Having fun grocery shopping with toddlers can be a reality.

While grocery shopping with toddlers (or other shopping expeditions) can be a harrowing experience, it doesn't have to be!

In order to minimize conditions for misbehavior, try to make the experience as stress-free as possible--both for you and your toddler/s.

Employ some of the following suggestions for grocery shopping with toddlers.

Go prepared with your shopping list.

Before entering the store, you can have a little ritual called "shake out the wiggles"--which is just what it says--stand outside the store and shake and wiggle and jiggle, loosen all the wiggles and leave them outside the store!

Involve your toddler. Devise decisions they can help with based on their age/s. Older toddlers can pick a pre-determined item to look for and pick out as you travel through the store.

Younger toddlers can help pick which cart. Give toddler a choice of two. Say, "Would you like to choose this cart (point) or this one (point to it)."

Younger children go in the seat, preferably with a seat belt. Older ones can decide if they would like to ride or hold on to the cart and walk beside. When the child is involved in the decision they feel responsibility. In order to ingrain this responsible feeling, hold them to their decision.

For older toddlers/children, many stores now have small size carts so your child can participate by pushing their own cart and collecting a few items on their own.

Many stores have 'shopping cookies' (a free cookie for toddlers). If you are okay with your child having a cookie, inquire about sc's. They usually keep little ones busy for two aisles or so.

Shop the outside aisles of the store where, for the most part, the store displays what is actually "food"! This helps minimize your store stay and helps your budget as well as minimizing pleas for unneeded treat-junk foods.

You can have a specific "shopping toy" or bag with a few choice toys that are reserved only for shopping trips for your child to look forward to using.

Steer your cart down the middle of the aisle to minimize flaying hands and children with knocker-downer-syndrome!

You could get a plastic toy steering wheel to snap onto the cart so your toddler can steer while you are grocery shopping with toddlers.

grocery shopping with toddlers -two or more

Plan who will "ride" where before entering the store--you could pick #'s or straws or just take turns (if you diligently remember who went where last time).

Employ BIG sister, Big brother help and responsibility. Remember that with responsibility come privileges as well. Big sister can be allowed to choose a perfect cantaloupe. Or big brother can show baby sister how to pick out a box of cereal. Baby sister can point to which can of fruit to choose and big sister can fetch it for baby. Or Big brother can choose a juicy, perfect apple.

Children love to help, so make sure to give them opportunities in ways that are appropriate for their ages.

Distraction is useful. If you have a small tape recorder, let a toddler listen to a talking book or his special songs while shopping.

When your child can read (it is possible for very young children to read), write out a list of 3-5 items that they get to shop for. As you cruise through the aisles your toddler learns how to recognize words, healthful products, how to be responsible in a store, feel useful and resourceful, and will be busy with a useful task. If your child can't read make a list with pictures. Draw the list with pictures thus:

When your child has picked the item they can either cross it off or color it in or use whatever identifying method you show them---maybe use check-boxes that they mark in.

Match up 3 apples with 3 picture and they're learning about numbers.

When two or more toddlers have lists they may need to help each other.

When your child feels useful and responsible you are also increasing his/her self esteem

... and that makes for happy grocery shopping with toddlers.