How do you Keep your Kiddos Entertained While Grocery Shopping?!
Alright, so I’ve received quite a few emails from readers with this question, “How do you grocery shop with kiddos in tow AND use coupons AND compare prices AND survive the trip?”
This is a great question and one that I’m very interested in hearing some tips and feedback on. Some of my suggestions (these may be basic to some of you)– bring snacks, pick the cute carts that have little cars attached (aren’t those fun to steer?) and make sure to bring along a Fisher-Price Doodle Pro (or something similar)! I also like to have my 8 year old son figure out whether using a coupon on a product or buying the store brand is a better choice. He feels very important when I let him make these decisions and I know by doing this he’s learning just how far a $1 can go when you shop smart.
Do you have any tips up your sleeve?! Any creative ways to keep your kiddos entertained? Let us know!
I leave my son at home with the hubby – otherwise I would never survive!
I invent random games, like telling them to find as many purple things as they can, or as many 5s, etc.
But really the main thing I have to do is check the cart before we check out. Last time I brought my 2 4-yr-olds I found 4 pkgs of bologna that I hadn’t put in the cart myself! 😉
I don’t take the kids anymore; it’s not worth the headache. I wait until my husband gets home, then I go by myself in the evening. It’s sooooo much faster!
I go while my oldest is in school…it makes it way easier…I also go early in the morning after I drop my oldest off…the little guy likes all of the attention he gets from the older people and the store is less crowded…makes it way easier 🙂
I grab one of those $1 multicolor Goldfish containers (or bring some in my own container) and have my two year old tell me what color he grabs and eats it, or he shares them with me. I hand him every item and he likes to look at it and hold it. (he says “I hold it”) and then he likes to be the one to put it in the cart.
When I was little, my mom would hand me an envelope and make me be the “coupon carrier.” So I got to be in charge of all the coupons she would use. Or she would ask me to grab the (insert item here) and put it in the cart while she fished out the coupon for it and gave it to me for the envelope.
WE HAVE OUR DEDICATED SNACKS PER STORE THAT WE BUY (TARGET – ICEE AND POPCORN, GROCERY STORE – DOUGHNUT HOLES) ETC…
THAT GETS THE KIDS EXCITED TO GO AND QUIET WHILE IM THERE.
We are usually ok as long as we have tons of snacks. We also use a cart cover that has toys attached to it. Since she only sees the cover a couple times a week the novelty hasn’t worn off. She usually looses it about check out time, by then the courtesy clerk/bagger has got her attention.
Shopping with my kids is not an option! I have 3 kiddos and concentrating for coupons and bargains and tagging them along just can’t happen. SO..I have a designated “Girl’s Shopping Night”, where every Monday night I meet up with my girlfriend and we gather our coupons and deals and shop! We have learned that grocery shopping is WAY more fun with a friend. Sometimes if we have time we stop and have coffee first! Yummy!
i ususally wait in the morning when i have 2 kids at school so that just leaves me with the 3yr old to go with but if my hubb is home from new orleans were he works see we live in florida then he stays home with him he is a little pain in the you now what lol bcz sometimes in the weekend i try with all three and its just not happening.especially at these ages 10yr girl 6yr girl and 3yr boy.
I usually leave my 3 yr old son with my hubby and If I do need to bring with him I bring snacks, let him put stuff in the cart for me and we go into the toy section so he can play for a few minutes. He can pick one toy to play with then while I finish shopping. Usually he can only handle Target.
Be prepared. When I go to CVS or Walgreens, I have a list printed out and the coupons are clipped to it. We usually shop before we go to the park or library. They know that if they behave, we get through the store faster and they get more time doing what they want to do.
My husband keeps the kids at home with him while I shop or vice versa. My neighbor takes sugar free suckers with her. Also, if I have to go pick something up real quick with my kiddos, I will let them play with something while we shop – always explaining we are not taking that toy home with us. I have also taken our toy grocery cart with us to let them “shop” too.
