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Toddlers: 12 - 24 Months
amr1218
member
Tips for surviving Toddler-hood (especially at the grocery store)
amr1218
member
DD has just gotten really good at walking. It is her new favorite pass time. She has reached that quintessential toddler 'milestone' of being into everything. Along with this sense of adventure and independence, she has also discovered how to throw a pretty good tantrum. For those of you that are experienced with toddler fits, please share your 'magician's secrets' with this first time mom.
Rewind to yesterday. We were at the grocery store. DD was not content sitting in the buggy. As soon as I took her out, she scrambled to get down. I would let her walk for a bit, and she thought it was great to 'catch' daddy. But the store was very busy and we didn't have time walk at her pace. And - she wanted to grab everything off the bottom shelves. You can imagine the fit she threw when I would pick her up. Once she was up, she scrambled to get back down. And forget getting back in the buggy. I was exhausted and frazzled by the time we reached the register. There has got to be an easier way!
Rewind to yesterday. We were at the grocery store. DD was not content sitting in the buggy. As soon as I took her out, she scrambled to get down. I would let her walk for a bit, and she thought it was great to 'catch' daddy. But the store was very busy and we didn't have time walk at her pace. And - she wanted to grab everything off the bottom shelves. You can imagine the fit she threw when I would pick her up. Once she was up, she scrambled to get back down. And forget getting back in the buggy. I was exhausted and frazzled by the time we reached the register. There has got to be an easier way!
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Re: Tips for surviving Toddler-hood (especially at the grocery store)
Distraction - head off the fits before they happen. When DS was younger we always gave him a snack cup with goldfish or cheerios when we were at the store - worked great. As he got older we started having him help us - we hand him groceries and he puts them into the cart. Or we'll play a game and have him find all the balloons he can find (sale balloons are all over the place). Now he likes to ride in the carts that have the little car on the front and he drives and occupies himself just fine.
Side note, I never let DS walk around the grocery store (it's way too busy there and I know I hate when other people's kids get in my way).
Logan 10/20/2010 ~ Addison 8/26/2014
I totally agree. For your own sanity--leave her home with DH!
Two options - either leave her at home or keep her in the cart the whole time.
We bring food from home (grapes, goldfish, watermelon pieces). He will let us shop if he has a snack or if he can help.
We will not let him out of the cart because he would run all over the place
Every word of this! It's the only way we go.
We are in this same phase of DD wanting to run around the store. Here's our dilemma...we are always trying to think of things to do on the weekends and taking DD to the store is a good option.
We finally broke down and get the big car carts at the grocery store....this has really helped. Totally agree with the above post....DD loves "helping". Certain items we hand to her, she plays with it for a bit and then throws it in the cart.
We try to get to the store early (like 9am) and if it's not busy we will let DD walk around a bit when we are almost done shopping. If we take her out, she ain't going back in!
This exactly.
Yep. With each passing day, I find myself thinking...I've become one of 'those' parents. (The ones that I used to fuss about before DD was born).
Anyone got restaurant tips to add? How do teach your toddler to behave and what do you do when the they melt down?
I guess I need to do some real research on how to positively direct DD at this age. It has been a LONG time since I took childhood and human development in college.
Thanks for the advice. Lesson learned - DD stays in cart or at home.
--don't let them out of the cart
--holding items/helping is HUGE
--snacks
--short trip!
We start off with a snack. That will get us through the first few aisles.
Then I give him something we are buying that will make noise when he shakes it (mac n cheese is perfect for this, so is rice).
Most importantly, I would not let him out of the cart.
Ditto most of the advice of the PP.
I let DS walk through the parking lot to the store (holding my hand of course) so he can stretch his legs and get out a little energy. Once we get to the store he goes in the cart and stays there until it's time to get into the car. He doesn't even know it's an option to get out.
While shopping I give him snacks to distract him. He still loves Mum-Mums so he only gets these in the store as a special snack. He also gets to play with items before they go into the cart.
If I know it's going to be a long trip or the store will be busy I leave him with a babysitter.
