For a few years, we traded off on which of our three sons got to come on the weekly trip to the grocery store with me. Now they are bigger and aren’t so interested. Sometimes my oldest will come with me if I’m going to the “big store” because he enjoys looking at the gourmet foods and exotic produce. And sometimes my 4th grade twins will want to go to make sure that I buy enough “real food”. Real food according to them is chips and cookies, not things to make dinner with.
I loved having one on one time with each child. One on one time is especially hard for mothers of twins to find. We could talk in the car on the drive to the store. They could walk beside me in the store and talk without their brothers interrupting or making fun of them. I heard a lot of stories that I might have missed out on otherwise. I let them pick out one treat that they could share with their brothers. Sometimes they picked candy, a box of cereal I would normally have said no to, or even expensive flavored teas and waters. My oldest usually picked out a treat from other countries. They all spent a lot of time picking out their treats. If I’d had all three along, I wouldn’t have been able to take that much time. Plus, I think it was good decision making experience for them.
It’s also fun to let the child pick out dinner for one night, or to let them pick out something new and different from the produce section. Even our smallish Colorado town has things like kumquats, star fruit, and purple potatoes.
We are all so busy. Sneaking in some fun with our weekly chores makes the week a little nicer. Besides, having one child at the grocery store is ever so much easier than three!
For more on making food shopping fun, see: