nightmare on aisle 5...

aka shopping with young kids...or at least my kids. One if not both usually drive me nuts while we are out shopping...and no I'm not at the mall buying clothes or shoes. By shopping, I mean getting groceries or other needed items (shampoo, diapers, etc). Friends and family tell me all the time that the only way to get my kids used to shopping is to take them. I get this. I do. And don't get me wrong, they go to the store with me, but only when I really have to go. I mean, if you had a choice of being able to wander down the aisles in blissful silence as opposed to flying down the aisles with a 3 year old and a 1 year old constantly asking for a snack, a drink, to be held, to be taken out of the cart, to be put back in the cart, kids going through the diaper bag, kids going through the items in the cart, kids grabbing things off the shelf that you don't need/want...and the list goes on...what would you choose?!? Yeah, I thought so. Kevin and I prefer to go to the store either on a weeknight (usually after Avery goes to bed) or nap time during the weekend. Although it's an errand I also consider it "me" time. It's quiet and peaceful. It's wonderful!

I'm off tonight and working for the next 3 days and likely on Sunday too so Kevin and I decided to take the kids to see Santa. Plus I'm hoping Santa won't be as busy tonight as opposed to during the weekend. But I also volunteered to make peanut butter sandwiches for Parker's Christmas lunch tomorrow. Unfortunately, I forgot about this and did not add an extra loaf of bread or extra jar of peanut butter to our regular grocery list over the weekend. Plus I needed to pick up a few things including a couple of Target gift cards for Parker's preschool teachers' Christmas gifts. So I decided to just bite the bullet and go to Target...with both kids...by myself.

Here's my must do/have when shopping or running errands with kids:

1. First thing: As we are getting ready I talk to Parker about where we are going and that I need him to be a big boy and to listen to Mommy; that I don't want any crying or want him to ask for things. With Parker, repetition is key so we have the same conversation while driving and then again while walking into the store. If he misbehaves in the store I remind him of what we talked about. It works about 70% of the time.

2. try to buy everything at one store. If I was going by myself I would have bought the bread and peanut butter at Costco b/c it is cheaper (it's in the same shopping plaza as Target so there's not a lot of extra driving). But when shopping with kids I prefer to only have to get them in and out of their car seats once. That's a chore itself!

3. make your shopping list according to how your store is laid out so you don't have to run back and forth.

4. bring lots of of snacks and drinks for the kids

5. bring a favorite toy or book to occupy them - my kids love their iPod or to watch movies on my phone. I also play "I Spy" with Parker - he loves this game and def keeps him occupied for a while.

6. give them one of the items that you are buying to hold - Parker feels special especially if it's something he wants. Today it was a box of hot cocoa. He had hot cocoa for the first time at Sea World a couple of weeks ago and he has been asking for some since then. We are having a few "cold" nights so this will be perfect! Avery played with a set of chip clips.

7. Bribery...yeah I said it! I tell Parker he can have a "special treat" if he is a good boy. He knows that Publix and Target's bakery give free cookies so he asks for a special treat. I usually try to do a little shopping first then when he remembers about the cookie and he has been good we go and get it. This will occupy him for a bit. If he starts to act up after he finishes his cookie, I remind him that he got a special treat and needs to continue being a good boy. It usually works. If it doesn't then I try any of the above items. Today we skipped the cookie...and made it out alive without any melt downs!!! Woo hoo!!!

These usually work, but when all else fails I've left carts full of items (if there's anything perishable, I tell a store employee - they usually give me a sympathetic and grateful look) and drag my screaming kids out the door). As you can tell from the above pics, I can't really go grocery shopping for a whole weeks worth of food b/c there's no room in the cart and Parker just cannot be trusted to walk by the cart and not run off or grab every other item he sees on the shelves.

What's your must do/have when running errands with your kids?

shopping is tiring work...