Restaurants are slightly tougher for us than grocery shopping. We only go to restaurants that are a bit "louder" if that makes sense, and we always have the goal of getting in and out as quickly as possible. We order our food when they take our drink orders usually. We bring crayons and a couple small toys like cars. If he's having a particularly bad day, the iphone with Mickey Mouse works every time.
We are lucky though and DS still has not had any real meltdowns in a restaurant. If he did, my plan is to take him outside until he calms down.
Logan 10/20/2010 ~ Addison 8/26/2014
When I go Grocery shopping DD is still in the Ergo and will be for the foreseeable future. Most of the time she is perfectly content in the Ergo.
When I go to Sam's club she rides in the cart or walks and I'm fine with that, she stays close and there isn't too much she can easily get into.
When I go to Target or Walmart I usually do not need a lot so she goes in the stroller. If I need to get a lot of stuff (as in I need a shopping cart) she goes in the Ergo but that doesn't happen too much.
Restaurants DD does really well 95% of the time, in fact we haven't had any meltdowns that required leaving. We do eat out on a regular basis so she is used to it. Eating itself keeps her entertained and crayons sometimes as well (it depends on her mood). If she gets fussy one of us takes her for a walk until the food arrives.
EDD 1/31/13, MC May 17. EDD 3/31/13, MC July 26. I miss you so much already my angel loves
Oh boy, I was just thinking today after our trip to the store how I am not taking DD & the new LO to the grocery store by myself. I will shop when DH gets home from work.
The distractions only last about 1/2 way through the store then she wants out. Today, she didn't even want to walk, so me being 38 wks pregnant, carrying a toddler, and pushing a cart. Good bless the woman who helped me unload my cart.
Sorry, I have no answers for you!
This will be so hard! I was thinking bout this too. I'm planning on carrying the new LO in the carrier and keeping DS in the cart. When they are bigger, some stores have the double seat carts.
I may be the odd one here but I leave with more than enough time to do the shopping, I kind of do as an end of day thing where I don't have other things to do, I let him walk around holding my hand but he isn't that slow of a walker.
It helps that I simply take the time to tell him not to touch the items, I also get him to help, keep him interested and if he starts to wonder if put him in the cart again with some sort of packaging like bread next to him that he can play with or he gets my keys.
Worst case I mau have to carry him and shop one handed its how it goes
Not sure if this is an option for you or not, but one of our local grocery stores lets you do online shopping and then you pick it up for $1.95/3.95(depending on if they are running a special).
For 2 bucks, I'd rather save myself the possiblity of dealing with a meltdown etc. I haven't gone grocery shopping other than to pick up a few items since DD was born. Our place holds onto your coupons/reusable bags etc too. We pick up on the way to get DD from daycare since it is right around the corner.
Might be worth checking around to see if any of your stores do it. Much cheaper than grocery delivery and much easier than dealing with a toddler in the grocery store.
I just laughed out loud after reading all the posts again. It reminds me of the Gremlin movies of the 80's. "What ever you do, never ever feed them after midnight!"
Moral of the thread...Never let your toddler out the cart - they will turn into a gremlin.
When my daughter was a toddler and she would throw a fit I would just not give her attention until she would calm down. If we were at home I would carry her to her bedroom and say to her, "When you are calm you can come out" and of course she would run right out and I would just put her back. It's annoying and it's going around and around but eventually she got the idea.
When she was closer to 3-4 and she came screaming and yelling and demanding something I would say, "I'm sorry sweetie but I can't understand you when you yell/ cry at me, lets try again when you're calm" and she would instantly stop yelling and try to talk nicely, especially if it was something she really wanted.
It's helpful because it teaches kids how they should act when they want something when they're older too, and it teaches her that fits and temper tantrums don't work.
WHAT EVER YOU DO DON'T GIVE INTO THE TANTRUMS!! It'll show her that this works and she will keep it up, if it doesn't work, eventually they will go away!
My baby is 7 now and she hasn't had a fit since she was 3 or 4! Her teacher even came to tell my husband how impressed she was at dealing with problems, she would go directly and talk to her teacher when something was bothering her. Good luck!