I can not fully coupon shop with my 3 yr old, I can not remember what I went to get and focus on coupons. But when I do have to take him, I take my IPOD touch! It is awesome, has baby games on it, like flash cards, question games (wheres the zerbra?, ect.) We also have movies on it! We take this out to dinner with us too!
That’s an awesome idea. I only have one of the older iPods. I’ve been thinking of upgrading to the touch, but I never would have guessed they had games and flashcards. My two year old would love those. Where did you find them and how much (approx.) were they?
I do this with my iPhone for my 4 yearold. There are tons of games in the App store that are absolutely free, those are the ones I get for her. I started letting her play with it when she was about 2 1/2, so we’ve had to move onto “older” games several times, but usually playing with my phone is enough for her to get through a 30 minute shopping trip. Sometimes, I’ll even let her bring her NDS that my parents got her for Christmas, but I’m always soo worried about her setting it down somewhere in the store.
Most of the games that we have on our ipod are free! He LOVES the Ipod. They have cute little games like where you shake the ipod to get the balloon animal to fill up then you can pop it, then there are the flash cards with letters and numbers. You can do Spanish too! They have music apps. they have ALL kids! He LOVES trains and so we did find an app that you can make a train on! So nice for him and me! :0) I think we found most of the apps under the kids section and then free. Toddler teasers comes to mind with the search! Good luck!
I have 4 kids- 3 are under 6- I do try to go without them but when that’s not possible I give them jobs. They have to help look for certain items and they ALWAYS have to be on the lookout for blinkies and/or coupon books :-). They also know we don’t buy anything without a coupon or great sale- that has helped a ton- we even use that rule on toys- I can’t believe how much it helps. There are some days I just know I better grab the basics and not try too hard to find any extra deals, usually those will wait until I have a few hours without the kids and not worth the stress of flpping through my coupon folder with 4 whiney kids. Also go when the stores are less crowded- I think a lot of my stress comes from other customers rather than my own kids. Even when they are being good (which is really most of the time) I get looks like I am shopping with a 4 headed dragon when I have 4 kids around the cart. LOL.
Go when the kids are in school. There are times that I have to bring both kids. In those instances the leapster is my best friend! When they were younger I always had a thermos or juice box in my bag. The were good for an aisle or two. Then we hit the deli where they got a piece of cheese. A couple aisles later I would let them pick something they wanted to buy – for example – what flavor juice do you want this week. Give them some choices – graham crackers this week or cheeze its. Or let them pick the flavors of the yogurt. Just involve them and give them choices that you can live with – either a or b.
I do go shopping from time to time with ALL 3 of my kids (5 & 4 yr old boys & 18 mth old baby girl) but it gets crazy…I’ve done everything: gotten the cool racecar shopping cart, brought snacks, toys, notepads/pens, engaged them in helping me find stuff on the list (my oldest is great about this and loves to help with coupons) but for the most part I go and do my best shopping when they are already asleep and hubby is home!
If I have to take m 3yr old with me, then I carefully plan out what I am shopping for and have all the coupons out and ready to go. I also like to borrow my teenager’s iPOD Touch for him to play games on to keep him occupied in the basket…:)
If I have to take my youngest with me we ALWAYS get the fun carts and i give him his own coupon book. I have a little photo album with some expired coupons in it and a “list” and a pen to “write” with LOL he is only 3 and He thinks he is really doing something and it keeps him happy. ANd i always try to be oragnized on trips when i have to take him so things go quicker. 🙂
I leave all three kids at home with my husband…
95% of the time – I have both my kids with me when I shop, so I’ve really had to figure out how to make it work. I do what you mentioned plus a few more. If the kiddos have just had it and nothing seems to make them happy, I have my 4 year old call my mom – He LOVES talking to Grandma on the phone and keeping him engaged means that my 2 year old isn’t being tormented (by his older brother) and he ends up being quite happy too. I will also have my 4 year old help me grab stuff off the shelves – he knows not to just grab whatever and throw it in the cart, but he loves to get the things that I tell him to (as long as it’s not breakable). He also LOVES spotting blinkies, so he’s always on the lookout for those (in fact I don’t even think about them anymore – he’s so good at spotting them, it’s his job now 🙂 ) I also ask my 4 year old his opinion on things – things that don’t really matter or that I know how he’ll respond – like should we get this juice? Should we get 1 or 3? Just the fact that he has a say makes him feel like he’s in control The biggest thing that helps me really is just try to have fun – on the days that I get frazzled, it just escalates my kids bad behavior. If I’m able to keep it together and make things fun for them, it really is fun for me too. I can’t wait to hear other’s suggestions – it never hurts to have a bag full of tricks 😉
LEAVE THEM AT HOME!!
