How I Survived the Grocery Store with Three Little Kids
Once upon a time I used Reusable Grocery bags. And I even shlepped all my empty water bottles to the store for recycling. And once upon a time I also only had one child. But gone are the days of easy shopping trips and meager attempts to be “green.” I have three kids now and I must brave the grocery store with all of them.
Heres how it goes:
I time it carefully so that we are going when Baby E is recently up from her nap and fed. I stuff my purse full of snacks and sippy cups and we race off to Wal-Mart. In the parking lot we prepare for battle. I get the cart and put #2 in the basket (he refuses the front now.) #1 is walking. #3 gets nestled snugly into a Moby wrap that I wear since I know she will fall asleep as she will NOT in the carseat. Plus that thing is super bulky and I can barely see around it.
Once we get inside the store, I can be seen pulling the cart behind me with one hand while I hold my newborn’s wobbly head in the other. I have to cuddle her a little to get her to sleep. We navigate our way around the million old people (Arizona in winter) crawling the store and refusing to get out of the way as they chat at length about their various prescriptions. I loudly announce, “CAN I GET BY, PLEASE?” And seriously this one old lady followed me around the entire store. Borderline creepy.
The trip is going well so far. I haven’t forgotten anything yet and my brain seems to be functioning enough to manage it all. #3 is sleeping soundly and #1 and #2 are eating their snacks. There is a crummy trail of colored fishies and graham crackers all around Walmart.
But time is waning and it’s getting obvious. #2 starts throwing food around in the cart and gets demoted to sit in the front cart seat, with the added bonus of me opening up a bag of pretzels that he can access at his leisure. #1 is beginning to wander off from time to time, prompting me to raise my voice, “Keep up!! Stay by the cart!” I really think I am THE only young mom in Walmart. All septogenerian eyes are on me. And #3 is beginning to stir, letting out the occasional squeak of displeasure.
#2 drops his fishy baggy, spilling fishies everywhere. #1 helps me pick it up. #2 starts trying to stuff pretzels into said baggy, getting about 1 of every 10 actually in the bag. I take away the bag of pretzels. One more item I forgot…those darn black beans!
Finally we are at checkout. Fortunately the line is not too long. There needs to be a special checkout just for moms shopping with multiple kids. #2 drops his special plate I was buying for him to encourage better eating. Plate breaks. #1 helps himself to some Light Saber shaped candy and distributes them out. I collect all the candies back, causing #2 to begin his relentless whine-cry. #3 is awake but not yet crying, thank goodness. #1 helps me by holding my purse but then leaves it on the floor across the aisle. I am barking out orders right and left: “Pick that up! Hold this! Put that back! Calm down! We’ll eat it at home! Yes you can have veggie juice for lunch! Yes, that IS a light saber! No, we’re NOT going to buy it!” All the while shoving bags and bags of food back in the cart and paying the cashier.
Finally we are out the door. I race to the car and manage to get everyone and the groceries inside within minutes. I sit myself in the drivers seat and check the clock. 12:00. Once I’m home and everyone is down for naps, I plop down on the couch, too exhausted to do anything else. It wasn’t my finest hour, but we all survived.
And that is why I try to go on Saturday.
I always try to go without kids too! But when they were little and I had to take them, I armed myself with dumdum suckers – less messy than crackers, and keeps them quiet and occupied….
Good idea, except I think for my toddler that would be a sticky disaster and of course I can’t give a sucker to my older one without my toddler being insanely jealous. 🙂
You go girl!! And your idea about a check out lines for moms with multiple kids (or maybe just one screaming 2 year old) – GENIUS!!
Seriously right?!
Way to GO! Walmart is always a battle no matter how many kids you bring along. I try to go to Bashas. Mine has a Cub House where kids ages 2 1/2 to 10 can play while you shop. Since you live in the city I’m sure there’s at least one nearby that has one! Did you say you live in Gilbert? There’s one on Higley and Elliot with a Cub House. Hope that helps! 🙂 (yes I’ve been following your blog a while so I think I remember you mentioning you live in Gilbert)
That’s a great tip! Thanks, I will check it out! (Never been to Bashas because there are several other closer stores!)
I usually don’t comment, but I was hit up for the same light saber candy yesterday! I feel your pain! I am very lucky though…both of my kiddos are in school now, so I go while they are at school. Grocery shopping in the summer is a whole other story! My kids were easy to take to the store at a young age. For some reason, mine got tougher as they got older. I am glad you survived!
PS..Basha’s has delicious donuts! 🙂
I can’t wait for school for my oldest, he will love it! It’s much easier to do the shopping with only two or one!
OH Heidi! lol Sound just about right! I dread checkout the most….that is where all the candy is eye level for the children. SO while I’m loading all the items to be paid for them putting back in the cart….my kids are begging and pleading if they can have this or that. I’m taking things out of their hands telling them no….paying for the food…and hoping no one tries to runaway all the while! lol Oh the life of a mom with 3 or more kids!
I do the dum dum trick as well…just fyi 🙂
I know how to fix the problem; have your husband do the shopping. My oldest is almost twelve, my youngest six but no matter how old they are, I become a stressed-out mess if I go shopping with them. My husband does 90% of the shopping. Much better for the whole family. He even remembers the reusable bags.
Love it! Life as a mom!
I have thee little ones too. 4, 2 and 1. It’s a challenge at first but it gets easier. I now shop at a store that has free child for kids 2 til in kindergarten for an hour. I love it and my older kids do too. Maybe there’s is a store that offers that by you.
I’ve also found the reusable bags are way easier than the plastic. You can fit more into them and then you have less bags to carry and speeds up the process for checking out and bringing stuff in from the car.
Good luck! So glad you survived. 🙂
What is this store you speak of?! I would love to know of a place that did that. (And I agree about the reusable bags, though my toddler likes to throw them out of the basket before we reach checkout!)
When my children were small, I would have them put their hands in their pockets and I never had a problem. I also rewarded them with a small item if we had no problem and they were good so we could finish faster, but maybe yours are too small.
I can barely handle my 2 1/2 year old DD in the store, even when I have my mother in law shopping with us (sometimes they’re both difficult, lol) I have NO idea how you do it with 3. I’d be leaving them home with DH!
Yes, that is preferable! 🙂