Shopping with little ones is hard!  I usually try to go shopping when my hubby can watch our toddler, but with him being in the military, that’s not always an option.  Here are a few things that I have learned to help make it through the grocery store without a tantrum.

Food.  Make sure that your kids are not hungry.  I usually go right after a meal or snack.  My toddler eats VERY often, so sometimes we don’t make it through the grocery store without a snack.  He doesn’t understand why I am putting all of his favorite foods in the basket instead of in his hands!

Sleep. If at all possible, don’t attempt the grocery store during nap time!  This is just asking for trouble.

Distractions.  Little ones attention spans are very short.  I usually take my child’s favorite book with us.  He loves books.  Once he gets bored with his book, I can usually distract him with something in my cart like pasta or rice.  Anything that makes fun noises when he shakes it works great!

Be Prepared.  Anytime you do something with a pre-schooler, the more prepared you are the better.  Make sure you have a grocery list so you don’t forget anything you need.  Also, people who make grocery lists are less likely to buy extra junk food and spend less money.  Extra bonuses!

Do your research.  If I am trying out a new recipe with unfamiliar ingredients, I look them up to see what they look like so I can find them quicker.  This helps make the trip shorter.  My toddler usually does really good the first 30 minutes.  After that, I am pushing my luck.

When my toddler is with me, I don’t have the luxury to read labels as closely as I would like.  I usually just get to skim the label.  Once I am home, I usually look at the label closer to see exactly what we are eating.  There have been a few times that I did throw away an item because it had trans fat that I didn’t realize until I was home. 🙁

Hopefully some of these tips will help make your grocery shopping a little bit more pleasant.  My disclaimer: Even if you abide by all of these tips your child might still have a tantrum.  Trust me.  It happens!  What do you do to keep your toddler pleasantly occupied at the grocery store?