DUM-DUM Suckers last just the right amount of time and my daugher loves a little piece of silly putty. It doesn’t crumble or stick to anything and keeps her hands busy.
My twins have never thrown a tantrum in a store , they never ask for anything, and I have always told they are the best behaved kids .
Its all about keeping them a part of the experience and making shopping fun for them.When they were toddlers,I would ask them to “help mommy” by getting items on the lower shelf , carrying little items items, and asking their opinions.All kids have opinions.lol
If I had a coupon for x brand I would just ask them to choose what they wanted out of a group of items that coupon qualified forf(they would either chose by picture on package or taste-if it was something they liked)
Because of this my twins were not picky eaters, they chose what they wanted to try out ,ate whatever we bought(even if they didn’t like it) and then remember not choose that item again.
Now as 9 yr olds they both coupon shop for items they like, they wait for sales and they scan ads for the best deals. They like being involved in the grocery deals and having a say on what we eat. They even look at nutrition labels.
My daughter even clearance and coupon shops for books and toys she wants to buy with her allowance
You just might be my new hero! [;0)]
Target is the best because I can go straight for the toy section and I give my kids a little time to wander around and browse all the toys. They are allowed to take 1 or 2 toys along with them as I shop (and sometimes it takes me a long time to shop!), and they know that they have to leave the toys with the cashier when I check out. My 2-year-old daughter’s favorite toy to pick out is the toy shopping cart that she strolls along with me and we shop together.
Getting through the check out can be the worst because I want to make sure they get all the coupons and that everything rings up at the correct sale price, so I usually pack a snack for this time so that the kids are well distracted. It also helps to shop with a “buddy” so that you can trade off watching each others kids while we each go through the check out.
For pharmacy shopping, I do try to go by myself, but if I can’t then it’s just snack time the whole time! I also work on “role playing” at home where we act out going to the store so that I can pre-train my kids how to behave while I’m shopping.
well, usually she will hold an item, and watching( is what she calls it ) she tells me where coupons are! She helps put things in the cart. I let her walk most of the time, but sometimes she starts to misbehave and I sit her in the cart and I hand her the things to put in the cart. sometimes I’ll give her a toy from the store to play with, and when we are almost done shopping, she tells me she’s done with it, and wants me to put it back.
I have 3 kids, and I must say that snack are the key…However we play games as we go. My 2 year old gets a dum dum sucker. my 3 year old daughter gets a pad of paper with my shopping list and a pen, and my 5 year old walks beside me. He helps me put the items into the cart, and my 3 year old “pretends” to tell us what is next on the list, and then I show her which item to mark off the list as my 5 year old puts it into the buggy.
They also collect blinkies as we go…I ONLY LET THEM GET 1 OF EACH COUPON….but they have so much fun spotting all the blinkie machines, and getting them out. At the end, they always count them while we are standing in line.
I always do big coupon shopping by myself (Wags, etc.). I tried something last week: The last time I went to Wal-mart I put my 5 year old in an extra cart and my 9 year old pushed it. I told both of them the youngest was not allowed out of the cart by any means! I gave the oldest my cell phone and a time (15 minutes) to come back to me in the grocery area. They went to the toy area and looked around. She came back in the 15 minutes (actually earlier) and all was good. I have to say I was really nervous and I’m sure it may seem bad to some to let them go, however, I am REALLY protective of my kids and i just wanted to see if they could handle a little leeway. My 9 year old is very smart and has been told since she was little all about strangers, etc. and she knows to scream her head off if someone grabs her (or her brother). What do ya’ll think? Was this a bad choice on my part?
