This is a sponsored post for Woolworths Aussie Animals Collectables.
We like to shop together as a family. We might be crazy, but it’s something we’ve always done. We pile everyone into the car and we shop, list in hand and ready for any potential tantrums. The supermarket was the very first place we ever took Miss Luella. What a glamorous life she has.
This is how our shopping visit goes. We park. Baby goes into the pouch. We find a trolley that isn’t wonky, and then we deliberate with Lacey on where she’d like to sit or stand. This can’t be predicted. Sometimes she’ll want to sit in the trolley until it becomes too full with food to accommodate her, or in the front seat which now she’s become too big for or if she’s feeling particularly ‘mature’ she’ll walk alongside and help shop. We then call Ma who works in the office and she’ll come and meet us between the chickens and the bananas. Depending on who else is working there may be some baby-showing-off before we quickly finish the rest of the shops before the little people get hungry.
There are probably a gazillion good techniques for getting your kids to play nice while you shop. You can get the kids to help and cross things off the list. We sometimes get Lacey to write her own list {which used to be just scribbles} and then have her find them in the shop. Sometimes we’ll teach Lacey about value and prices, giving her $2 to buy something and she’ll have to figure out how she can spend within her budget. Lately Lacey has taken to straightening up all the products on the shelves, something she learned while watching my Ma work.
But our tried and true method is bribery. I know. Don’t tell the parenting experts, but we do. If you shop at the same supermarket as us you may have heard us mutter in aisle 4, “If you behave through this shop we’ll take you to the park afterwards.” Sometimes it’s food. I know. Put us naughty parents in the corner.
Now there’s an even better incentive to take the kids shopping. Let me introduce you to Woolworths Aussie Animals Collectables. They’re a trading card {much like the Footy Cards of our youth, only better} that have fun facts about animals. They’ve been created in partnership with Taronga Zoo. So, each time you shop and spend $20 you’ll receive a pack of cards {with 4 cards in each pack}. So if you spent $200 at the checkout, you’ll get 10 packs. There are 108 cards to collect and the fun initiative kicks off on September 18th.
I haven’t told Lacey about the Aussie Animal Collectables yet, but I’m looking forward to saying, “If you’re a good girl during this shopping trip I’ll get you an elephant, OK?”
To find out more about Woolworths Aussie Animals Collectables you can visit here.
AHHH I was just in Woolie’s yesterday and I didn’t see anything about this starting! Good thing I am now addicted to the mini cinnamon rolls I bought there, so I’ll have to go back. My kids would LOVE these (and we homeschool, so it’s a justifiable purchase *cough*)!!!!
Definitely justified. 🙂
Honey, I HAVE to go get cinnamon bites, it’s FOR THE CHILDREN! haha 😉
I’ve actually never seen them. Are they in the bakery?
Ahh.. Ours are a little older but we give them a calculator and notepad – they add up the total and if they focus and get within $5 either side of the actual price…. They win a prize (something small like a chocolate)… It’s taught them how much things cost both individually as well as overall and it keeps them from fighting!
I love this!
i quite like that. although my son is already older, he might actually be interested..
My kids are horrors in the supermarket. I try to get away with not taking them. I can recall saying on our last shopping trip that they would never come with me again – only to have my 5 year old reply. “don’t worry Harry, she will forget” I think these cards will be great and with the amount that we spend at shopping we will have the whole set in no time.
Sorry, but this made me giggle! 😛
It’s not bribery, it’s reward for good behaviour!
Fabulous – what a great idea!! I cannot wait to start collecting them with the kids!
I always feel for parents who’s little ones are throwing tantrums. Hubby’s all like “if that was my kid, i’d do this”, etc, etc but I just think that we won’t really know what it’s like until it happens to us!
I was a Nanny and I knew how to parent perfectly… that was until I had kids. 😛 But I won’t lie, sometimes that thought still pops in my head.
Whatever works for a fun shopping trip sounds ideal to me…and yep I use the same techniques so I must be part of that Naughty Parenting Group!! At least you can shop with two little ones and stay sane, that is the best outcome ever. I am so looking forward to discovering the animals – my youngest is the biggest animal lover you have ever meet {he wants to work at Australia Zoo one day!! Actually I think he would love to own Australia Zoo :)}
I love Australia Zoo. Must take Lacey back there sometime soon. x
Lately I find myself promising Miss3 her lollipop and pink milk with the cow on the label if she sits in the trolley seat. Unfortunately she has taken to demanding such offerings. Must work on that one
Ha ha ha… pitfalls of bribery!
So far I have been lucky. Jarvis enjoys shopping, He likes to help, by getting the item off the shelf and throwing it into the trolley, we have had some food breakages, and it means shopping takes a long time. But I figure if he is enjoying it and likes helping, well then it is a win win thing. Plus the deli girls always swoon over him and give him treats, so he gets feed half way.
Ah, Lacey loves a cheeky twiggy stick. 😉
It’s easier to shop online than take kids to the store. Love Coles online!
I always get a bit miffed that everything seems to cost more online, and I kinda like shopping in person. Although, I did just shop online today – couldn’t fathom doing the grocery shop alone {i.e. sans hubby but plus kids} on the weekend.
we’re lucky hubby’s daughter has never thrown a tantrum at us in the shops.. when she was younger, she would come around the shop with us, but she’s old enough now to go spend her time at the toy section while we do our shopping. if she wants something, like a toy or a magazine, she has to save from her pocket money to buy the item. but she is good at getting “something nice” when she goes to the shops with her grandparents.. 🙂
Grandparents are good at that!!
Bribery always works ,even though some people don’t like it,but i say whatever is easier for you,go for it.I used to get my children a surprise if they were good at shopping ,much better than yelling and getting cranky just because a child is being childlike ,the animal cards look great.