Watch KatieMumsnet discussing keeping your LOs entertained at the supermarket on Shop Talk and see if your top tips were used NOW CLOSED

[KatieBMumsnet]

Last week MNers shared their top tips on keeping your LOs onside whilst doing the supermarket shop - thank you for all your comments. Watch Shop Talk now to see if your top tips made it on the show!

Barclaycard Freedom Rewards, in association with Mumsnet, have created a new weekly online chat show: Shop Talk. Over the next few weeks, they'll be looking for MNers' shopping tips and tricks on a range of topics.

Heres what Barclaycard have to say about the show: "Shop Talk is a weekly chat show where we tackle the big shopping stories that you're talking about. A different presenter will host the show each week and first up was Andrea McLean.
Two panellists, including shopping blogger Emily and Katie from MNHQ join Andrea to discuss keeping the kids on side during your supermarket shop as well as making the most of those family days in during half term."

With regards to the Barclaycard Freedom Rewards credit card, Barclaycard say:
"Supercharge your every day shop with the Barclaycard Freedom Rewards credit card. Not only can you earn double Freedom Reward points at any UK supermarket or petrol station, you can also use it with the rewards card you already have to earn points. So you dont have to change the way you shop.
18.9% APR Representative (Variable)"

Next week's Shop Talk, hosted by Julia Bradbury, discusses reaping the rewards from everyday shopping and Barclaycard would love to hear your thoughts. What you would buy if you had an extra £50 on your reward cards? Would this differ to what you would buy with £50 cash? Share your comments on the thread here and you could win a £150 Champneys voucher.

Thanks,

MNHQ

[MrsPnut]

Thank you, very surprised because I never win anything. I've replied to your PM and I shall start planning what I'm going to buy. I'm ripping out my kitchen today so could buy new stuff for that!

[KatieBMumsnet]

Thanks for all your comments - we hope you enjoyed the first episode of Shop Talk.

The winner of the prize draw is...

MrsPnut

Congratulations, I'll PM you for your details.

[RedBushedT]

Dear me... just tried to watch the Shop Talk video. does the music have to be so loud? Struggled to hear the actual content!

[Scarlettsstars]

One word....
Ocado.

Life, and my fraying patience is too short otherwise

[sealight123]

Like most families, I keep my daughter occupied whilst shopping by letting her get involved. I let her choose foods for herself (in reason....she wouldn't be allowed 20 bags of sweets) like what fruits she would like and what 'special' tea she would like (it is usually lasagna haha). She also likes to count what's in the trolley and tell me what colour everything is :)

[JazzAnnNonMouse]

Just involve them 'can you see the oranges? Let's put them in the bag- we need three'
Etc etc

[LonelyGoatherd]

We go to a supermarket with a cafe - huge treat and it also fuels the DC so they're not too hungry/tired to shop.
We keep it as short as possible (long list split in 2 - we each take one DC and one half of the list). The baby tends to be happy just looking around; the toddler demands JOBS and is entertained by putting things in the trolley and again onto the conveyor belt.

[BadlyWrittenPoem]

Currently I'm only physically capable of online shopping but what I usually do is involve them in the shopping. When very small this tends to be just talking to them and maybe giving them a suitable item to hold/play with while they sit in the trolley and then as they get older they are able to help get things off the shelf and find what we need. Or DD1's favourite thing is pushing the trolley although it can be a bit hazardous for other customers at times so I have to make sure I have strict rules about trolley pushing!

[IncaAztec]

What are your top tips for keeping your DCs entertained around the supermarket?

Mine is to have something specific for my toddler to shop for, this week a 'mini-mouse potty' is on the agenda. She looks for it in every shop we go into (i know which shop it is actually available in). Prevents boredom!

Do you promise a reward if they behave?

Most of the time, yes.

Or ask them to get involved in finding particular items?

As above!

Perhaps you take a book or toy for them to play with?

She would just throw a book or toy out of the trolley!

Or maybe you’re yet to master this and dread each trip to the supermarket?

I am dreading taking two, but I am sure we will crack it.

Is it possible to have a stress free trip to the supermarket?

No, online is the best way to shop!

[supermariossister]

we normally buy something small like a magazine or pcoket money toy that he knows he wont get if he is a pain, but then he is old enough to reason with! when he was younger he used to like to throw things into the trolley for me. it was never very organised but it kept him entertained.

[BlackeyedSusan]

i go all joyce grenville "don't do that dear" at least it entertains the other shoppers!

ds gets to choose a cheap £1 toy to keep him amused if we have to do a big shop. sometimes he helps to choose things, sometimes to push the trolley, sometimes he sleeps in the bottom of the trolley sometimes he builds elaborate constructions around himself with the shopping. sometimes he is carried around the shop. we stop and let him do circuits around the pillars as well.

