This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Food Lion. All opinions are 100% mine.
Grocery shopping with young kids can be pretty challenging. I am past that stage, with our youngest being four, but my cousin is right in the middle of it with a two-year old. We were talking about it last week and I tried to remember how hard it was and what I did that made it easier.
Here are 5 tips to make shopping with young children easier.
1. Feed & Charge
Before we leave, I always give our kids a snack or a meal. This keeps them from getting upset while we are shopping (because of being hungry). If that doesn’t keep them happy, I know an electronic tablet will. I charge it before I go so I can be sure that it’s ready. (The Leapster is a wonderful option) Install apps, like ABC mouse, paw puzzle, and stories have these as a backup plan to all else.
2. Be Prepared.
Food Lion is literally two minutes from our house, so it is my go-to when I need something. I recently downloaded the app, which we love, to help us save more – more easily. It lets me make a shopping list. I can add items from the weekly ads that are on the app, plus coupons & recipes. The coupons that I add loaded right onto my MVP card, so I can have access to them & save more. Plus, the recipes that I mentioned are also therein the recipe finder section. I click the ingredients that I have and it tells me what to make. I love that option.
While the Food lion app isn’t exactly new, the features are. The app makes it so much easier to shop and plan with those recipe & coupon features (like sorting by expiration date or value). Oh! I almost forgot to tell you that it sorts your list by aisle. I think I typically waste 20 minutes just looking for groceries, so if you are shopping with kids, this makes things SO much faster.
3. Let them help you!
This is my (and my kids’) favorite. Our older kids will use the app to check off which items we have already found and tell me which aisle to go to next while the younger ones will search for the ingredient that we need. Kids love to help with everything, why not have them help you with the groceries too? Whether they like to look for things, put things in the cart or take them out; there is something for everyone person to do.
4. Shop when it isn’t busy.
This is the key for me. I go early in the morning, when it isn’t busy. Lines make it harder for the kids, so why not be done earlier and get it out of the way. Everyone is happier.
5. Praise.
Everyone likes to hear praise: kids are no different. Let them know that they are being helpful or patient. If our kids are well behaved, I usually get a pack of gum when we leave that they share (they LOVE this!) Maybe I’ll add that to the app so they see it as a little reminder! HaHa! You can find the app here: Food Lion Mobile App – iTunes & Food Lion Mobile App – Google Play.
For more parenting and savings tips, visit the Fresh Ideas Blog!
I wish I had a Food Lion near me! That app sounds amazing. I spend way too much time trying to find items on my list.