MOPS

As if there weren't enough things that can make us moms crazy and send us running for the nearest closet to scream loudly in private, then emerge refreshed . . . ready to take on the next challenge with our preschoolers . . . I give you the:

"Can I have . . . " or the ever popular "I want . . . " or the never-ending "Gimme . . . " all while trying to shop for groceries.

ARRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGHHHHHHH!

Forgive me-I forgot to duck into the closet first.

You all know what I'm talking about. In fact, I can just about visualize the collective nodding of heads from many of you. You're at the store, maybe not even armed with a grocery list or your storage bin full of coupons-all while trying to tune out the whines of a smallish person seated in front of you.

I experienced this phenomenon just a few days ago with the impending warnings of the blizzard to beat all blizzards headed in our direction. As I left work for the evening, I listened to the weather reports on the radio. Gloom and doom in the form of falling white stuff with wind was being predicted by the forecasters. I smiled smugly-knowing I'd already done my last minute shopping and was heading for my nice warm house. Then my cell phone rang. Seeing my husband's number flash up, I cheerfully greeted him with "Hi honey!!!!" Unfortunately he wasn't quite as cheery.

"Uhmmm . . . do we have any stomach medicine at home?"

I'll spare you the details, but suffice to say that my smug smile vanished into thin air as I raced for the grocery store. Along with thousands of other people on Blizzard Watch '09! I grabbed a shopping cart and headed for my aisle of destiny while other shoppers scarfed up bags of chips and liters of Coke like there was no tomorrow. (When did shoppers stop heading for the bread and milk aisles before a winter storm?) The blizzard was coming and people didn't want to be caught with only Spam or cans of tuna to snack on while taking bets on when the plows might make it down their streets. (Extra bonus points if they SALTED their street, too!)

But I digress . . .

So as I raced frantically from aisle to aisle, I listened to the droning sounds of my 4 year-old beg, whine and plead incessantly for various items screaming her name from the shelves. I finally stopped the cart and got down on her level. Literally. Not as in the kind of level where I started to beg, whine and plead just as loudly, if not louder as her.

"Listen kiddo, Daddy's not feeling well. I need your help. We need to find cans of peaches. Fast!! Where is the aisle where we buy those? Can you help me look for it?"

She lost her train of thought and snapped into mommy-helper mode. It was great, all except for the incessant speculation on her part of whether daddy was going to throw up.

Thankfully, asking for her help in the past has helped us move from the "gimmes" and more into the mode of helping to get the shopping done. I ask her to hold coupons for me (but only ones that I know I'm not going to use . . . like for cans of Spam) and my grocery list (NEVER the real one, of course). Giving her a part in the whole process usually takes her mind off of her wants and helps to bring peace to the land. Ahhh . . . such a nice feeling. If you're feeling really brave, let them help choose their own soup or cereal. Take it a step further and make it a learning process. One store in town has their lowest prices marked on bright yellow tags. You might say, "hey, we need to get some granola bars, but the rule is that they have to have a bright yellow tag like THIS! Can you find your favorite one with a yellow tag?" Once again, try involving them in the process.

I hope you're having a marvelous Wednesday. I also hope you'll share your own hints for grocery store survival as well!

And by the way, my husband is feeling much better. :-)