Your child’s toddler years can be enchanting as well as frustrating. For some parents, toddler years are the most difficult. Although gone are the constant night feeds and unexplained crying, they will be replaced by temper tantrums and chaos, as your toddler explores his newfound freedom. Activities that you used to take for granted when your little one was just a baby, become like mission impossible. Take for example shopping.
When your little one was a baby, food shopping was breeze. In fact, you can do it while interacting with your baby. You put your baby in his carrier and you go around isles picking up supplies while having a conversation with your baby. But once you have a toddler, this rather civilised way of shopping goes out of the window. You end up always on your guard, ensuring that your toddler doesn’t pick a big box of eggs and drop them on the floor. Or worse, disappear in along the other isle while you’re not looking, leaving you with a nervous breakdown.
Of course, there’s the constant whining. If she isn’t running around, your toddler is hungry and wants to eat right now! Or she needs a drink. Or, if she’s already potty trained, she needs the loo. This means living all your shopping somewhere unattended, or wheel the trolley inside a cramp wash room. But shop you must. So, here are some tips to make your shopping less stressful.
Don’t go shopping with your toddler – Unless it is absolutely necessary, don’t take your toddler shopping, unless you have another adult with you. At least, if there are two of you keeping an eye on your toddler, one can shop while the other keeps the toddler off mischief.
If you have to take your toddler with you, make sure that she is well rested and fed before you leave home. And don’t forget to bring with you snacks, in case your toddler decides she’s hungry. It might be a good idea to bring her special toy, just in case she gets the idea that she’d like to play with it while you are shopping. Otherwise, you will end up trying to console her throughout your shopping trip because she can’t cuddle bunnykins.
Prepare a list of your shopping – This will make shopping quicker for you and also ensure that you buy everything you need so you don’t have to shop again short after.
Shop online –If shopping becomes so stressful, online shopping is the best solution. You can buy anything you need while your toddler is busy watching the telly or sleeping, and you can arrange it to be delivered at your convenience. Online shopping also stops impulse buying, which can be good for your wallet.
