Between trying to plan out an entire week’s meals for your family, looking after wandering kids, AND calming down crying toddlers, shopping can be a nightmare for parents especially when the little kids outnumber the adults.
While grocery shopping with little ones can seem like mission impossible, these weekly excursions don’t have to be as traumatizing as you think. With a little preparation, these trips to the store can actually be an enjoyable outing with your kids.
Take a look at the top 7 grocery shopping tips you need to know before your next shopping trip:
7. Parking: While everyone wants to find front row parking, the best parking spots for moms are actually right next to the shopping cart return area since you can quickly take your child from their car seat to the shopping cart seat. And when leaving the store, you don’t have to leave your kids in the car for long while you drop the cart off.
6. Making Space: If you’re cooking for a family, you know how quickly those shopping carts fill up and how precious space for food is, so instead of wasting all that precious space in the cart with diaper bags and handbags, use a plastic baggie from the produce section to tie them up onto the handlebar.
5. Germs: Kids love putting their mouths on anything in sight, including the handlebars of the shopping cart, which are covered in germs that can easily make them sick. Instead of fighting with them the entire time to keep away from the handles, bring a sliced open pool noodle which protects them from the germs and also serves as a bumper so they don’t hurt themselves.
4. Avoid The Middle: No matter what grocery store you shop in, almost all of the foods you really need like the meats, produce, and dairy will be along the perimeter of the store. Not only will it save you time by not walking up every single aisle, but avoiding the candy and sweets aisle will save you from some embarrassing meltdowns.
3. Ask For Help: Most people don’t realize, but butchers behind the meat and deli counters can cut items into individual portions for you and even wrap them up for freezing if you ask, which will save you some precious prep time.
2. Snacks: Snacks are a great way to keep kids occupied during a grocery trip, but a baggie of snacks is basically guaranteed to make a spill. Instead, make a Cheerio necklace with dental floss to keep messes at a minimum.
1. Bringing It All Inside: Instead of cutting off the circulation in your arms while attempting to bring all the groceries inside in one go, keep a laundry basket in the trunk so you can easily carry everything in at once.
Watch the entire video below to see the rest of these genius grocery shopping tips as well as a few bonus unpacking hacks that are sure to save you tie and energy.
Did you find these tips helpful? Let us know what you think in the comments below, and please SHARE this with other parents on Facebook.
[Featured image: Youtube/WhatsUpMoms]
The Top 7 Grocery Shopping Hacks All Parents Wish They Knew is an article from: LifeDaily