Before having kids I didn’t put much thought into grocery shopping. When we were out of food I made a list, headed to the store, shopped and came home.
Now, grocery shopping is an intricate dance between timing, naps, and bribery. Let’s take a look at the differences.
Grocery Shopping Without Kids
1. Realize you are out of food, sit down with a hot cup of coffee (or tea) and write your list.
2. Take some time to cut out coupons, perhaps while watching your favorite TV show.
3. Make your way to the store, and do your shopping.
4. Pay, load your car and make your way home
5. Put your groceries away.
Grocery Shopping With Kids
1. Make you plan of attack (a.k.a. write your list) a day or two before you plan to actually go to the store.
2. Cut coupons…. if you dare, since the toddler wants to “help mommy”/ look for cats in the adds.
3. The morning of, pump yourself up. You can do this.
4. Change baby’s diaper, ask toddler to pee. While toddler is going to the bathroom strap baby in car seat.
5. Help toddler off the potty and put her jacket on.
6. Get baby and car seat, only to realize baby has gone to the bathroom.
7. Unstrap baby from car seat, go upstairs to change baby, come downstairs, strap baby in car seat.
8. Load baby and toddler in car.
PHEW! Are we done yet? Oh wait… we haven’t even made it to the store yet.
9. Get to the store, try to find a spot near the cart return.
10. strap baby into the carrier and get toddler out of car seat.
11. Get into the store, get toddler in cart and explain, no we are not going to have a snack, we just ate breakfast.
12. Start your shopping, eventually giving in to toddlers snack demands since it is almost her snack time.
13. Half way through shopping toddler states she has to pee. Go to the bathroom, help toddler pee. Wash hands, go back to the cart, and continue shopping.
14. Realize baby’s nap time is nearing, so try to get her to sleep.
P.S. Taking a selfie with a phone that only has a rear facing camera isn’t the easiest. Pretty sure the people at the grocery store thought I was nuts-o. #bloggerproblem
15. Throw some treats in the cart for you, you earned it.
16. Finish the shopping, and get in line to pay.
17. Load groceries onto belt while trying not to wake baby.
18. Pay for groceries and head to car.
19. Load car, unload kids and return cart to cart corral.
20. Get kids into car seats and head home.
21. Unload groceries while toddler “helps” by taking each item out of bag and puts it on the floor.
22. Finish putting groceries away, and breath a sigh of relief. You did it! Two and half hours later, but it’s done.
Until next week that is.
23. Wonder if 11am is too early for a glass of wine.
Share YOUR shopping with kids story below!
Hilarious! And, oh so true! What gets me is all of the pee breaks we need to take with two kids. Of course, it’s never at the same time!
Luckily my youngest is still in diapers… I’m not ready for a two pee break trip…
HAHA! Yes, oh man… it’s a chore. 11:00 am is never too early for wine ; )
Just add a little OJ and it’s like a mimosa right??
So true!
Loved this! Grocery shopping with the kids can be such a chore. But sometimes it can be fun and there are lots things they can learn!
Lil kids are such an adventure!
One day it will get easier… right? 🙂