Whine-free shopping

Sometimes children can be a handful on grocery-shopping trips. Some tips to keep the cart rolling smoothly:

Set down rules, such as no yelling or running. Compliment good behavior, and offer a nutritious snack as a treat.

Let kids who are old enough take the lead in finding items.

Bring small toys for tiny tots.

Have the children participate in selecting new items.

Engage them with questions such as "What is the name of this vegetable?" "Who likes it at our house?"

If a child is extremely noisy, take him or her to the car or the restroom and return only when the child calms down.

Source: Growing Child News

(c) Copyright 1999. The Christian Science Publishing Society