How do you take your littles to the store?

How do you guys manage to take your littles to the store? Like not stress? My two year old is teaching me a lot of patience. I want to teach him more bit he doesn’t listen. Today this morning was adventure. and my 10 month old hates being in the shopping cart, he got a little scared but he’s getting to heavy to be carried in his infant car seat. I just went to target and the grocery store I don’t want my kids to be sheltered in the house all the time.

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Snacks and a drink , I let my 3 year old bring a toy. She also has a backpack leash she must have on if she walks. If she stays in the cart or walks nice and is a good girl she gets stickers towards fun things at home as well. She may know where every Dunkin and Starbucks is in town tho. We have mommy daughter coffee and shopping trips on Saturday mornings. She can have a decaf to drink if she sits in the cart. Perks of a Dunkin in our mall with an Aldi across lol. N I Bess go first thing the closer we get to nap time the bugger disaster it gets.

I would go early in the morning about 8 830 before it would get busy by 930 10. I would able to keep better eye on my girls since it wasn’t as many people in the store. When covid happened grocery pickup was my friend and Walmart plus was my friend during Xmas vacation

Honestly the only way to learn is to do! The more you go the more they become Used to it and it gets easier! My little man would scream the entire shops down because he hated shopping! Now he absolutely loves it we always try to go in the mornings before he was tired or grizzly! :sweat_smile: we have all been through the same thing so start with shorter easier trips and work your way up! :purple_heart:

Lots of grocery stores and coffee places do curbside pick up☺️

Me personally…when I had two little under 3 y/o I tried to avoid taking them to the store lol. I’d plan to go when someone was home to help. As far as being sheltered, that’s what I used the park and stuff for. Not sure if that’s an option for you, but if not…I suggest giving yourself ample time. And think of some distraction tactics (maybe they can bring a little toy car or you can play eye spy walking around the store?) I also suggest maybe baby wearing the 10month old if they don’t wanna sit in the cart…or have you tried a cart cover that has toys attached? That’s all I can think of for now. Good luck!

I brought both of my grandsons out shopping when they wer at that age . They wer 13 months apart ! I would always bring snacks and drinks and maybe buy something little for them so they can play with it ! But I knew I had approximate 45 minutes to get in and out of the store lol so use your time wisely!!! Lol gd luck!!!

Early in the morning or after nap time. Whenever they are generally in a good mood. Sippy cup, snacks, toy or iPad. They can only have those things INSIDE the cart. They begin to enjoy being inside the cart most of the time. Take short trips, I know that means doing it more often, but it’ll get the used to the idea of how to act and it becomes a norm.
When mine was little, the shopping cart was her little “fort” and she loved it. Mind you, I could barely fit any groceries in there, but eventually she grew to LOVE going to the store and we could slowly take away the massive amount of crap she would bring with her and it became enjoyable for both of us.

Your 10 month old will get used to being in the shopping cart, so that will get easier. As for your 2 year old, give them a task. Either ask them hand you things that you’re shopping for so you can add them to the cart, or tell him what the next item you’re shopping for is. Ask them to carefully look at the shelves for it as your walking down the aisle. When my son was about 2, I’d bring his toy shopping cart. He’d put small items like toothpaste, ketchup and such in it. On occasions where I was restocking his snacks, we’d use his cart for those things. If at all possible, try to go shopping a time that isn’t busy. I always had luck on weekday mornings or late in the afternoon. Weekends were. If all else fails, bring snacks.

Wear one or both of them. The ten month old is old enough to go on your back since baby doesn’t like the seat and the two year old can go into the cart seat. Many baby wearing groups lend out carriers to try and have educators to help teach you how to use them. Alternatively, if you have physical limitations, you can put the two year old in the cart and ten month old in the seat, but you won’t fit a ton of groceries that way. (You also can have him hop out when it’s too crowded in there.)