MAKING EVERYDAY ERRANDS LEARNING EXPERIENCES

Running errands with Nicky is challenging, to say the least. If we go to the supermarket, she grabs whatever is in her reach. This distraction alone won’t let me grocery shop. I bring along toys to distract her from making a mess, but she just isn't interested anymore. She wants to explore her environment. 

So what are my options? Leave her at home and run errands later? Find someone to watch her while I get things done? I think it is important to expose her to everyday life and see different people. So I take her with me; wherever I need to go, she comes along. It is usually stressful and difficult but I have found some tricks to make everyday errands learning experiences. I teach her language, motor and sensory skills.

For example, when we go to the supermarket, we move slowly through the produce department as she tries to say the names of different fruits and veggies. I’ll stop by the apples and have her name the different colors and then let her pick one for herself. I quick wash with a water-based wipe or fruit wash solution, and you're all set. Not only does she enjoy it but it’s pretty darn cute. I try to teach her to say hello to people and say thank you when they do something for her (she does it constantly now which amazes me...very polite). I also talk to her a lot. For instance, I’ll explain what I’m going to do with the foods we are buying so that when I prepare a meal I refer back to the time we bought the items. Slowly she starts to build connections between events. Things that happened in the past influence our present and yummy future. 

Do you have any tricks up your mommy sleeves?