7 Grocery Store Hacks That Make Shopping with Kids a Little Easier

It’s Hack Week over on Fit Bottomed Girls, and we’ll be sharing lots of fitness hacks — tips and tricks to make your fitness life better and easier. We wanted to get in on the fun over here with some mama hacks of our own, particularly ways to make grocery shopping a little easier!

With my two kids, I’m always holding my breath when I hit the store because I know I’ve got roughly 20 minutes before the little people get antsy and start wanting to move on with their lives. Then the grabbing, pushing and whining begin. But there are ways to combat the great grocery meltdown, you just have to be prepared and move fast! Here are a few of my tried-and-true ways to get through the grocery store unscathed.

7 Grocery Store Hacks for Shopping With Kids

1. The car cart. Germs be damned; I will never pass up the car cart — you know, the cart with the attached car in front, complete with steering wheels. It tends to make the cart a bit unwieldy — I’ve taken out an entire display of chocolate bars because I have poor depth perception (apparently), but letting the kids steer the steering wheel and be “in control” of the cart’s destination? Priceless. Plus, you can strap them in and avoid escapees in the checkout lane.

2. Their own cart. If you’ve got kids who can be trusted not to take off running (or you’re not pregnant so you can chase them if they do so), a cheap toy shopping cart can be a great distraction. Kids can participate in the shopping, provided they know not to start pulling everything off the shelf, and kids love to pretend to be like mommy and daddy at the store.

3. Fuel up. If tummies are grumbling, you’ve got no shot at getting through the store intact. I always push the envelope by shopping an hour or so before lunch time, which can be a recipe for disaster. So whether you bring a snack with you, grab a loaf of Italian bread in the bakery section and let them go to town, or open up the package of string cheese you’re about to purchase, food wards off so many problems. It distracts them while you shop, keeps bellies from belly-aching, and keeps their mouths moving — which means less whining and begging for other less-healthy treats!

4. Snag samples. If you see samples throughout the store, snag ’em! It doesn’t matter if they’re healthy — it’s just a bite! You can also ask the bakery if they’ve got samples to share.

5. The bribe. So it’s not always the greatest or most nutritious hack there is, but if you’ve failed to provide a snack at the beginning and don’t have anything you can easily tear into, holding a “special treat” over their heads can work wonders. The bakery section happens to be the last section of the store, so I’ll grab a donut and promise them the goods, provided that they manage to cooperate in the checkout lane. A little sugar is a small price to pay when you sense an imminent meltdown approaching. Warning: Kids must be warned that these special treats do not happen each time you cruise by the bakery department though!

6. The involvement technique. Whether it’s holding the shopping list (for some reason a huge deal), drawing their own list and checking items off with a crayon, helping pick out the produce, or deciding between two types of pasta, kids thrive on getting involved in the decision-making process. Plus, it’s a great opportunity to teach kids about nutrition concepts.

7. Play a game. The color game is always a win, so is the Sesame Street game. Look for colors and characters and have your tot find them while you shop. Sesame Street has characters hiding in plain sight all over the grocery store.

Do you have any methods for shopping with kids? I’ve got it down pat with two, now I need to figure out just how I’m going to do it with three! —Erin