Tips and hints to keep your child safe at the grocery store.
Children need to be taught how to stay safe, away from danger and harm, and how to protect themselves from strangers. All of these potential problems can happen at the grocery store. It is a parent or guardians responsibility to guide their children on making correct and safe decisions. Talking about rules, and why they must be obeyed, is key. Implementation and consequences must always be enforced. In addition, role playing or acting out scenerios may reinforce and cement the true meaning of the rules into a child's mind.
These guidelines and hints can assist any parent or guardian with the safety of children while in a grocery store.
Explain while on the way to the grocery store, the special rules that are to obeyed. Offering a reward, such as a selection of one item from the toy isle, or they get to select the cereal for the week, or even something along the lines of extra computer time or an extra chapter of bedtime reading, will entice and enforce these additional, special rules. Remember to keep the rewards in place for each good behavior episode and, though it may be difficult, if the rules are not followed, a reward is not to be given.
Explain, again, that strangers, a person the child does not know, should be avoided. Scenerios or role playing often help children of all ages to learn how to react to strangers. Pose "what if" questions and guide them through the best solution. Simply walking away may work, but yelling or creating a scene, though embarrassing, may safe a child from kidnapping.
Show a safe haven that children can rely upon. Explain that staff behind the courtesy desk can assist if a stranger approaches or makes a request of the child. If time allows, introduce the staff at the courtesy desk of the store to your child, then approaching a stranger at the desk won't seem so frightening. In addition, if the courtesy desk is situated at a height that is above your child's height, explain that the flower shop desk, or even the deli/seafood department staff are perfectly good substitutes.
Instruct your child to not wander the store looking for you. If they are lost, let them know they should go directly to the courtesy desk. Most grocery stores will entertain children while lost parents or guardians are located.
To avoid an emergency room visit after a grocery store visit, use caution and common sense when mixing children and shopping carts. Start children early by utilizing the restraint to keep your child seated. Children should easily fit their legs through the cart seat and the strap should lock in place. A child that is too large for the seat, or one that is particularly active, should not be placed in the seat to avoid cart tipping. Children can sit in the cart itself, but strict instructions and rules must be in place to avoid standing in the cart; this too can lead to tipping. Children should not ride on the outside of the cart and should not push the cart as their height and strength doesn't allow them the control needed. Explaining that it is your job to keep children safe and unhurt can make the shopping cart rules a little easier for children to obey. Besides, what child wants to see their parent or guardian fired from their child safety job.
Climbing the shelves is another danger that must be addressed prior to the store substituting as a jungle gym. Explain that the shelves are made to hold food, not children, but you'll be happy to show them something off the top shelf if asked nicely, is usually all that is needed to avoid a dangerous fall.
Though many dangers lurk in the grocery store, it is also a great place to enforce good social skills. Children learn a great deal by watching so your behavior is important. Try to remember to return items to their proper shelves, pick up trash and be certain to say "please," and "thank you." Offer to let people with a few items go ahead of you and assist in bagging, or even enlist the children's help.
Though not every grocery store visit will be a pleasant, learning experience, following these guidelines and hints will make the visit a safe one.
