7. The Lost Art of Grocery Runs With Toddlers: Why Letting Them Help Matters

About this episode

This episode discusses the importance of including toddlers in grocery shopping experiences rather than relying on distractions.

One day, the stroller or baby carrier that tucked away our sweet little babies during grocery hauls stops feeling effective. We blink, and we have very mobile toddlers who can't seem to sit still. Nonetheless, it's 2026, and it's pretty normalized around us to see fellow parents picking up their toddlers, placing them in the seat of a cart, and handing over a planned activity – either a "busy bag" of portable toys or a screen for a short bout of entertainment. While nothing is inherently wrong with this in isolation, because not every moment needs to be a teaching moment , it begins to backfire when this becomes routine. When grocery runs and outings start to feel like a constant source of split-attention: desperately planning something "fun" for our toddlers rather than just including them in what we're there to do: grab some food. Distraction tactics can be easiest to overuse in toddlerhood, when it's easy to underestimate just what they're capable of, interested in, and ready for. But this approach can lead to burnout, overstimulation, and power struggles because the distraction becomes a time-opportunity cost t o what toddlers most crave: movement quality…

People in this episode

Hosts: Gloria, Jenna

Topics covered

• grocery shopping
• parenting
• toddler development
• inclusion
• family activities

Keywords

• grocery runs
• toddlers
• parenting tips
• busy bags
• family outings
• engagement
• movement

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