Confession: Going to the grocery store with kids stresses me out!
So as you can imagine, bringing both kids in with me to join the pre-Christmas grocery crowd did not excite me. However, this morning before we went, something made me pause and realize that if I slowed down and changed the way I did the shopping trip, then maybe I could change the outcome and enjoy it more.
So I split the shopping list between the 3 of us (drawing pictures along with N’s list) and gave the kids their list with a clipboard and pen. They were excited about this “important job” and I was hopeful that if they were invested somehow in the trip that it would be free of whining and arguing.
When we pulled into the parking spot I said, “It is going to be crowded in there and people may be stressed or grouchy trying to get all of their groceries on a busy day so let’s have the JOY in our hearts show on our faces and in our actions with good manners and patience.” Ok so the pep talk was more for ME and my attitude, but either way it seemed to do the job.
I was not in a hurry and the kids were happy with the challenge to gather the items. I enjoyed the unexpected stops for samples or products that the kids wanted to browse. There was still a little arguing about sharing the cart and whose turn it was to put items on the conveyor belt, but overall it was a success. On the way out B said, “I didn’t see any grouchy people here today.” This trip was JOYFUL instead of stressful and I realize that a lot of it had to do with my attitude and expectations.
Shopping with Kids
What do you do to make grocery trips with your kids joyful instead of stressful?