In my Opinion, You never know what could happen. I bet if someone came up to your kids and said theres been an accident and your mom was taken to the hospital. You guys need to come with me. they would have went. If someone wants to take your kid they will. I live in Tucson AZ and we have had around 5 or so abductions and tried abductions in this year alone that have been on the news. Everyone around here is on high alert and wont let their kids out of their site. I know you love your kids, but i wouldn’t chance it. my opinion.
whoa. not a great idea. kids can be gone in the blink of an eye, especially in a large store like walmart.
definately would not chance it!
I do not see it as totally horrible. I think a 9 yr old can understand a lil more and it sounds like you have rules set into place. Again, something can happen in the blink of an eye. Maybe you could keep them a lil closer? With in a couple aisles? I live in a smaller town and everyone seems to know everyone and watches out for everyone, maybe this is why I do not see this as a HUGE deal. Then again, mine is 18 months and always with in arms reach.
If I have no choice but to take the kids I always get the coupons I’m going to use out with a list of everything. I don’t look for other deals… I try to get in & out as soon as possible though my girls do like to look for coupons in the store. Also, they usually ride in one of those cars in the front of a cart, so that helps entertain them for most of the trip.
I leav my kids at home when i do my biweekly grocery shopping. If i take them with i let them pick something out and give them a lollypop to get them through.
well, I have 3 that are under 4! So, for me I wait til hubby is home from work and go by myself or I end up pulling my hair out and forget to use certain coupons!! So frustraiting! My oldest does good by himself its when he gets around his brother is a wrestling match! LOL Snacks- just end up strung from one end of the store to the other Toys- get dropped and left Tried that! LOL Would like to see what others do with little ones and more then one! HAHA
I’ve been there! I had 4 in 41/2 years. My husband works a lot so I shopped with all of them. I always try to get a car cart because 2 can ride in the car and 2 in the child seat in the cart. Now my youngest is now 2 and he is usually on a backpack leash when we shop. He climbs out of the cart no matter how tight he is strapped in. The older kids like to hold on to the leash. This gives him some independence to walk, but he no longer runs away when I am shopping. His favorite thing to do is head toward the door while I am still checking out. Now he is always with me and safe.
I’ve been there! I had 4 in 41/2 years. My husband works a lot so I shopped with all of them. I always try to get a car cart because 2 can ride in the car and 2 in the child seat in the cart. Now my youngest is now 2 and he is usually on a backpack leash when we shop. He climbs out of the cart no matter how tight he is strapped in. The older kids like to hold on to the leash. This gives him some independence to walk, but he no longer runs away when I am shopping. His favorite thing to do is head toward the door while I am still checking out. Now he is always with me and safe.
Well, I am just adding to the comments above as they are good tips, but since I coupon shop with my kids most of the time and have been doing this about 7 years I cannot say enough how important it is to be organized before you leave the house. When the kids are with you, you must have a list made out after checking the sale flyer at home on the web, have coupons pulled and in order of where they will be located in the store, I usually move them from front to back as I pull items off the shelf so I am ready at checkout, and keep moving! When you have the kids its just not the time to wander aimlessly and check out prices, scroll for coupons, etc… I like to be in and out as fast as possible!
My kids are generally pretty good in the stores, but my 4-year-old son will get bored often when I am shopping. If I know am will be long, I will let him sit in the cart and play his Leapster.
My 8 year old brings her mini video camera and tapes anything and anyone she finds entertaining. Then later on she creates a funny video on the computer based on what she filmed. Most of them turn out quite comical and it keeps her from begging for every box of cookies she sees too!
