Five Quick Tips on Surviving the Grocery Store With Kids
Follow these 5 tips to begin to have less stress, meltdowns, and bolting and increase success when going grocery shopping.
1. Busy body equals a busy mind.
> Have your child be a part of the shopping experience: pushing the cart, putting items into the cart, crossing off or deleting items on the list, assisting with checkoff. Incorporating your child into the shopping experience builds lifelong skills and helps decrease any bolting that may occur.
2. Plan a day/time where you are feeling cool, calm, and confident.
> Picking a day/time to set you both up for success is the best place to start. If you are waking up from a restless sleep, work or life, in general, has you feeling more depleted than usual. These the days to avoid going grocery shopping with your kiddo.
> For more ways on how to gauge your stress levels read A Penny or Two for Your Stress
3. Remain consistent.
> If you are telling them yes or no to getting an item before the store remain consistent regardless of what occurs at the store.
> It doesn’t have to be the same day/time, rather stay consistent with the same grocery store this can help your kiddo adjust to the sensory overstimulation that often occurs when going grocery shopping such as noises, visuals, smells, etc.
4. Before leaving for the store decide whether they can get an item at the store or not.
> First, let them know before leaving the house whether they can get something or not.
> Getting an item: Make a list of 2-3 items they can choose from that is within the budget.
> Not getting an item: If any tantrums arise from being told they won’t be getting something. This allows you to decide whether to continue with taking them grocery shopping, not going and trying again, or going another time without them.
> Listing the items or using pictures can help with communication.
Getting an item example: find a simple picture of groceries and a candy bar. Place the groceries before the candy bar. Provide a simple explanation such as first groceries, then candy bar.
Not getting an item example: find a simple picture of groceries and a red “X”, written word “No”, or no symbol. Provide a simple explanation such as first groceries, no ‘item’ today.
5. For the first few trips plan a day/time that will be less overstimulating.
> Early morning on a weekday or weekend, or later in the evening on a weekend. Avoid busy times such as weekdays after work, weekends in the afternoon or later in the day.
> Creating consistency can help such as the same grocery store and going when both you and your child are feeling calm. As your grocery trips become more consistent in your weekly routine it will your child adjust to the sensations (noises, visuals, smells, etc.) when taking trips to the grocery store.
