Ellie should have known this would happen. Elizabeth is so cute and is making the most of her time alone with mom…trying to do a good job of helping her shop.
I like howthe duck ‘s comment.However, I raised six teenagers as a single mom…5 boys and a girl…and it wasn’t safe to bring them shopping with me. They wanted everything in sight, just like Elizabeth. Lol
I love taking my daughters shopping. They’re great about getting what I need them to. My younger one (8) is particularly helpful. She’s very tall, but very light. I’m very short: 5’ tall. If I need something on a top shelf, I simply lift her up and she reaches it for me, then hands it down to her older sister. We make a great shopping team.
My mother had to take us shopping because there was no one else to watch us. We hated it as it was boring and she either couldn’t or wouldn’t buy the things we asked for. Sometimes she’d bribe us with a box of animal crackers or cracker jacks if we’d behave.
I used to go shopping with my mom so that I can pick out stuff to eat later, especially cereal. Then after helping her unload them and putting the food away, I got the sweet reward of being first to eat the “good” cereal. In a family with 6 other kids and 2 adults, the good stuff went fast.
My mom took me along for grocery shopping from when I was so little I can’t even remember. We’ve always made a great team and it enabled me to do all the family’s weekly shopping by myself when I got my driver’s licence.
And the rest of us shoppers are inconvenienced because we can’t get to the shelves, through the aisles, let alone having to listen to a whining brat or three.
It seems to me that you and Elly are on exactly the same page on this one. She’s allowing Elizabeth to “help” despite the fact that she’s causing more work.
Hey, Lizzie is learning some valuable lessons, here. And eventually, she’ll be able to help for real. Teach ’em young when they actually want to do it. Sure beats their hanging out in the middle of the cart, age 12, while you push them around the store (as I have seen some parents do).
Actor Misha Collins did a really funny take on this with his son in YouTube series called “Cooking Fast and Fresh with West”: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ToTVFEHZhX4
Was in the checkout line and ahead was a father and son. Mom was still getting a few more things and jr was the runner. Worked fine until mom got back and found out jr was slam dunking cans on top of the fruit. Dad was in deep doo doo.
My son developed a sixth sense for grocery shopping, and by the time he was 20, he was the best bargain hunter I’d ever seen! Never overboard, and always logical.
Kids love to help, and finding ways for them to pitch in is much the best for them, even if it slows us down a bit. Trick is to get them helping in constructive ways! lol!
My daughter woke me at 3am one time when she was about four, having totally vandalized my kitchen in the interest of ‘making biscuits’. I forget what she broke, propelling me out of bed like a circus act.We were making a lot of biscuits in those days, and though it was inconvenient at that hour, and the kitchen was like a bomb site – we made the biscuits. They were more like ammunition than food, since she put them together from memory – and got all the ingredients right. Too bad the proportions were off!
Hey, it worked out – by the time she was twelve, she was up to cheesecake. By then, she could read, and she makes very good cheesecake – among other things, even now!
I encourage my 8 year old’s help when I take her to the store, I also take advantage of any opportunity not to take her. Not to be mean, but I spend less time and money when I go alone.
I took the three granddaughters shopping this afternoon. It’s a great learning experience for them. The thirteen-year-old is a crackerjack shopper – knows where things are, what brand to get. The ten-year-old pointed out hard-to-spot items and unloaded the cart for increasingly frail me. The seven-year-old taught us patience with her infernal kvetching about everything – I gave her reminders on looking for the positive. Each child will learn different things, at a different rate, but all can benefit from doing things with a caring adult.
Where I work we had this one mom who’s littlest girl always wanted to help, it was cute until she became OCD about it. She would scream if her mom put any groceries on the belt, she wanted to do it. Same thing thru the aisles, if mom picked up anything and put it into the cart the little girl would freak out. I started talking to the mom and she revealed that the same thing happens at home when it was time to clean up. The little girl wanted to do it all by herself and would scream and hit others who wanted to help. She thinking of getting professional help, I just think a good swat or two may be less expensive.
The only objection I have to this is when as a boy I worked as a cashier. Sometimes a mom would think it is time to have a math lesson or something like that at the checkout line. I wish to God she would turn her head and see the long line of angry customers she is causing to have to wait because Mom is trying to be cute with her kids.
krys723 over 10 years ago
Awww childhood at its finest
g55rumpy over 10 years ago
nothing like unhelpful help
mischugenah over 10 years ago
Maddening at first, but it’s how kids learn.
kfccanada over 10 years ago
Ellie should have known this would happen. Elizabeth is so cute and is making the most of her time alone with mom…trying to do a good job of helping her shop.
