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

[NoPaidWorkbutPlenty2Do]

I have twin DS. (nuf said!) When they were toddlers (now 12) I did a shop near christmas and got some wrapping paper. They each wanted to hold a roll. After examining and waving their roll around (remember these things are longer than my arms) they then started to hit each other. Oh no! I'd only just started shopping! So I thought of letters and numbers they could form with the two long tubes and an additional arm or leg, 11 is easy, 4 is ok, L is a good letter. We must have looked a sight going round the store, and I remember having to stay in the middle of the aisle otherwise things would have been flying off the shelves!

[VivaLeThrustBadger]

Just zoom round as quick as possible. 10 minutes for a weekly shop I reckon. Any kid should be able to manage 10 mins. The trick is to keep walking fast at all times - they're concentrating so much on keeping up/not losing you they don't have time to play up.

[GetKnitted]

Several friends recently confided that they daren't take their child/ren shopping because they would just scream for toys.

We may have exceptionally angelic children, or maybe we just got them into the habit of not getting a toy whenever they demanded it. Who knows?

[mummyxtwo]

Like many other posters, I try to do my big supermarket shops online - usually Click and Collect rather than delivery, as I can choose when to fetch it rather than the Tesco man banging the door when I have just got the baby to sleep.

If I have to visit the supermarket, I try to have a concise list of exactly what I need and go straight from A to B to C without getting distracted by other produce. I tell ds1 (4.9yo) what item we are looking for next and tell him to shout when he sees it. He then gets it and puts it in the trolley for me, and I try to make it a bit of a game. Sometimes I have a crying baby and a grumpy small boy and I am at the end of my tether and so succumb and buy her a very small toy and him a magazine. That does the trick and enables me to get to the checkout.

[Tyranasaurus]

Make it fun, and don't be in a hurry. Talk to your kid/engage them in the shopping. Avoid going if it's busy/you're fee;ing stressed.

Try and pick a friendly checkout person, you get the right one they'll chat away to your kid(s) whilst you get all your ags packed and payed for.

[TiredDog]

I must be a terrible mother because my first 3 thoughts are

Online shop
Leave them at home
Be severe and cross with them all the way around...

I obviously need to read this thread

In the old days when I had younger children I used to give them a book or just take extra time, talking lots about the shop. Hated it.

So I refer you to my first 3 suggestions

[ChocChaffinch]

when ds was 3 and thereabouts, the only way to get round was to let him pick a loose carrot (!) and he would munch it as we went round. He would imperiously point it at things (and people) as we trolleyed round. The upside was random old women praising his healthy eating habits.. at the checkout I'd pay for whatever was left ... but always did a big shop so didn't feel too guilty about a bit of missing carrot.

[pussinwellyboots]

I try to avoid shopping with the kids (age 5 and 3) if possible, but that isn't always an option so I try to involve them in finding as much as possible, I usually make a couple of concessions that they can add to the shopping list -at the moment its a particular type of yoghurt - take a list and get round as quickly as possible. The till is the worst part but if in aldi i'll let them go and stand by the glass windows ahead of me and watch for trains.

[HootyMcOwlface]

I'm really enjoying reading these tips as my boy is only 11 months so we've got this all to come. At the moment I can entertain him by getting him to hold something nonbreakable from the trolley. The crinklier the better. Bag of crisps is good.
My husband makes him laugh by spinning the trolley round when the aisle's empty. Also he likes to point out the hanging signs so we make a game of this. If I think he's sleepy when we arrive I leave him in his car seat (he's tiny) and he'll drop off.

[3birthdaybunnies]

Make sure that you have a child who enjoys shopping!!!! Dd1&2 hate it but ds enjoys it, he even enjoys clothes shopping. If your child doesn't enjoy it then I try to get them involved with writing lists and ticking them off, or bring a book to read. Make sure that they have eaten first otherwise they want everything they see.

[ChunkyPickle]

My 3 year-old wields the zapper until he gets bored, then watches himself dance on the security monitors while I do the checkout (ever since the day he posted my credit card in the coupon slot he's not allowed to help with that bit)

He also picks the fruit/veg/bread/milk or anything on a low shelf (I have a baby in a front carrier, so can't bend down as easily as I used to).

If he's tired then I plonk him in the trolley on a shopping bag and hand him an ipad which keeps him quiet the whole way round.

[telsa]

They have to be involved in the trip - so I send them off on a quest to find things first. They love that and it is pretty useful. (It must be said that I have no fears about them being abducted or getting lost - they are 5 and 8 and very responsible). Also I get them to help decide the meals and what to buy - so this is not just functional shopping. Also we play maths games. The odd promise of a treat at the end - a fruit bar or something - is also a great motivation to be well behaved.

