Okay sounds totally crazy doesn’t it? Kids go grocery shopping? Yes, no exaggeration, they can go and yes they will enjoy it.  Sure Amazon Fresh, Fresh Direct, Blue Apron and so many other companies bring the ingredients and recipes to your door. Now that’s great and all but I have a few questions for those that use these services:

1) Why did you choose to use these services?

2) Do you find it’s worth it?

3) Do you trust them to bring you fresh produce?

And lastly

4) Are you teaching your child the life skills they need like cooking and shopping?
From experience, we’ve received bad produce using Fresh Direct. But that’s not even what this article is focusing on. The point of this article is how to deal with children in the grocery store.

1. The first step is make your list (with your child help if you plan meals together), know what you need, have your coupons and know the sales.

1. Prep your child to go. I don’t just mean dressing them and having everything you need (sometimes having a snack helps just in case they get hungry) but what I mean is talking to your child about what the grocery store is, what you need, where it is etc.
2. Set expectations on how to behavior at the store. Don’t reward bad behavior but reward good behavior.
3. Make your child feel important. You make think you are but kids need jobs, they want to know they are needed and not just loved. Find simple ways for your child to help. Maybe hold the list (helps if they can read it) or hold the coupons. Matthew likes to sit in the cart (if we can’t find a cart with a car) and help keep things in order. He also helps load the groceries onto the conveyer belt.
4. Best tip is that many stores have either mini grocery carts or carts with the little cars attached. Kids love them and it helps get them excited.

What only 5 points? Yes, it’s pretty simple but taking them in with you gives them so many life skills and you can learn to do errands and spend time with your child.