Grocery Shopping with Kids

If you're a mom you know how hard it can be to take young children to the grocery store sometimes. I know other moms who hire a babysitter just to go grocery shopping because they dread dragging their children along with them. In the past my parents or my in-laws sometimes took care of my little ones if I knew I had a long grocery-shopping trip ahead of me. But, most of the time I have all three kids in tow. To make it fun I try my best to include them in the actual grocery shopping. These are some of my tips to make for a smooth shopping trip.

1. Feed your child beforehand or bring a snack for them to eat in the cart. Just like an adult shouldn’t go grocery shopping on an empty stomach, you should not take your hungry kids shopping either. Otherwise, you may hear, “Can we get this?” a lot.
2. Let them help write the grocery lists. Let them choose one snack, fruit, or favorite cereal of their choice to add to the list before you leave the house.
3. Have shopping helpers. Ask your child to add an item from your list into the basket. My kids love placing items into the cart and being a part of the shopping process. They have fun unloading the groceries at checkout time, too!
4. Play games along the way. (i.e., “I spy a fruit that is green.” Or “Who can find the Cheerios box first?”)
5. Give your child his or her own Grocery List. This is one of my kid’s favorite things to do at the grocery store. I made a printable grocery list just for them. It has both pictures and words and a spot to “check” off their items. Mini clipboards work great for this and kids LOVE them!

Want a copy of this Kid's Grocery List? Feel free to download and print from the link below! Leave me a comment on how you make shopping with children easier or just leave a comment letting me know that you stopped by! Don't forget to share!

Free Printable Kid's Grocery List here.

Happy Shopping!

Fall Bucket List 2013

I live in South Texas where we always joke about our two kinds of weather.  Hot and Hotter.  It is no surprise that we suffered through yet another hot and dry summer.  (I won’t complain too much though because I am really blessed to live here.) But, that does not stop me from dreaming of wearing a sweater and boots on the first day of Fall this year.  Will it happen? Highly, unlikely!  Still I am itching for that cooler weather and for all the fun Fall events and activities that go along with this time of year. Our family just completed our lengthy and exciting Summer Bucket List. And, even though summer isn’t officially over and the heat has not subsided, I just had to create our Fall Bucket List. We visit at least one big pumpkin patch and Fall Festival every year. The kids cannot get enough of all the events put on throughout our community! As for me, I know I still have a list of crafts and recipes that I want to try out and maybe feature on this blog. What do you have planned for this Fall season? What are your “Must Do’s” in Autumn?