I try to be as quick as possible, stock up before the summer holidays and just top up but it is not always possible as I have my mums shopping to do too.

we will stop, hug (deep pressure) and rock sometimes to ease the stress for him. occasionally there is an asd meltdown, during which I become selectively deaf/blind and completely ignore the kicking and screaming happening under one arm and carry on as normal (as is possible one handed) sunglasses seem to cut down the glare.

[NicNak71]

We play "The first person to spot" game - a bit like eye spy only with specific products rather than just saying something beginning with. They also get to put the shopping into the trolley and choose their own juice, snacks etc. We always stop at the toys for a little while too and then once the shopping is done we go to the cafe for a drink and a bun.
It seems to work as we can usually go to the supermarket pretty stress free. The car park causes me more stress than my children!

[Elainey1609]

I must admit mine are very good doing the shopping.
they normally have a little argument to start about who is to push trolley but they take it in turns so it is normally resolved quickly.
We have a shopping list my one then a liitle one for them with small things on like bananas and easy to recognise things so they can cross them off.
It seems to work however so does bribery...they get a pound to put in there money box if they behave to buy a toy with lol

[Bubbles85]

Oh definitely and taking them on the shop in the first place. But for when this isn't an option, taking a book for them to read seems to work quite well. As does involving them in some of the decision making over which packet to buy etc.

[whathappenedlastnight]

*aisle 3

[whathappenedlastnight]

Supermarket bingo, we make a list of things such as;

An abandoned trolley
A child having a tantrum
A trolley with a wobbly wheel
etc

It is a much shorter game on the run up to Christmas though and we had a full house by isle 3 last year.

[OrganixAddict]

I can manage 1 or 2 dc easily - list checking, fetching items or doing the scanner.- they like to help. With all 3 is a bit trickier and I end up policing arguments over whose turn it is etc.
Trying to avoid bribing them to behave as they play up more to get the reward for stopping. Honestly, online or while older ones are at school is far easier.

[WhyIRayLiotta]

My DD is 1 year 9 mths old - and to keep her occupied I have to bring a variety of things.... starting with something like an orange for her to munch on, graduating to something interactive - a toy / book / my keys and then moving on to a drink - juice with a straw... and finally (for when I am paying) a dummy.

She gets board quickly and I have to try and get round quick so I don't run out of things and have a grumpy girl. She would much rather run around than sit in the trolly - but its too hard to chase her and push a trolly - and its a danger as she scoots in front of people tripping them up etc.

Whole lot easier leaving her at home with DP... but thats not always possible.

[manfalou]

We usually agree a treat and talk about it as we go around the shop...its usually a bag of organix crisps. But where the eldest can reach things I also let him get things off the shelf and put them in the trolley.

However... I do mainly do my shopping online. So much more convenient and much easier to keep to the shopping list way from all the tempting offers.

[Patilla]

I have so many good ideas for handling this - from spotting letters/words on things or giving DS a pictorial list of things to find and tick off to role playing a spy mission to find the secret tin of tomatoes.

Do I use these?

No, I'm usually dealing with baby DD, I'm trying to remember the items on the list I left in the hallway at home and there is usually at least one dash across the length of the supermarket for the toilets (For DS not me!).

So I may want to be the mother handling two children whilst turning the food shopping into an educational experience, I'm more likely to be frazzled, harassed and dragging a four year old boy from the toy aisle while alternating wildly between hissed threats and desperate offers of treats for behaviour approaching socially acceptable coventions.

But then I never liked food shopping before DC so it's obviously genetic!

[lolancurly]

I get my daughter to help me collect items around the supermarket. Our local Co-op is small enough for her to know where everything is and not to get lost (she's 6). Of course, I can shop without her during the week, but this isn't always possible. It's also good for her to learn the value of food and to learn the difference between different products.

[mojojomo]

My toddler sites in the trolley. For a longer shop I'll have a picnic off various snacks available. He likes to weigh fruit and veg using the hanging scales. He'll hold the shopping list and tell me what we need (what he thinks we need, usually "more raisins!") He likes seeing other people especially babies. The highlight is if he's allowed to help with the self-scan till, put money in the machine then put the change in the guide dogs' collection dog.

[mrscog]

DS is 20 months. He is generally ok if I let him hold my hair (it's long) and then I occasionally let him hold things before they go in the trolley, that alongside a lot of chatter gets us through. I do also in quieter aisles spin the trolley around 360 and go ' wheeeee' which he loves. Does get a few 'looks' though!

[RedBushedT]

I involve my children in finding items and putting them in the trolley. I also do "time trial" shopping if we only have a few things to get. Before we walk into the shop we estimate how quickly we can do the shop.. Then we try to beat that time using the timer on my phone to check
It's a great way to stay focused as well, so we are so less likely to get distracted by stuff.

[hawkeye21]

Tried the inclusion techniques ('bananas next. Can you see where the bananas are?', etc). Now go for the avoidance technique and dash to the supermarket during my lunchbreak at work.