Supermarkets

So often pre baby, we would see a harrowed woman, at a mall or supermarket, and my husband would say  'must be a mother' and invariably we would see a kid or two chugging along behind her....

It used to really bug me... When he would say that... But today I caught myself sitting in a corner at star bazaar while the bumbling looked out at the cars, holding my head! 

We've taken him plenty of times to malls and super markets before... He loves them but also has a time limit...and he gives some pretty loud warnings when he is getting done!

To begin with, we put him in the cart, and he loves strolling along looking at all the colourful products placed so neatly on the aisles... Ok fine I love that they are neat, he simply loves the colours!!! 

By the time we reach halfway he wants to walk... So I get him off and walk hand in hand with him... Slowly he gets bolder, pushes my hand away and walks independently, then he tries running.... 

That's the beginning of the the end...

From here on I know he is close to being done...today though he was exceptionally on a trip...

He wanted to go up and down the escalator ... We did that about four times... "Up up up up up" "down down down down down"

Then he found the aisle where they sell cycles and wanted to sit on each and every one of them... There were about ten of them.....

Then he wanted to push our trolley full of food all around the mart.. Almost bumping into people... I was that mother with the perpetual 'I'm so sorry' look....

Then he wanted me to remove daal from a packet and given him like I do at home.. And which didn't happen here...

And so we were super close to throwing a tantrum till he got distracted by the cars entering the parking lot...we went to one corner and while he looked out, I sat.... exhausted! 

I was seriously pooped.... My feet hurt... My hands and arms hurt from pulling him away from things... My back hurt from carrying him around half the the time.... 

My mum and I love going food shopping... It's been our thing for many years now... We go .. Stroll around, buy rubbish, eat rubbish, get shocked at our bill and come home remembering everything we actually went for and didn't get....!!! 

We end up spending at least about an hour and a half there.... 

Now we have a basic list... Avoid the aisles which make us buy rubbish... And work super fast at filling our bags with veggies.... One looks after him while the other quickly collects everything we need... And it's rush rush rush to the check out counter .... Just before he lets out a tantrumy cry we are in the parking lot.... 

I don't like kids who throw a fit at malls and supermarkets.... I don't ever want bumbling to be that kid.... So there are some few quick tips to make it so that he doesn't become that kid! Hope they help you:

Time your trips... I think we all know the time limit for our kids when we take them out... Do not exceed that time limit... 

And hydrate and feed them constantly... 

A full tummy equals a happy kid...

Simple enough to not to look like harrowed mums.... We just need to be smart mums... !!!