Shopping with Children
by Shawnee Bowlin
(Northeast Texas)
How many times have we parents had to drag our unwilling child through a store or rush our shopping because our child was tired of waiting on us to finish?
When my children were just preschoolers, I taught them how to value shop and how to help me choose brands and items at the grocery store.
They were quite proud to be able to add things to the grocery buggy that I allowed them to take off the shelves themselves. It was an honor to help mom shop when they were involved in the positive aspect of it. Everyone knows how quickly children can become bored in the grocery store while waiting on mom. I tried to put myself in their place and realized that they had a right to become tired and whiney. So, I began to give them part of the responsibility and it really helped make our shopping experiences easier for all.
I would let my children operate the calculator just to make them feel they were contributing and praise them for their cooperation and help. I would tell them which item I wanted off the shelf, and even if it were in arm's reach for me to choose, it made them feel better to actually get it themselves. I would let them choose the bananas or count how many packages of koolaide we needed and which flavors.
If there were a few items on my list that they needed for themselves, I would let them sometimes carry their own baskets and put their items in there. For example, if they needed toothpaste or a new hairbrush or cereal, they felt important when they could carry these in their baskets.
It is true that allowing your child to help shop can slow down the process. However, this is one of those times when you have to weigh your options. Would you rather shop slower because you're helping your child achieve a positive experience or would you rather shop slower because your child is whining and throwing a tantrum because mommy isn't going fast enough? Plus, this is a great time to bond in an educational way and teaches your child needed skills.
Click here to post comments.
Join in and write your own page! It's easy to do. How?
Simply click here to return to Schoolyard Content Invitation.
