Shannon Gurnee is the author of Redhead Mom formerly "The Mommy-Files", a national blog with a loyal following. She has a Bachelor's Degree in Marriage, Family, and Human Development with a Minor in Business Management. Shannon and her husband, Frank, have a large family with 6 awesome kids and love living on the Central Coast near San Luis Obispo, California, as well as traveling around the world. A full-time Social Media and Professional Blogger, Shannon also serves as a National Brand Ambassador for many well-known companies. Her blog focuses on motherhood, family fun activities, traveling, fashion, beauty, technology, wedding ideas and recipes while providing professional opinions on products, performances, restaurants, and a variety of businesses.
I guess I am lucky, in that I work part time at a drug store within a grocery. I do 95% of my grocery shopping ALONE after work. I would rather forgo an extra hour or 2 of sleep in order to shop without the kids. When I do have to take them, I definitely use the tip of getting the kids involved in shopping. Even when my youngest was 3, he could look at the picture on a coupon and pick the right cereal, crackers, etc. I also try to let them make the decision on some items, like which two kinds of fruit should we get this week? If they want something not on sale, I have them check the per pound price and they may have to give something else up. Want those $6 strawberries? Then we can’t get the Goldfish crackers. Surprisingly the fruit usually wins. I also use the incentive program: good behavior may equal a special treat, or extra tv time, or an extra friend over to play. BTW, I almost never have a list, AND I use coupons. The kids know that the more helpful they are, the faster they get out of there, which they all love!
Good advice! its strange I have 3 girls and while sometime grocery shopping is not fun (but not to hectic) when doctors appointments are when the 3 of then go nuts and drive me insane!
We always have the smallest in the cart (which she is only 15 months) and the other two have to hold the cart one on each side, sometimes I let them pick out a snack or something (for at home- later) but I normally don’t allow them to have anything at the grocery store (as a reward) because my oldest seems to think that just because she goes to the store she deserves to get some kind of treat or food or toy. But like you I try to go through the store as fast as I can, get what I need and get out of there.
Grocery shopping with kids…it is always a challenge, especially when they don’t like to be in cart anymore! You hit on some great ways to keep them busy, I love the Nanny’s suggestion about the cards and helping, I have to try that! I think too I will make my kids do at least 1/2 the store before the cookie! I try and make my kids hold the cart, but then we are to wide to navigate the isles and get around people. We are also trying to start the rule that if you must touch you can only do it with one finger.
Thanks for the tips, I always love watching you vlog!
It’s so fun to see you vloging!
I think this is a great topic-More times then not when I’m in a grocery store, I see mums struggling with their kids.
Hopefully your video and tips will help other mums and make their lives a little bit easier 🙂
I have a 3mo old and a 3 1/2 year old and i haven’t yet been to the store alone with them both… The idea scares me to no end!
Thanks for sharing your ideas… I just can’t get over it yet!
Great advice! I have always shopped with all 5 of my kids. I can so relate to the ping pong theory HA!
I think your advice is really good… when my kids were little I would use the reward system by planning a small outing after shopping, like the park or McDonald’s playplace, but ONLY if they behaved. I would also let them help me shop (like you said in your VLOG) they would be the one who picked up the cereal or the bread or the milk. As they got older, I even let them go to the next aisle ahead of me, which really made them feal like “big boys”. Then occasionally if they were exceptionally good, I would surprise them at the end of the shopping trip by letting them pick out a candy bar in the check-out aisle and the smile on their faces would be SO wonderful.
When my girls were young, I had to grocery shop with 3 girls….ahhh I know what you are going through but from a girly perspective! One of my girls used to run away from me in the grocery store, all of the time, until I asked a stock boy to pick her up, which scared her to death…….but she never ran away from me in the grocery store again. She got the message and we still talk about it today; she is now a mom of 2 kidlets!
My sister has three boys too! They are a handful! I only have one girl and I can’t imagine how you do it 🙂
Love your vlog, keep them coming!
I don’t have expert tips to share yet love yours. I should have done what you did- give them cookies AFTER shopping not BEFORE.
Great advice! Letting Dad do the grocery shopping is my favorite strategy.
I can barely handle two when I have to run errands. I can’t even imagine.
I can’t handle my son at all……
I go shopping in the morning as well. Its easiest when my oldest is in school and I just have my youngest, who still likes to sit in the shopping cart. Here in Europe they offer at the grocery stores small shopping carts for the children to push around. So if I do decide that I need something in the afternoon, and I have to bring both my kids, then the oldest grabs a kids shopping cart and helps pick out items to place in her shopping cart .. milk, butter, etc. So she is with her basket and not running all over and the youngest is still sitting in the shopping cart. 🙂 I also try to not go shopping when the kids AND my hubby and I haven’t eaten. Usually people end up spending ALOT more on groceries because everything seems soooo yummy at that time! 🙂
I love your video Shannon, and thanks for your tips! I like your key ring suggestion, I will have to try it.
ACK! I don’t think my comment went thru! haha! 🙂
Anyways … I go shopping in the morning when my oldest is in school and i just have my youngest that still likes to sit in the cart. If I have to go in the afternoon, here in Switzerland we have children shopping carts, so my oldest grabs her own cart and I have the normal size one, so the youngest can still have a seat, and off we go. Its great with the Children’s shopping cart, because that way the kids are too busy trying to help out the parents that they forget that they could also have total freedom to take off running up and down the aisles. Only problem though .. we have to watch what she adds in her cart 😉 Other than that it works out great! 🙂
Shannon thanks for the tips, you look great by the way. Also I really love your key ring suggestion, that would be fun as well to try with my oldest. Maybe also with the key ring idea, for the younger kids, is to have the basic every time grocery shopping foods laminated, so if that when the younger kid wants to lick and bite and chew the list, is still protected, and then maybe the younger child will realize “wow I too am helping out!”
I find it difficult most of the time shopping with my grandson. When I see othe woman trying to shop with 3 little ones I feel sorry for them. Most kids are not patient enough till mommy get done the shopping
I have three boys and sometimes I get a baby sitter to go to the store. Getting everyone in and out of the car and shopping cart can be exhausting. My almost 2 year old can be crazy!!!
I tried to shop without kids, because my son really doesn’t like shopping. He would start crying and screaming in the store when he was little.
great advice!
ah, brings the days back. Mine are grown now, and I send THEM to the store. 🙂