What your child can gain from being part of your food shopping routine?

Well it truly depends on how far you are willing to let them help you during the processes of wanting to get in and out of the market. This is a great time to connect as a family while promoting your child's developmental skills. 

Ideas and developmental benefits (ages 2 +) :

1. Invite them to write or scribble a list 3 food items on a pad. This encourages language skills, concentration, coordination, fine motor (handwriting) skills, independence and self esteem. 
2. Hold them responsible for remembering the food items they wrote down (without bribes or threats). Keep it fun!  This will give them a sense of control and because they wrote them down they naturally want to be in-charge of getting the items. They will proudly gain a sense of responsibility, concentration, independence, memory strengthening, and positive self esteem.
3. Make it a counting lessons! Count in fruits and veggies into the small bags. This helps them with visual recognition of quantities.  
4. Name the types of foods! This is an easy way to promote language skills about the foods they eat.
5. At home they can sort the grocery and help put them away. This encourages them to do something helpful while fostering independence, motor skills and coordination. 
6. Keep it fun and connect! Connecting with your child fills their little hearts with love and security. With busy schedules this is an easy way to build lasting memories together as they learn life skills. 

These tips are also helpful for those children that seem to wonder off in the market or touch everything in sight. This may be a sign of boredom instead of providing an electronic to keep them clam, provide them with guidance and redirect these behaviors by involving them into the routine.  Allow your little ones the opportunity to be helpful through learning! 

Share your food shopping experiences! Are they already filled with learning and connecting times? If not how do you feel you can apply an learning opportunities for your child in this routine?