I have always loved grocery shopping with my kids. From the time they were babies and toddlers, I loved putting them in the cart and chatting about what I was buying. It always feels a bit chaotic, but it’s always been one of my favorite things to do with them.
Now that they’re older and have graduated from riding in the cart to walking beside it, I’ve looked for ways to get them more involved in the process. They would help choose produce or grab things off the shelf and put them in the cart.
But then the day came when they wanted to start scanning groceries at the self-checkout. There are three of them, and the thought of them all grabbing items out of the cart and scrambling to scan things seemed like a lot.
But one day I thought, “What the heck, let’s see what happens.”
Things got wild
The first time we did this, it was understandably chaotic. My son (the oldest) insisted on scanning, and the younger girls wanted to scan as well, so there was a lot of grabbing for items and running from the cart to the scanner. Groceries were tossed haphazardly in bags.
I was trying to keep track and make sure everything was actually scanned, and one kid started looking at the candy shelf near the checkout.
When we left, I was sweating. But the kids were so happy. You’d think they had just gotten to drive a spaceship. But no, they literally did a basic grown-up task that many actually dread.
They fell into their own roles
After a few times, they fell into a rhythm that I had no hand in figuring out. Each started to handle their own task while I kept a watchful eye on the cart and made sure everything got scanned. The oldest and the middle work on scanning, even talking to each other to make sure nothing is left behind, or adjusting based on who can pick it up (my son takes care of the heavier items).
Once the item is scanned, it’s passed to the little one, who puts it neatly in the bag or box. When everything’s done, she gets to use the debit card to pay, navigating the prompts on the screen like a pro. It’s a special moment when, as a parent, you can step back and watch your kids figure something out on their own — or better yet, with their siblings.
When I asked them what they liked about helping at the checkout, my son said, “I’m not bored. If I wasn’t helping, I would just be standing and doing nothing, and it’s boring.” It gives them a sense of purpose that’s really fun to see.
We’ve taken it a few steps further
A few years ago, I created a Master Grocery List. It’s laminated, so I use a dry-erase marker to mark the items we need each week. Since the kids have gotten more involved in shopping — and have more opinions on what they’d like to eat — I moved the list to a spot on the fridge that’s easy to access. Now, if they use the last of something, realize they need something for school, or have a supper idea, they’ll add it themselves.
Courtesy of the author
Since helping with groceries has been a theme in our home lately, I decided to go one step further and hand the phone to my middle child so she could place a pickup order herself. She had the list handy, and I told her the budget. She had a blast and did a really great job, even recommending a smaller size coffee when she saw the prices to make sure she stayed within the budget.
It can be hard to take a step back, but it’s worth it
Part of the fun of raising little humans is teaching them how to do daily tasks and watching them learn how to navigate the world. Basics like doing laundry, loading the dishwasher, and shopping take time for them to figure out, but they end up with a sense of pride and accomplishment as they learn. That doesn’t mean it’s always easy.
The first time the kids took over at the checkout, I found myself reaching to help multiple times. But given a few extra seconds, they typically figured things out on their own. I’ll still step in if necessary, but I try to wait for them to ask for help rather than just jumping in and taking over.
They’ve made mistakes, and I’ve had to help, but at the end of the shopping trip, they have a sense of accomplishment and ownership. It’s also good for me to step back and let them do so. Up next, I’ll hand off the list in the store and see how it goes.
