Conquering the Grocery Store with Multiple Children

Up until about a year ago, I actually looked forward to taking my children to the grocery store.  When it was just me and N, it was a much enjoyed outing.  N was (and is) such a social girl that she would chat everybody up, even as a baby.  She would wave and smile and babble and strangers would fawn over how adorable she was.  Because there was a constant stream of new people, and people are what she loves best, she never got bored.

When it was just N and L, things still weren't very difficult.  We had the occasional bad trip, but for the most part trips to the grocery store were successful and didn't require any extra strategy on my part.

That is to say... I had been very lucky for a very long time.

Currently... not so much.  We seem to be in a difficult phase of grocery shopping, for a variety of reasons.

N has grown into herself enough that she has her own (strong) ideas about what she'd like to be doing, and grocery shopping is not always at the top of that list.  She is always willing and able to be my "helper" in the store by getting things off the shelf for me, but attempts to keep her busy with this have often led to squabbles with younger siblings who also want to help, but are not as capable.

L and N get along very well, but also like to play tickling games or give not-so-gentle hugs when they are in close proximity, which usually happens in a shopping cart like this:

When this doesn't result in shrieks of laughter that damage the hearing of any shopper in a 3-aisle radius, it inevitably results in one sister being unhappy with the other.

And C, who is usually pretty chill about most things, has lately formed an abhorrence of being strapped into a grocery cart for more than five minutes.  She wants me to carry her, she wants to walk around (usually pulling multiple items off the shelf), she wants to take her shoes off... and she makes these preferences known.  Loudly.

All of these wonderful shopping events came to a head the other day when L shouted out in the middle of the store, "I HAVE TO GO POTTY!!!!"  I know her well enough to tell by her voice when she means business.  Of course, our grocery store has no public restroom.  So I had to leave a cart full of groceries three people deep in the checkout line, grab all three of my children, and sprint for our van in the parking lot, where L used the potty seat that we carry in the car for just such an emergency.

(Miraculously, our cart was in the exact spot we left it, with all the groceries intact, when we raced back into the store 10 minutes later.  Doesn't say much for the speed of the checkout lines at our grocery store, does it?)

Yes, that's right, I was becoming THAT mom at the grocery store that everybody hates.  Not just the shoppers, not just the supermarket employees-- EVERYBODY.

But never fear.  After five years of shopping with kids, I've finally wised up to some strategies for success at the grocery store (yes, I'm a little slow).  When I gave it some thought and advance planning, I was amazed by how much more smoothly things went.

So in case any of my readers ever find themselves in the position of THAT mom... well, here are some tips that helped me.

#1: Organize shopping lists according to the sections in the store.  For example, write down all dairy items first, then produce, then meats, etc.  When you make your trip, you can get everything you need in each section without having to circle back for a random item at the bottom of the list.  This saves lots of time.  Shorter grocery trip = happier kids.

#2: Make your list the night before, when all of your children are asleep.  You will have the peace and quiet to think through every possible need, and hopefully you won't forget anything.  When you do forget something, you have a full twelve hours to remember it and add it to the list.  This strategy also ensures that you won't have to take time in the morning for list-making.  You can leave for your shopping trip as soon as everyone is awake and ready.

#3: Leave for your shopping trip as soon as everyone is awake and ready.  First thing in the morning, we're all well-rested.  It's not even approaching nap time for anyone.  We've all just had a good, fortifying breakfast.  This is the peak time of day for patience and peacefulness in all corners of the family.

#4: Bring an activity bag.  I raided our playroom for small toys and books that hadn't been played with in a while.  I put biggest sister in charge of handing out new items when littler sisters tired of their current toys/books.  Instant maintainence-free entertainment for at least 45 minutes.

(I also saw this great idea for grocery store bingo and I'm definitely using it for our next trip!)

#5: Position your children strategically in the grocery cart.  Since I know N and L are the two in our family that will "get each other going", I separate them.  L rides in the cart seat and N and C ride side-by-side on the bench.  You can also have one child walk or help push the cart, but I find that creates more problems than it solves in our family.

#6:  Do your shopping in the evening or on the weekends (a.k.a whenever daddy is home) so you can go by yourself.  I don't prefer this method, mainly because evenings and weekends are busy times and it's hard to find a good opportunity to sneak out alone, usually.  Another option is doing the shopping while an older sibling is at school, or somebody is at a friend's house for a playdate... any time when your children are not at full strength.  It's harder to find those times in the summer.  And sometimes you still have to employ strategies, even with a reduced number of kiddos.  Besides, I kind of believe in training my children to be able to sit still and be patient through activities that aren't their favorite, mean mother that I am.

So that's all I got.  Any other tips, Mamas?