Parents Who Take Their Kids With Them To The Grocery Store Teach Them 8 Brilliant Life Lessons
Unai Huizi Photography / ShutterstockHeading to the grocery store can feel like a huge chore for busy parents with wildly hectic schedules. Dragging your kids along with you can make what should be a fairly simple task far more complicated, as you know you'll likely have to deal with grabby hands, unexpected outbursts, sibling squabbles, and grocery carts ramming you smack in the back of both ankles.
As exhausting as it can be, your kids are definitely learning critically important lessons as you deal with each and every one of those frustrating experiences. Those times when they're perched inside the cart (or mindlessly wandering off) are not a useless feat. Grocery stores are prime settings for children to learn essential skills that will help them down the line.
Children whose parents take them along with them to the grocery store teach them several brilliantly important life lessons
1. How to create a balanced diet
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Sometimes when we go to the grocery store, particularly when hungry, our eyes are bigger than our stomachs. It's tempting to grab cookies and ice cream because they taste good, and we're immediately drawn to them.
When you take your kids with you to the grocery store, they learn that there are plenty of good-tasting options to choose from, and that it's important to fill your fridge with more healthy types of food than dessert items alone. Schools now teach children about the Healthy Eating Plate, which includes protein, whole grains, vegetables, and fruit, and the grocery store is where you can show them the many choices available.
Teaching your kids how to pick out yummy foods that support their well-being will lead to fewer health problems down the line. Implementing strong eating habits from an early age allows kids to take an interest in their veggies, rather than pushing the broccoli to the edge of the plate.
2. How to manage your time
Often, when we go to the grocery store, we want to be in and out quickly. When there's a kid in tow, this becomes a tricky task. Everything is new to them, and there are colorful products aplenty to get distracted by.
Setting a goal for how much time you'll spend at the store before you head out is a great way to teach time management skills while playing a fun game. How can you get the stuff you need in under the allotted time? This also fosters mindfulness about the rest of the day's schedule and can be a good moment to practice time-reading skills. Some grocery stores still have analog clocks on the wall, so it can be a learning moment for curious kids who haven't learned how to read them in school the way kids used to.
3. How to plan ahead
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Before you even set foot in the store, it's best to create a shopping list so that you can sort out your groceries on paper. Creating that list with your child can be a great way to teach them to communicate their needs. This can carry over into other times where they may be searching for something, but aren't able to get the words out.
Practicing healthy communication in a controlled setting helps them become comfortable recognizing what they want. It can also be a learning moment when referring back to the paper. Searching for items on the list and then locating them throughout the store will feel like a treasure hunt and will teach you how to read signs and recognize familiar products.
4. How to stick to a budget
Money management is just one of the many things that stress us out on a daily basis. When you have kids, you have to be extra mindful about what's coming out of your bank account, and for what reason.
At the grocery store, things get particularly pricey, so setting a rough budget can help sort out wants versus needs. Going over this with your child will help them recognize when something may be too expensive, and how to prioritize the pricier but necessary items over sweets.
This can also lead to a fun moment when there's some wiggle room left in the shopping spree; you stayed under budget, so now you have some cash left to spend. Your children can then pick out something that catches their eye, giving them the freedom of choice. For little ones, teaching about budgeting can also be a great way to practice math skills, like basic arithmetic.
5. How to read labels and advertising
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The grocery store has lots of labels and signage that can get overwhelming quickly. For a pro shopper, noticing good deals comes easily, but for a kid, it can be difficult to understand what all of the numbers and letters mean.
Teaching your kids how to calculate a deal or notice when one similar product is cheaper than the other can be another opportunity to practice math skills. It's also important to teach your kids about expiration dates, including where the sticker is located and how much time they have to eat the product.
Including your child in the selection process will give them a sense of choice, especially if it's a food they eat, and help them become a more thoughtful shopper in the future. They'll be able to recognize all the noise surrounding a product, focus on smart spending, and incorporate the lesson of time management.
6. How to pick out hearty ingredients that strengthen recipes
Apart from the important life lesson of reading recipes and figuring out what ingredients you need, children can also learn how to choose the best products for said recipes when coming in contact with them.
In the produce section, you can point out fruits and vegetables that are ripe enough for use so that they can spot healthy products compared to underripe ones. Having a hands-on experience where children can physically touch the products and spot identifying characteristics can be a great developmental moment. It teaches them to get the most bang for their buck and instill in them the importance of taste.
7. How to communicate with others politely
Manners aren't a completely lost art yet, and one of the best ways to implement them from an early age is at the grocery store. There are many points of interaction throughout, including the check-out line, asking where a product is, and even saying "excuse me" when passing another customer. One of the best ways to teach manners is to lead by example. This will not only show them to be respectful of adults but also of their peers.
Teaching children how to be kind to others is never a waste. Raising a patient, communicative child will foster gentle adults who treat service workers and those around them with respect. Many adults today struggle to be mindful of the impact of their words, so we want to raise a generation of compassionate souls.
8. How to be independent
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Being included in your grocery shopping process makes them feel like big kids and fosters a more mature mindset. Kids want to feel like they have a choice, and it fills them with a sense of pride when they're able to help you out.
Rather than showing them what to do, lead them through instructions so that they can learn by doing. This will teach them that they don't always need to rely on you when they run into problems. Instead, they can use their toolbox of skills to assess what they need to get things done.
Gabrielle Mattes is a writer working towards a Creative Writing degree. Her focus is on lifestyle, wellness, human-interest, and relationships.
