Several years ago an ex of mine who reveled in playing practical jokes bragged that when he was a child he nearly got his Mom into some hot water when she took him grocery shopping with her and he did not want to go.  As she was concentrating on making her selections, he crumpled onto the floor screaming, “Mom, please don’t beat me anymore!” (Did I mention that he was an Ex?)  Perhaps if his Mom had a list like this it would have saved her some embarrassment.

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? Make a Cheerio necklace. It allows your kid to snack while you shop.

? Bring bubble wrap with you. They can pop it while you push the cart through the aisles.

? Put together a ‘busy wallet’ with drawing paper, fun stickers, and a pen.

? Bring googly eyes with you so you can turn large purchases in your cart into instant friends.

? Print out a shopping list just for them. They can help you look for items and check them off.

? Let them wear whatever they want … including their Halloween costumes.

? Bring a beach towel to drop into the bottom of the cart, making it a more comfy playpen.

? Pack a special shopping snack. Let them enjoy it while you focus on finding items. (Just make sure they’re not sugary)

? Make shoe shopping stress-free by bringing your kid’s feet (in silhouette) but not your kid. 

 – Condensed from BuzzFeed.com (Image: flickr.com)