you probably already knew that. You might be tempted to dole out a punitive measure if your child starts screaming and flailing around in the middle of a store, but that tantrum may not even emerge if your child has something to look forward to for their good behavior. Plan a reward for the end of a good shopping trip with your child; a new toy, a visit to their favorite restaurant, or even just some extra playtime later in the day could be all it takes to motivate them to be their best.

Play Games

You can also keep your child focused and occupied by playing more interactive games during your shopping experience.

For example:

·       Race the cart. If the store isn’t too busy, you can “race” the cart by zooming through unnecessary aisles (or pretending the cart is a race car, or something similar).

·       Start a scavenger hunt. Make a list of interesting or strange items you can find in the store – then set out to find them all together. You can even do this with words on signs or articles of clothing; for example, you can try to find the word “new” or “sale” in the store.

·       Use riddles to describe the environment. “I Spy” and similar riddle-based games can also be a fun way to pass the time.

Have a Plan for a Potential Tantrum

Hopefully, the advice in this guide can help you avoid bad behavior, including tantrums, but you’ll still need a plan for how to deal with it if it arises. Most of the time, the best way to handle a tantrum is to simply ignore it. But that’s not always ideal in a busy public environment. Different parents have different approaches to mitigating tantrum-like behavior, so whatever your approach is, make sure you have a plan in place before you leave for the day.

Depending on your shopping style and the temperament of your little ones, shopping may never be a fun, exciting adventure. But you can mitigate or prevent most of the problems that come with taking your kids shopping – and have a better experience more consistently.

Similar Posts:

None Found