Mud Pies & Minivans: Grocery Shopping With Multiple Minis

This is a question I get asked A LOT. This is a question I asked myself when back when we decided to have multiple kiddos one after the other. You've heard horror stories, you've seen the parents wanting to pull their hair from its very roots as they drag screaming kids through the grocery store. Let's face it, you can't always get a sitter when you need to grocery shop. And for me, my husband can't always take on the 2 weeks worth of groceries shopping trip with me because his schedule doesn't always work that way. SO how do I do it? I just do, lol. You just can't think about it too hard or you will surely psych yourself out. I have however picked up a few helpful tips that can assist you in making a shopping trip with all your lil' minis run as smoothly as possible.

Go in the morning & on a weekday if possible. This is what works best for us anyway. Get your kiddos dressed, make sure they have all used the bathroom & diapers are fresh, & then head out the door (we pack bibs). Your children are not already tired out by the day, its not almost nap time, & for me I have just pumped so I have a good three hours before I will need to pump again. First thing when we get to our grocery store, we grab two carts. If I do not have my husband, my oldest steers the one with the boys & I push the one that is going to carry most of the groceries & we head straight over to grab breakfast & sit down with it at their Starbucks inside to eat. This is a great way to start a shopping trip, everyone is relaxed, calm, & most importantly fed in a fun & different way. Our kiddos SO look forward to grocery day. After everyone is done, we wash hands & faces, remove bibs, & check one ore time that no one needs to go potty. If you are a parent then you know nothing is more "fun" then a kiddo needing to use the bathroom mid-shopping trip especially if you have to drag like 5 other kids to the bathroom with you.

Now, before you officially begin any shopping, communicating your expectations to your kiddos is so important. Even if you already know your kids know what you expect, a reminder never hurt anyone & it also sets the tone for the shopping trip & minimizes chances for accidents or meltdowns. Now, I will note here that I do not believe in bribing kids. Teaching our children manners, responsibilities, & consequences is a part of nurturing character in them. If you head down the road of bribery they are always going to be looking for a "Well what are you going to do for me" type attitude that will not benefit them now or in the future.

In shopping I try my best to be pretty organized. Time is precious & aimlessly running up & down aisles & having to go back to aisles you already passed because you forgot something takes a lot. I try to have coupons selected & a list on hand majority of the time. If you get your kiddos involved in the making the list process ahead of time, even give them their own list of things to look for, it keeps it interesting as well. I also try to use the kids help whenever possible to grab things from the shelves & help load them up in our cart. Not only does this again make them feel involved, but it also builds confidence & independence. Sometimes I will give them the option to choose which cereal or type of yogurt they would like this time also to nurture those things in them.

Oh, ATTITUDE is huge when heading into a shopping trip with kids. They can totally sense "fear". If you are intimidated by shopping with them, they can tell. If you are stressed out, they will soon become stressed out & start acting out & you will just have yourself a huge mess really quickly. While shopping, if there starts to be even a lil' behavior that you do not agree with, nip it in the bud quickly before it escalates. Sometimes if a child is having difficulties listening, they first lose their privilege of freely walking down the aisle & must now hold the cart. If a negative behavior continues, I will not hesitate to drag all the kids & my 2 carts all the way to the restrooms so we can talk. Constantly giving your kids empty threats will not stop a behavior, but if they know you are true to your word consistently & mean business then they are WAY more likely to stop a behavior immediately when you tell them to.

When it is finally time to check out, I have all my kids help load the groceries on the belt to be rung up. This process may take a lil' longer, but it is also a golden opportunity to show that we are a team & we are responsible to help each other out when needed, plus kids usually enjoy being a part of the process. We usually take truns selecting which kiddo gets to run the debit card through the machine which they also think is pretty exciting.

Heading outside can be kind of tricky when my husband is not with me, so I usually do opt for someone to help me outside just because I don't want Aidy pushing the other cart through a busy parking lot. I usually man the cart without groceries & all kids must "glue" their hands onto the cart while the wonderful attendant pushes the one with groceries. I am constantly reminding my kiddos of the importance of being very aware when in the parking lot & so they do pretty awesome here. Not only do they need to watch out for themselves, but for their siblings as well.

Once we get to the vehicle, I have them buckle in their seats while I load up the groceries myself. The parking lot is just too dangerous for me to feel comfortable having them help load up, but once we get home they are responsible in helping unload the van & put groceries away. I do my very best to detour the entitlement attitude.

Now, I think unloading the van is the kids absolute favorite part of the whole trip. Once they are out of their seats, they go inside & grab their grocery carts or mini-wagons to help bring stuff in the house. They love going back & forth to grab loads & I can stay outside the whole time & load certain kids up with certain items (I obviously wouldn't let Z or Addie handle glass or more fragile stuff yet). After grocery shopping the kiddos are usually hungry again (go figure), so I usally do a quick & easy sandwich, chips, & some sort of fruit or vegetable.

Well, that's how I do it. I think we have it down pretty smoothly most of the time. Every once & awhile we may experience a hiccup or 2 like a diaper explosion or water cup spill, but I would say for the most part our shopping trips are pretty productive & drama free. Hopefully, there is a tip or 2 in there that can help you.

OH, while doing shopping trips I can get a lil' distracted when it comes to my keys so I have them on a lanyard (when my husband is not with me) & select a "Key Master" to wear them around their neck throughout our trip. This is really nice because when you have finished your trip you are not stuck out in the heat with a ton of groceries & kiddos digging through the diaper bag to try & find keys. Plus, the Ring Master feels so important.

Well, goodnight!

-M&M Momma