Why do whole families grocery-shop together?

[Anonymous]

Count us in the pro-family-shopping-trip corner. Granted, we only have a toddler so far, but my husband and I enjoyed shopping together before our son was born, and we (usually) enjoy it now with our son on my back in a carrier, on my hip in a sling, or in the cart. It is much easier to haul the groceries, etc with two of us, plus time together as a family is too precious.

[Anonymous]

Funny, I have been wondering the same thing as OP ever since I had children. I get it that sometimes you're out, but it strikes me as odd that someone happens to be out and then does their entire weekly shopping.

I don't really like grocery shopping, so maybe that's why I don't get it as a family outing. It sounds the opposite of relaxing to me. Maybe if I enjoyed it, I'd feel differently.

My children go to the grocery store sometimes, so they know about money, packaging, etc. Generally, I don't take them on the full weekly shopping. They are not really interested and I can get it over with faster alone.

I generally shop Monday or Tuesday evening around 9:00 (after the kids are in bed). It's less crowded and I can get in and out more quickly.

The thing I REALLY don't get is the entire family shopping at 9:00 or 10:00 at night with little kids who should have been in bed hours before.

[Anonymous]

Whenever I see a whole family at the grocery store I see one of those cartoon-thinking-bubbles over the husband's head that says "I wish I was anywhere else but here. I hate my life."

[Anonymous]

20:46 - High five. I think this is what OP is trying to say. Not all of us want to live in your GD nightmare you call a life. Spare us your "teachable moments" please!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I want to be friends with the PP, FYI.

Me too.

Me three. Especially with that stink eye. A lovely person making the most out of all of life has to offer!

[Anonymous]

OP's type:
- Can not deal with having kid in an "uncontrolled" environment
- Puts kids to bed by 7:30 every night so OP can have plenty of adult time.
- Outsources kid(s) to au pair, grandparent, or whoever is available as much as possible to have more adult time.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP's type:
- Can not deal with having kid in an "uncontrolled" environment
- Puts kids to bed by 7:30 every night so OP can have plenty of adult time.
- Outsources kid(s) to au pair, grandparent, or whoever is available as much as possible to have more adult time.

Not OP but what do you know about it? Haven't you ever heard the expression teachers use, "After eight is too late?" Kids need sleep. The parents are doing them a favor putting them to bed early so they get enough sleep to develop properly.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We do it. Many times because we like to go together, especially when the baby was young, grocery shopping was ACTUALLY an excuse to get out of the house! Sometimes its just because we're stopping on the way home from somewhere else.

Same here, and DD actually LIKES going grocery shopping. But now she's older we don't all go all the time.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Whenever I see a whole family at the grocery store I see one of those cartoon-thinking-bubbles over the husband's head that says "I wish I was anywhere else but here. I hate my life."

haha. I think the same thing. Somehow I don't think the words in the bubble are "Family time is too precious. I can't imagine being anywhere but here."

Sometimes, I take a kid grocery shopping with me on the weekend to give my husband a break. He words 12 hours a day during the week. Somehow I don't think he minds an hour alone to surf the internet or ahem, be with himself.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP, if you have convinced even one family not to do this, you have done us all a public service, IMHO. I have always wondered the same thing, too.

ITA. And I am all for family time and showing kids the wonders of errands, but the WHOLE FAMILY? Basically it just exponentially increases the number of bodies crammed in the store and makes the experience a lot less pleasant for everyone. SEND A REPRESENTATIVE!! At least during the busiest shopping times!

[Anonymous]

I'll do one better..not only are we that family at the grocery store but we are the ones who let our preschoolers use those little carts. Does anyone else think those things are pure evil? My husband always thinks it is a grand idea and then we spend the entire time screaming down the aisles for them to slow down and not run into people. Lovely, heh?

Logistically for us, group trips make more sense. For whatever reason, DH is unable to grocery shop without an incredibly detailed list and even then he call me 18 times to confirm what to buy. I don't mind taking the kids on my own but I pick them up at school at 5pm. A grocery store trip puts us home at 6pm and cuts into play, homework, dinner, and get ready for bedtime too much. The store is a 15 minute drive from our house so if I go by myself on a weekend I am gone for about an hour. DH sees this as "fun free time" and then feels he deserves 5 hours doing something stupid on his own. So...we go on the weekend together usually after some activity like a sport class, birthday party, playdate, trip to a park. I shop while he chases the kids with the little carts but hey he was the idot who decided to let them get the carts.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Whenever I see a whole family at the grocery store I see one of those cartoon-thinking-bubbles over the husband's head that says "I wish I was anywhere else but here. I hate my life."

haha. I think the same thing. Somehow I don't think the words in the bubble are "Family time is too precious. I can't imagine being anywhere but here."

Sometimes, I take a kid grocery shopping with me on the weekend to give my husband a break. He words 12 hours a day during the week. Somehow I don't think he minds an hour alone to surf the internet or ahem, be with himself.

Or to surf the internet WHILE being with himself? Nice. I don't think I've ever taken a kid on an errand so that my DH could have some free time to spank the monkey.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Whenever I see a whole family at the grocery store I see one of those cartoon-thinking-bubbles over the husband's head that says "I wish I was anywhere else but here. I hate my life."

haha. I think the same thing. Somehow I don't think the words in the bubble are "Family time is too precious. I can't imagine being anywhere but here."

Sometimes, I take a kid grocery shopping with me on the weekend to give my husband a break. He words 12 hours a day during the week. Somehow I don't think he minds an hour alone to surf the internet or ahem, be with himself.

Or to surf the internet WHILE being with himself? Nice. I don't think I've ever taken a kid on an errand so that my DH could have some free time to spank the monkey.

Oh lighten up. It was a joke. I just think some women don't understand that men aren't like women. Maybe b/c I have brothers I get it. But some of my girlfriends I can't help but think, GOD, I so get why your husband is a miserable SOB.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP's type:
- Can not deal with having kid in an "uncontrolled" environment
- Puts kids to bed by 7:30 every night so OP can have plenty of adult time.
- Outsources kid(s) to au pair, grandparent, or whoever is available as much as possible to have more adult time.

So? No. 1 above -there needs to be some understanding.
Nos. 2-3, nothing wrong with either one.

[Anonymous]

We sometimes grocery shop as a family but our kids are young (2 and an infant). I wear the baby and the toddler sits in the cart. BUT, we only go as a family IF the kids are well-rested, not hungry, and in good moods. If we think they could be problemmatic, then only one parent goes or takes the non-offender and the other stays home with the kid(s).

Since the kids are little and don't take up any more room in the store, it works for us since it makes a chore more enjoyable to have family along for the ride. Once our kids get older, we may change our strategy.