16 Creative Ways To Keep Your Kid From Having A Meltdown While You Shop

♪ No more drama in my life, no one's gonna make me hurt again. ♪

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1. Make a Cheerio necklace.

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So your kid can snack while you shop. Learn about it here.

2. Bring bubble wrap with you.

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They can pop it while you push the cart through the aisles, but make sure you don't leave them unattended while they play.

3. Put together a “busy wallet” with drawing paper, fun stickers, and a pen.

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They can doodle and distract themselves.

4. Bring googly eyes with you so you can turn large cartmates into friends.

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Spend under $10 for 1,000 self-adhesive eyes that can turn a watermelon into a buddy.

5. Print out a shopping list just for them.

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That way they can help you look for items and check things off the list. Use Trip Clip to print a grocery list that has images of each food next to its name. Learn more about it here.

6. Have a coupon scavenger hunt.

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Let kids help you look for sale items and teach them about a little thing called money. If they can find a certain number of items, give them a small reward.

7. Let them wear whatever they want...

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It's the little things in life that matter, like wearing your fave dino hoodie out in public.

8. ...including their Halloween costume.

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Simply donning a cape will make them want to shop every day.

9. Get a balloon on a stick.

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Why the stick? Because they can't accidentally let go of it and lose their minds as it floats up to the ceiling. Pro tip: Many grocery stores will give a free (often branded) balloon to young shoppers — usually found in the floral department or near the checkout area.

10. Bring books.

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And turn the shopping cart into a reading pod. Pro tip: Bring a beach towel to drop into the bottom of the cart to make it a little more comfy.

11. Before you start shopping, let them pick a card that they can give to a friend or family member.

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Place them in the cart with a pen and something to write on, and let them draw or write while you win super-parent of the year. In the end, they'll have something to give to a brother or sister, and you'll still have your sanity.

12. Pack a special "shopping" snack.

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Is there a cereal they love or a treat that they can only get on special occasions? Pack that up and let them enjoy it.

13. Or freeze yogurt to make healthy pops that won't get them too hyper.

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Yum. Learn how to make them here.

14. Get a shopping cart hammock.

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If you're open to spending $50 and making shopping with a very small child less traumatizing, try this little hammock that we wish came in an adult size.

15. Go to a store that gives out samples.

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Of course, only certain stores do this. But if you have one nearby, see if you can do a bunch of your shopping in one place (while your kid enjoys mini treats).

16. And if you must shop FOR them, get your measurements (like these little feet) and leave them at home when you can.

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Make shoe shopping stress-free by bringing your kid’s feet (but not your kid) to the store. Learn more here.

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