Handy hints for shopping with kids

Some mothers and fathers break out into a sweat at the thought of food shopping with their offspring. It's a stressful activity that can reduce parents' nerves to shreds. If you want to ensure that your shopping trip doesn't end in chaos, just follow our handy hints.

Before shopping:                                   - It's important to get the kids and the entire family involved in the process of food shopping, so enlist the help of your kids to make a shopping list before you set out for the supermarket. When they see that you are listening to their requests, they won't feel the need to get into any power struggles with you.

- Hungry and tired children soon start to whinge, so always make sure their stomachs are full before you set out shopping. Otherwise, you'll soon notice your shopping cart being filled with items that weren't on the shopping list. It's best to go shopping after breakfast, lunch or an afternoon snack when the children have full stomachs.

In the supermarket:                                                                                                    - Before you enter the supermarket, give your children something to eat such as carrot sticks, apple slices or a raisin bun. It fills them up and distracts them from all the tempting things on the shelves. Try to go shopping at times when the stores are almost empty. This doesn't reduce the conflict potential, but it does help you to resolve conflicts faster.

- Give the older children tasks to perform. For example, you can ask your child to go and get a carton of milk from the refrigerated shelf or to choose some vegetables and put them in the trolley. Many supermarkets have little shopping trolleys that the children can push around the store themselves. This gets them involved in the shopping process and teaches them to make their own decisions and assume responsibility.