When I was little my mom usually didn’t take me shopping, so going shopping with mom was like a treat. She told us that we had to be quiet and good and if we weren’t we would leave the store and I wouldn’t get to come back with her. Now that I work in retail, I have to listen to screaming kids all the time and I find myself appreciating the big things my mom used to do to keep us in line. For instance, don’t make empty threats. If you tell your child that if they do something one more time (consequence) then hold up to the consequence. Don’t make threats you can’t keep. Also, don’t let your child ask for things over and over again, and if you tell them they aren’t going to get it, then don’t give in and get it for them, because it teaches them that if they ask the right amount of times, they will get it. I was always taught not to ask for anything in the store, and sometimes my mom would buy me a treat for being good.
If you are shopping somewhere like Safeway, the bakery will usually give kids a cookie for free (under twelve) so you can even promise your kids a cookie at the end and stop by the bakery for a cookie before you leave and you don’t even have to pay for the treat!
very well put
Thank you. 🙂 I learned a lot from my mom. 🙂
I have a 4 kids (4 yr old, 2 yr old, and 8 month old twins). I usually push my double stroller with one hand and then pull a cart behind me with the other hand. 🙂 I have a list prepared before I go with all my items and the coordinating coupons attached. The babies do well, as long as we keep moving and the older two enjoy taking a little break by the book areas (to glance through them) and if there are toys, they are allowed to carry one around to look at, but have to put it back before we go. If they have behaved well, the older two will be rewarded with free cookies in the bakery area.
If I have some easy deals to do and have my coupons all ready to go or if I’m doing non-coupon shopping (produce, clearance meat case) then I bring the kids. If I’m doing more complicated deals like the Kroger Mega Event when I have to count sets of 10 items but only 3 like coupons per order (arg – I hate doing the Mega Event) or if I’m going through all the aisles with my coupon binder I wait until my hubby gets home and go by myself. Otherwise I just get a headache!
Usually I have our 10mos with me, because I do my grocery shopping during the day while Dh is at work. This last time, I did my shopping on the weekend and left the boys at home. I don’t take hubby shoping with me either if I can help it.
I have 5 kids ranging in age from 7 to 1 year. I have always shopped with all the kids. They know the routine and have been doing this since they were babies so we rarely have problems. At Target, we get popcorn combos split into 4 bags (mom gets the drink). Or I will bring suckers or snacks in my bag. The older ones help look for blinkie coupons and grab items off the shelf for me. Everyone looks for clearance/sale signs. My two yr old likes to arrange the items in the buggy as we shop and then load up the items at the register. We get plenty of comments from other shoppers anytime we are out…thankfully, they are usually positive 🙂
I try to make a small list of “important” items that my little one can read. Then he is responsible for finding them and checking for the best prices. He also enjoys trying to match the coupons with the items in the store. Sometimes I will let him pick out a “new” food to try out as bribery. What ever it takes sometimes….
My kids love to take turns sitting in the cart and holding my coupon notebook open so I can flip through and find deals. I’ve also got them repeating “I’ll guard this with my life”. They see it as a game.
Our Fry’s has a “kids corner”. (extremely safe and secure). I do almost all my shopping exclusively at Frys because of this! I LOVE it and my son loves it. Makes the grocery shopping much more fun and enjoyable! He even begs me to go to Frys so he can play in the “playground!”
If I have to shop else where I wait til hes in preschool!
While the oldest 2 are in school I bribe them if they are good they get a candy bar or small toy they choose if they are bad no video game time. Plus they like to help at the store look for what we need and hold things they are big helpers when its store time.
reading these makes me not take my childless life for granted haha. I will now slow down and enjoy the times I get to shop freely without any children! 🙂
yes!! slow down and appriciate your quite times. I love having my kids but I think of all the time I wasted before kids and wish I had it all back now. haha!
Someday it will be quite, the house will be clean and I will be bored and wondering why they don’t call. haha!
haha, sounds like my mom!
Ah, yes! We were married for almost 12 years before we had kids and I say now I didn’t know how good we had it! Quiet meals at restaurants, the late night show at the movie theater every weekend… I haven’t slept in in over two years! Maybe once the kids are in junior high, they’ll start wanting to sleep in and I won’t have to get up at 6:30 am on Saturday morning! LOL! (Of course, they ARE worth it!)
umm i use date night for shopping… lol. how sad is that? and even then we have one of the monsters with us!
