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Imagine heading to the supermarket with the children for your weekly shop, and getting to the check-out without any tantrums (not even from the kids!)
The rising cost of living can fill parents with even more dread about grocery shopping. In 2023, 21% of households in New Zealand said they were spending more than $300 a week on groceries - a big rise from 2022. Sticking to a budget is more important than ever, but it’s not easy with toddlers in tow. The good news is you could avoid tantrums over their favourite sweet treats and guide them through the importance of budgeting all at the same time. What to do before you head outWeekly meal planning prevents you from overspending and buying items that expire before you get a chance to eat them. So, before you head out the door, make a shopping list and invite children into this process. This helps provide structure and guidelines to kids. They’ll know what to expect and may be less motivated to try and take control of the shopping basket. Experiment with asking children what they’d like to eat and accommodate some of their wishes - as long as they’re healthy and affordable enough! For some extra developmental work, they can help you figure out the ingredients to make their favourite dish. You could also try giving kids an imaginary budget and seeing what they come up with. Just avoid opening up too many options. Make it clear that it’s ultimately up to the grown-ups to decide what’s on the menu. Talking about the shopping list and the budgetWe know shopping lists aren’t the most exciting chore, but aim to write a full list before you go shopping. It’s tempting to give up halfway, but this often leads to winging it and blowing the budget once you arrive at the supermarket. Involve the little ones by going through the list with them. Be open when talking about money and budgets, but be careful not to overload them with worries about finances - this can be a lot for kids to take on. Instead, use the exercise as an opportunity to teach kids about the differences between things they need and things they want. This can be a great way to begin instilling some responsible practices around finances. At the supermarketWe all know how tempting it is to overstock the trolly when our tummies are rumbling - and that rings even truer for kids! So, one of our top pieces of advice to help you stick to a budget is this: Don’t show up hungry to the shops! Keep children occupied by giving them a job to do. This could include ticking off the shopping list, checking prices, or looking for items on the shelves. You can bring them into the conversation and decision-making process by giving them options, but not too many options. For example, the following questions let children explore their choices within set boundaries:
To help overcome any potential disagreements, it’s important they understand that treats won’t be involved with every shopping trip. When a request does pop up, the best approach is to clearly acknowledge your child’s wants before calmly letting them know they can’t get the item(s) on this occasion. Some handy phrases to use include:
Sometimes, meltdowns can’t be helped. Most of us have experienced a supermarket screaming session at some point and it’s in no way a reflection of your parenting skills. If it does happen, try to stay calm. If necessary, leave your trolly and take your little one outside to get fresh air and catch their breath. Whatever you do, don’t let tantrums lead to you giving in and buying unnecessary treats! We don’t want to reward bad behaviour and set the tone for future shopping trips. Taking the time to prepare for the supermarket and getting children involved can help make things run more smoothly, keep your budget in check, and teach the foundations of finances to children. We’re not saying the event is guaranteed to be meltdown-free, but it’s a start! Blog written with inspiration from https://parentingplace.nz/.
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Let’s talk about another one of the many “rules” of parenting that make the whole thing feel even more difficult to navigate. “Screen time” is a conversation that’s up there with acceptable sugar intake and the dummy debate.
For many of us, it’s often one of those rules we come up with before our little ones are born: “I won’t allow screen time”. That is until we realise that an iPad makes a great distraction while we’re trying to cook dinner or keep kids occupied on long car journeys. Now your 3-year-old knows how to unlock your phone to select games to play and TV shows to watch. And, like many parents, you might be feeling anxious about whether you’re letting them indulge in too much screen time. Is screen time really that bad?Do you remember being told you’d get square eyes if you watched too much TV when you were growing up? It’s an old-school scare tactic that doesn’t make much sense, but we’ve carried a fear of screens with us. Today, if you have a pre-schooler who constantly wants to interact with technology, keeping them away can feel like an ongoing battle. But is the blanket advice to reduce or even cut out screen time as relevant as the media would have us believe? Research says it’s not the screen itself that’s the problem (no square eyes here). It’s the fact that children are sedentary while they’re watching the screens. There have been some links between high screen time and health issues such as obesity, diabetes, and sleeping problems. According to UNICEF, excessive screen time could inhibit kids’ social skills, reduce empathy and hijack attention spans. So are there any benefits of screen time? Potentially, yes. Certain TV programmes and apps are designed to help toddlers with language development, shape and colour recognition, numeracy and literacy, and creativity. The use of screens can support hand-eye coordination, and you could engage in games and activities together, turning it into some fun family time. How much screen time is recommended for kids?The World Health Organisation (WHO) recommends a maximum of one hour of screen time per day for children under three years of age. They say that “to grow up healthy, children need to sit less and play more.” So, the ideal limit isn’t necessarily there because screens are so dangerous, but to encourage children to stay active. It’s all about bringing back play for children, and WHO recommends children aged 3-4 should spend at least 3 hours a day in a variety of physical activities. As well as keeping kids moving, they should be encouraged to play outside for fresh air and natural light. Staring at screens or being indoors for a long time could lead to the development of myopia (short-sightedness). Tearing them away from the screen when times-upSo you’ve told your toddler it’s time to put the iPad away…cue tears and tantrums. His or her response might seem over the top, but screen time releases feel-good hormones. Even as adults, we don’t like when things are unexpectedly cut short. I don’t know about you, but I’d feel irritated if there was a power cut during my favourite Netflix show. Try this: Give your child a 5-minute warning before turning off screens, and have an activity ready for afterwards, such as eating dinner, reading a book together or kicking a ball around the garden. Remember that screen time is part of today’s world and it’s not all bad. Choose the limits you want to set so you can make sure technology fits into your family life in a way that works for you. Blog written with inspiration from https://parentingplace.nz/. |
.Margie Blackwood, owner and Director of Kids' Kampus 
September 2024
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Kids’ Kampus Childcare
50-52 Shackleton Road Mt Eden, Auckland 1024 New Zealand |
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