Grocery Shopping List – What Bugs Mom

Do you know what bothers me as a mom? Family members complain about not having what they want to eat at home but refuse to use a shopping list. The list I firmly plant in the refrigerator every week. Rain or shine.

How hard can this be?

Well, as the saying goes, when mom’s not happy, nobody’s happy. So I decided it was time to be happy.

Which means the family has to get in shape!

Here are some of my best ideas for encouraging family involvement when it comes to menu planning. (And a whip doesn’t hurt either. Just kidding…just kidding…)

— Make it public. Make it obvious.

As I said above, you should put your shopping list in a public place. If they have to look for it, they won’t. If they have to look for a pen, they won’t.

It’s also good to have “Grocery Shopping List” or another obvious letter at the top of the list, at least until they’re well trained. If you have young children, letting them decorate the grocery list gets them interested, and beginning writers LOVE adding items to a grocery list. Deciphering those elements, however, is another story.

— Consequences are a mom’s best friend.

When a child complains that his favorite snack is not in the pantry, he can calmly smile and say happily, “Was that on the grocery list? Wasn’t it? Oh, that’s too bad for you. I’ll shop again at a week, there’s the list.

Your children are smart. Trust me this time. This also works for husbands.

— Reward with food.

It’s okay, I’ll admit it. I’m not opposed to the occasional shard that uses food as a reward. I don’t think this is a good idea for parents all the time, but let’s face it, we all have our favorite foods and working towards a cherished meal or prize can be a good motivator.

Just let the goal seeker know that it’s their responsibility to put that reward on the shopping list. It is not yours.

Do you see the pattern here? By putting the responsibility for items on the shopping list back where it belongs, on the people who use and want the food, you’ll stop being the pest, Mom.

Train your beautiful family with firm boundaries and loving words. Sprinkle with time and patience. And reap a harvest of cooperation by using your shopping list.

And if that doesn’t work, there’s always the idea of ​​the whip…