[woodchuck]

My dcs are older now, 8 and 10 so not as much of an issue to entertain them. DD likes to be helpful. DS likes to listen to his ipod and skulk ten paces behind us.

When they were a couple of years younger, I would give them shopping lists to 'find' their own items.I found this helped with their reading, and I would do pictures to help them with their lists when they were pre-school. Now they quite like using the self-scanner as we go around.

Overall, though, i prefer to shop online cos I put far less crap imn the trolley if they are not with me!

[CheeryCherry]

When my dcs were little I would try keep the shopping fairly quick and pain free by not doing a huge shop in one go. When they fitted in the trolley I'd get them to point out the items as we saw them. As they got older they could choose the fruit ,tins etc and put it in the trolley. There was some flexibility for them to choose extra things. A treat at the end would be to choose a comic/magazine...which took almost as long as the shopping! Otherwise I try to do it all online for home delivery....and everyone helps to unpack it and put it away.

[Babycarmen]

For my youngest who sits in the trolly we take snacks and an activity such as colouring in or a small toy, and for my eldest (5) we make her a special shopping list of things she has to find and when she has found them all she can choose a sweety. She also helps me pack. :)

[ILoveAFullFridge]

Older dc: give them jobs to do, products to find, etc.
Younger-but-not-trolley-bound dc (the toughest age IMO): chat, ask questions, give them jobs as well if possible.
Trolley-bound-dc: chat, tickle, give something to hold/eat.

Bribery has its place, too, but should only be occasional otherwise it loses its effectiveness.

[lancasterkaren]

I give my children specific items on each isle to find and for them to tell me the cost of them. They love hunting out bargins or calculating if the deals are actually any good.

[hytheliz]

My eldest is in charge of the shopping list to help choose products and my youngest puts things in the trolley. They both help load up at the checkout and help to pay by handing the cashier the money/cards.

[BlastOff]

Mostly shop online. If I go to the supermarket with the two ds, then I'll usually get them sitting in the trolley seats and let them drop things in, talk to them non stop, and let them think they choose things. Shopping list with pictures works well but rarely have the time or organisation to do it, but might start with simple words now ds1 is learning to read.

And not above a bit of bribery or a new book. The Thomas the tank annual kept ds2 enthralled for the last shop.

[WhereAreMyShoes]

I keep them both in the trolley (they're 1 and 3 years old)
I've started a new 'tradition' of looking out for the biscuits, and go to that isle last, before picking some out to eat in the car.
Then it's just lots of 'ooh, we have to put them on the belt' and 'ooh, we just need to pay for them' etc.

Then we all sit in the car in a p&C space and scoff the lot!

But this does mean DS spends the whole time whining for biscuits.

Other than that, I do it at night when they're in bed.

[ladygoingGaga]

Another one for keeping the kids involved, I challenge my DS who is 7 to find me something in the aisle. I asked him for spring onions this week, after describing them he came back with leeks, it fitted my description!

I also involve him in choosing the menu for the week, so if we are having stir fry, he can choose some of the ingredients.

[AndHarry]

Depending on how organised I am and what else we have planned on our food shop day, I quite often use the click & collect option for online shopping. No supermarket battles and no hanging around at home.

If we have to go to the supermarket, I make a list so we can whizz round. My two are still small enough to go in a double shopping trolley so that keeps them contained. I shop on a Tuesday afternoon so it's a quieter period. The older one gets to choose a packet of chocolate buttons or Magic Stars if he's been good all the way round. No hanging around or messing about browsing and job's a good'un.

[rusmum]

Dd 1 pushed the trolly, dd 2 rides in it and is in charge of the shopping list. We visit the sweet aisle last!!!

[aaaahyouidiot]

Crikey just do it online!

When I do have to take them I usually end up promising treats then threatening to withhold said treats.

I think nice checkout operators who speak to them really help. I also avoid aisles likely to cause stress, eg Seasonal aka plastic tat.

Generally we just don't do it though.

[kateandme]

let them choose the fruit and veg and put in bag.
depending on age let send them on errands to get things.
if they are too young to be out of site its see when they spot the right isle and once there and in distance to be near its who can spot the right tin,packet etc.
promise them a snack of threre choice if they behave.if they choose something at the start tell them it goes back if they dnt behave.
Ask them to place things in the basket/trolley.
if they are really good they can pick the meal to cook and look out for ingredients.
keeop them involved.this also helkps when we get home fpr "healthy chpoice of veg"etc.
the freezer is usually at the end so tempt them with a frozen item at the end.
i still rememebr when we were young we got an iced bun at the bakery.
or outsdie our supermarket was a mcdonalds and she always bribed us!!