Surviving the Grocery Store with a Toddler and Infant
Going to the grocery store with a toddler and an infant is rather complicated it seems. My toddler and infant are slightly more complicated than most because my youngest son has outgrown the infant carrier at six weeks of age. Yet another joy of parenting big babies.
We’ve been out and about almost every day since I was “allowed” to after Brian’s birth. Going out with an infant and toddler doesn’t have to be terrifying.
1. Go Early. Presumably your household is up early with two little ones, so head out as soon as you can. The store will be less crowded which saves more than a few Mommy headaches. Also, your little ones will probably be fresh rather than tired and cranky.
2. Go Well Fed. Get ready to go, then feed your baby, and then rush out the door. The better fed baby is, the longer you shop before hunger sets in again. I also highly recommend snacks for the toddler.
3. Wear your Baby. Use a sling or carrier to wear your baby. Not only will he most likely sleep a bit better than he would in the bucket seat, you’ll have a lot more room to store groceries.
4. Bribe your Toddler. There is nothing wrong with a little sweet snack as you shop especially if it keeps your toddler seated peacefully in the cart. Target is great at this – they have popcorn and an Icee for $1.50. My toddler calls Target, “the Popcorn Store.” Take a guess why.
5. Don’t Dawdle. If you try to deviate from the task at hand, you’re asking for trouble. Toddlers have an attention span only as long as the popcorn is fresh and baby will be hungry long before you think she should. Get in, get your groceries, and get out.
6. Be Prepared and Be Flexible. Always have a bottle on hand if you’re bottle feeding or a blanket for privacy if you’re breastfeeding. You never know when you’ll need to sit in the car for ten minutes with the air running while baby has a quick snack.
Just the other day we sat in the little snack bar at Target while Brian had a bottle, Jake had a pretzel and the groceries sat by already paid for in the cart. You’re a mommy, just go with the flow and make sure you get your share of the Icee.
Thank you very much! I needed this advice
I still haven’t dared to venture to grocery store with both kids. I do know its coming because I love to run, and I feel trapped in the house sometimes. Weird, I know.
Comment by Rachel | August 26, 2007
My boys (4-years old) are just very, very curious …. and so many interesting things on all those shelves. Absolutely - just say yes to bribes! I’ve been known to break open the about-to-be-purchased cereal while waiting in line to pay!
Comment by Charlotte | September 1, 2007
We’ve done popcorn, donuts, animal crackers, and other things. Anything to get him to stay in the cart and busy. You just have to remember to pay for it and bring wipes to clean up after the donut!
Comment by Rebecca | September 1, 2007
Here’s another tip from my bag ‘o tricks: let them stand up in the main basket part of the cart where the groceries are supposed to go. It’s a lot more fun for them to be standing up while moving. You’re sure to get some raised eyebrows questioning your judgment as a parent, and you have to be careful about arranging the groceries so that little feet don’t end up trampling the bread or eggs (use the now-unused kid seat part of the cart for that), but all in all I’ve found this to be my best solution.
Comment by MilitaryMom | September 3, 2007
Oh…I like it! We do that, too. It does limit the number of groceries you can get though.
Comment by Rebecca | September 5, 2007