3 Tips for Getting Through Your New Year's Eve Shopping List with a Baby
Shopping with children can be challenging.
But there’s a new year ahead and we need some celebrating after this distinctly weird year. So it’s time to unearth the funny hats and pick up some confetti.
You can make the whole shopping process less daunting with some carefully planned solutions.
Plan Ahead
Make Your List Ahead of Time
First of all, don’t leave your list at home! Why is it if we don’t check one last time before we’re out the door, we leave all our planning behind on the counter notepad?
You’re less likely to leave your phone behind, so consider texting yourself a list. Even better, download one of these fabulous apps.
When you’re making your list, organize it by sections. Shop for frozen goods last so if your baby gets weepy halfway through your shopping trip, you can slip into the women’s restroom or your car for a quick feed and diaper change without everything melting into a disaster while you’re gone. Make sure to stash your cart near the help desk and ask them to keep an eye on your items. But be sure to take your purse and all your personal items with you.
Make Sure Your Baby is at Their Best
Arrange your shopping trip after your baby is well rested and fed, unless your child is one of the miraculous sorts who sleeps anywhere and everywhere. Then just be sure they’re fed and changed.
A hungry or tired baby at the store is a nightmare and it’s not kind to your child, either. Have your diaper bag packed and the moment you finish feeding and changing your infant, go shopping before you’re hit with the next feeding time.
Have The Right Gear
Let’s talk carts. Resist the temptation to put the baby seat on top. Even if it seems to click in, the seat can still fall off and cause a serious injury to your child. A specially designed shopping cart hammock is the best solution for keeping your newborn safe and cozy while leaving room underneath for your groceries.
If your child is older, give them assignments. Print out a shopping list so they can play I Spy with your grocery needs, or have them keep an eye out for specific items.
Don’t forget essential items such as:
- Diapers;
- A small pack of wipes;
- A couple of plastic bags for dirty clothes and diapers, and a changing pad;
- A change of clothes;
- Some favorite toys such as a small vibrating stuffed animal or one that plays music and then make sure to anchor it to the cart or hammock;
- A pacifier and a clip to keep the pacifier from falling to the floor;
- If you’re bottle-feeding, include a bottle with formula in it ready to go;
- Burp cloths;
- A blanket.
Shop Online or Use Store Pickup
We can rarely avoid going into the store altogether, but if you can, get most of your items online or at one of those wonderful stores that will let you purchase ahead of time on your computer and then pick up your groceries at a drive and load.
This will keep your in-person visits to the store short, resulting in a happier baby and a happier you.
Try to get the bigger, bulkier and heavier items from online sources that will drop off right at your door. Nothing is quite so challenging as wrangling a small child and a fifty-pound bag of … well, anything.
Good luck, parents! You can handle the dreaded shopping trip with style.
