When my son was born last year, it was such an easy decision to keep him at home. If for no other reason, I did not want to expose him to COVID-19. And honestly, working from home since March 2020 had my in place where I was content with not making public appearances. So grocery store deliveries became my best friend. The convenience of being able to select what I wanted, choose the time for delivery and having to only walk to my front porch to retrieve my items was THE LIFE haha. But it started to add up FAST, because of the convenience charges. When you first start using a delivery service, $4.99 seems minor. However, after several times of doing that a month it became not worth it. The time had finally come for me and my toddler to make in-person appearances at the grocery store.
I was so excited to bring Greyson, who is now 11 months old, along with me because I knew it would be a new experience for him. The problem is, I didn’t properly prepare. I was stuck in the store with a fussy toddler who wanted to touch everything and ended up leaving without a majority of the items I came for. To help you avoid this scenario, I’ve come up with 4 tips for taking your toddler to the grocery store:
Tip #1: Prepare a shopping list
I made the mistake of walking into my local grocery store to just “wing it”. WRONG ANSWER! Bringing your little one to the store can already be a distraction and lead you to forget what you came there for. Even the more notable items such as eggs, cheese and milk. Having a list prepared in advance minimizes time spent roaming through the aisles (which is great since your toddler’s fun meter and patience has a time limit) and gets rid of the last-minute dash to get bread once you’re already checking out.
Tip #2: Let them ride in the shopping cart
A shopping cart is the effortless way to hold your little one, and thankfully, most toddlers love to sit in one. I’m a firm believer in lining the seat area with a shopping cart cover. The cover adds protection from dirty surfaces and is super easy to install. And don’t forget to strap them in for safety.
Tip #3: Shop the store’s perimeter
When you enter the grocery store with your toddler, start shopping for items on the outer aisles. Most likely this would be your dairy, meats and produce. Then work your way to the inner aisles. You may ask, “Why in world would I do that?”. So glad you asked haha. If, by chance, you do forget an item on your list, you’ll only have a short distance to retrieve the forgotten item.
Tip #4: Let them be your special helper
Giving your toddler something to be responsible for will keep them busy and allow you more time to shop. This could be letting them hold a roll of paper towels or even a box of cereal. Doesn’t have to be a lot, but I highly recommend that the item is unbreakable!
I know a low-key trip to the grocery store, with your toddler can feel like a major journey. But with a little preparation, positivity, patience, and these 4 grocery-shopping tips, everything will work out just fine.
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