Since daddy is out of the country, the kids are with me 24/7. I try to bring snacks and definitely pick the cool shopping carts if they are available. I’ve got a 1 year old and a 2 1/2 year old and if the trip gets too long they start to hit each other or steal each others snacks! Ah, sibling rivalry. My 2 1/2 year old loves putting the items in the cart when shopping and on the belt during checkout. I always have a list and strategy and keep the trip to 20 minutes or so. Even if we have to go once in the morning and once in the evening, they handle the trips better because I keep them short.
Lol! How do you possibly get in and out of any store in 20 minutes??! Even if you go again in the evening? Do share the secret.
I don’t have kids yet but I think I will be doing what most of you do – leave home with the hubby and when do get old enough, shop while they are in school LOL! 🙂
Suggestion #1: When my kids were younger (toddlers) I had cards on a ring that had pictures of the products that I was shopping for. (a card for each product) Some of the pictures I cut right from the package and some I just printed from the internet. I would make my list and then also put the cards in order on the ring. As I would be looking for my next item I would flip to the corresponding card and have my kids look for the item also. I know – you are thinking who has time to make up these cards and who has time to prep these cards in the order of your shopping list. It is just a suggestion………….it worked for me. The little extra time it took to prep made for a much more enjoyable shopping trip. Plus my kids were learning colors, shapes, etc…..
Suggestion #2: When my kids got a bit older they would play the ABC game as we went down the isles. Find a product that begins with an A then the next child finds a product that begins with a B, etc…… take turns until the whole alphabet has been found. Play it with numbers if need be. Again a learning thing that keeps them occupied.
Suggestion #3: Now that my kids are 6 and 9 they help me find the best deals. I explain about the oz. vs. the price per oz, etc….. sometimes the store brand is still a better price than a brand on sale and a coupon. I know you are tired of me saying this but again ……………learning experience that keeps them occupied and keeping their hands to themselves! I was so proud when I went for teacher conference for my 9 year old and the teacher told me that they were talking about ways to save in class……..on child said their Mom uses coupons. My son piped up and said “but you get the best deal when you used coupons plus a sale”. See he is paying attention!!!!
With my husband deployed and not being able to leave our son with him, I have to take my son with me unless I can find another wife to watch him for me. I always print out a list of what I’m going to get and what coupons I’m going to use. I have a divider for each store that I shop at and stick the coupons there. This helps me in the store so much. I usually put my son in his jogging stroller so he is more comfortable and he has a little wheel he can steer thru the strore. I sometimes let him hold the items depending and what they are and if they will break and can he open it. I always bring snacks and a sippy. I usually have to use these when we are checking out. The newest thing that I tried at the commissary was bringing a sticker book and give him a sticker or two every aisle we went down. He was the best he has ever been!
I shop at Publix where they give a free cookie to children. When my daughter was younger and I had to take her with me she had to earn her cookie by being good in the store. If she didn’t listen or had a melt down then she would not get her cookie at the end. The cookie also kept her occupied during check out. And yes 2 or 3 times I finished shopping and went through the check out with her screaming her head off from not getting a cookie but she learned from the experience and the times of good behavior far out weigh the bad:) She is now 7 and I will have to take her with me in the summer but she is a great helper.
I agree Jessica!!! I was in Walgreens Tuesday evening where my total came to $127.00 I was able to bring it down to $29.00. The cashier was amazed and the lady behind me says she must not have kids. 🙂
Right! My friends who have little ones (im only 26 so most of the little ones are VERY little, like none over a year) and they are like WHERE DO YOU FIND THE TIME?! and its like DUH, when you are changing diapers, feeding baby, washing clothes, playing peek a boo, im saving a ton of money. I feel like i should start stock piling baby items just so when I have kids I wont have to be on frantic diaper deal binges!
might not be a bad idea!! 😛