Taking a child to the local supermarket is many a parent’s worst nightmare. Not only will you encounter a busy area, bustling with people and a whole series of product aisles that might as well be a winding garden maze, but it’s also full of exciting things that kids are desperate to touch and own. They want this and that; the colourful magazine, the fluffy toy, the sugary sweets and of course, chocolate! And all the while, you chase after them, trying your best to wheel around a week’s load of food and drink in a shopping cart with a broken wheel. There must be an easier way, right?

There sure is, and what’s more, by taking a few easy steps it can even be a fun experience!

How to achieve an easier shopping experience in 7 steps:

Whether you’re walking through a superstore, a local shop, or a farmer’s market, your best bet for a tantrum-free experience is to keep your child engaged. Encourage them to name the fruit and veg that they see around them. Ask them questions about the unusual shapes, the strange textures, the bright colours, and all the different sizes. This will keep them occupied and get them excited about fruit and veg!

Preschoolers love to be involved and to know that their opinion matters too, so ask for your child’s advice. Let them choose between the apple and the orange, the cauliflower and the broccoli, and the tofu and the chicken. Or you could let them take charge of the shopping list and dutifully find the items as they enjoy reading them aloud.

Each time you shop together, challenge your child to pick and try a brand-new food. It could be anything from a strange-looking vegetable or a new type of pasta to an unusual spread. This will excite them and keep them occupied on their search while encouraging them to keep trying new foods.

As you make your way around a store, teach your children about different food types: dairy, fruit, veg, proteins, and more. Then you can make a game of guessing which items belong to which food category!

Imagine you’re shopping at a new store and your child is behaving surprisingly well. Unsuspecting, you turn down one particular aisle looking for a bag of rice, and your stomach drops — you’ve just wandered right onto the sweets aisle! Immediately, your child's face lights up. They can’t believe their luck, and before long they’re holding a collection of different sweets and chocolate, looking up at you longingly. The moral of the story: get to know your local stores. Learn where the sweet aisles are hiding, whether the toy aisle is at the front or back of the store, where all the irresistible candy and chocolate are kept. Then do your very best to avoid said aisles while you shop. Toys and sweets are bright and colourful to attract the passing eyes of children, but out of sight is out of mind, so do all you can to avoid these alluring products.

Make sure your child isn’t hungry before shopping. This one is a real game-changer! A hungry preschool child is an unhappy and tantrum-prone child, and trying to get any task done, let alone shopping, is difficult when they’re in a bad mood. On top of this, when we’re hungry, we tend to overbuy and choose items that aren’t very good for us, and this goes for children, too.

Finally, make a shopping list before you head out. This way, you can get in and out without worrying too much about keeping the kids engaged, and you’ll waste less of your own precious time.

How can I make grocery shopping with my child easier?

Off to the shops with your kids? Here's some advice from Unii.