I like howthe duck ‘s comment.However, I raised six teenagers as a single mom…5 boys and a girl…and it wasn’t safe to bring them shopping with me. They wanted everything in sight, just like Elizabeth. Lol
Wren Fahel over 10 years ago
I love taking my daughters shopping. They’re great about getting what I need them to. My younger one (8) is particularly helpful. She’s very tall, but very light. I’m very short: 5’ tall. If I need something on a top shelf, I simply lift her up and she reaches it for me, then hands it down to her older sister. We make a great shopping team.
alondra over 10 years ago
My mother had to take us shopping because there was no one else to watch us. We hated it as it was boring and she either couldn’t or wouldn’t buy the things we asked for. Sometimes she’d bribe us with a box of animal crackers or cracker jacks if we’d behave.
i_am_the_jam over 10 years ago
The kid can’t read yet?
gmforde over 10 years ago
I used to go shopping with my mom so that I can pick out stuff to eat later, especially cereal. Then after helping her unload them and putting the food away, I got the sweet reward of being first to eat the “good” cereal. In a family with 6 other kids and 2 adults, the good stuff went fast.
Adele Derwald over 10 years ago
My mom took me along for grocery shopping from when I was so little I can’t even remember. We’ve always made a great team and it enabled me to do all the family’s weekly shopping by myself when I got my driver’s licence.
sandyknopf over 10 years ago
And the rest of us shoppers are inconvenienced because we can’t get to the shelves, through the aisles, let alone having to listen to a whining brat or three.
JanLC over 10 years ago
It seems to me that you and Elly are on exactly the same page on this one. She’s allowing Elizabeth to “help” despite the fact that she’s causing more work.
thesnowleopard Premium Member over 10 years ago
Hey, Lizzie is learning some valuable lessons, here. And eventually, she’ll be able to help for real. Teach ’em young when they actually want to do it. Sure beats their hanging out in the middle of the cart, age 12, while you push them around the store (as I have seen some parents do).
Actor Misha Collins did a really funny take on this with his son in YouTube series called “Cooking Fast and Fresh with West”: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ToTVFEHZhX4
Poollady over 10 years ago
Yeah, Ellie. appreciate it while you can – they grow up fast.
Nancy J Stout over 10 years ago
Was in the checkout line and ahead was a father and son. Mom was still getting a few more things and jr was the runner. Worked fine until mom got back and found out jr was slam dunking cans on top of the fruit. Dad was in deep doo doo.
Can't Sleep over 10 years ago
My son developed a sixth sense for grocery shopping, and by the time he was 20, he was the best bargain hunter I’d ever seen! Never overboard, and always logical.
Can't Sleep over 10 years ago
Yeah, Jester, I could go with taping you to to a shopping cart…
Hawthorne over 10 years ago
Kids love to help, and finding ways for them to pitch in is much the best for them, even if it slows us down a bit. Trick is to get them helping in constructive ways! lol!
My daughter woke me at 3am one time when she was about four, having totally vandalized my kitchen in the interest of ‘making biscuits’. I forget what she broke, propelling me out of bed like a circus act.We were making a lot of biscuits in those days, and though it was inconvenient at that hour, and the kitchen was like a bomb site – we made the biscuits. They were more like ammunition than food, since she put them together from memory – and got all the ingredients right. Too bad the proportions were off!
Hey, it worked out – by the time she was twelve, she was up to cheesecake. By then, she could read, and she makes very good cheesecake – among other things, even now!
Huskies81 over 10 years ago
She’s such a brat.
QuietStorm27 over 10 years ago
I encourage my 8 year old’s help when I take her to the store, I also take advantage of any opportunity not to take her. Not to be mean, but I spend less time and money when I go alone.
Gokie5 over 10 years ago
I took the three granddaughters shopping this afternoon. It’s a great learning experience for them. The thirteen-year-old is a crackerjack shopper – knows where things are, what brand to get. The ten-year-old pointed out hard-to-spot items and unloaded the cart for increasingly frail me. The seven-year-old taught us patience with her infernal kvetching about everything – I gave her reminders on looking for the positive. Each child will learn different things, at a different rate, but all can benefit from doing things with a caring adult.
lakita_lover over 10 years ago
Annoying? Yes, but this is how children begin developing life skills.
newworldmozart over 10 years ago
Where I work we had this one mom who’s littlest girl always wanted to help, it was cute until she became OCD about it. She would scream if her mom put any groceries on the belt, she wanted to do it. Same thing thru the aisles, if mom picked up anything and put it into the cart the little girl would freak out. I started talking to the mom and she revealed that the same thing happens at home when it was time to clean up. The little girl wanted to do it all by herself and would scream and hit others who wanted to help. She thinking of getting professional help, I just think a good swat or two may be less expensive.
USN1977 over 10 years ago
The only objection I have to this is when as a boy I worked as a cashier. Sometimes a mom would think it is time to have a math lesson or something like that at the checkout line. I wish to God she would turn her head and see the long line of angry customers she is causing to have to wait because Mom is trying to be cute with her kids.