How to make it through the grocery store with a wild two year old.

For any of you who are mothers, you understand that making it through the grocery store with a two or three year old is very difficult. Now in the grocery store I watch many parents, some try to threaten the kids under their breath (this doesn't work the child usually doesn't take the parent serious, especially if there is shopping to be done). The best method I have found to work is the tickle monster! Each time my child is acting up in the store, I simply go into my purse and pull out the tickle monster (imaginary creature that makes my fingers give tickles), I then proceed to tickle my child until the laughing begins and they are distracted from acting out. In my opinion it is much better to have a laughing child rather than a screaming one. After this you can then follow up with a little bribe, some parents are against bribing but I feel that if the bribe is small and doesn't harm your children it isn't really a bribe but more of a negotiation. For my kids the "negotiation" usually consists of "if you can be well behaved in the store then you can have a blank" Fill in the blank with something your children will enjoy, but not necessarily something from off of your grocery list. This could include Eggo's, or fruit snacks, or maybe just their favorite snack or meal.

Hopefully this hint will be as successful for you as it has been for me! Happy grocery hunting.