Parenting Under the Stars

We don’t really mind the rain as long as it’s not cold so my son and I went hiking and hit a couple stores. It’s a nice way to spend time together and talk without all the background noise or distractions in the house.

We get a kick out of watching people run in the rain as if they will melt or something. I guess if you just got your hair done and didn’t have an umbrella or something it would be upsetting.

Our last stop was the grocery store and I must have been getting tired because the intent was to grab a snack but instead I remembered we needed more cereal and coffee and left without the main thing I was there for.

I usually follow certain rules once I need more than a couple things and one of them is to make a list. The other of course is not to go hungry. Third, stick to the list. If you don’t have a list and you’re hungry and tired it won’t be a good scene.

Printable Grocery Lists

• If you want a printable list, I like the list and menu planner on Jennifer Wolf’s Single Parents Blog. It lists the headings but not the food which I like because it still helps trigger ideas and half the food on those other lists I never get.

• If you’re really into lists, My Parent Time’s Printable Checklists have tons of them. Some seem sort of useless but many look quite handy so you might find something you could use.

• If you’re using Firefox, they have an add on called Grocery List Generator. I haven’t tried it yet because I have to restart the computer to complete the installation.

I found a bizarre site that has tons of other people’s old grocery lists posted. (GroceryLists.com) Some of them gave me the giggles and a whole book has been written about them. I don’t know why but it was fun looking at people’s multi-colored and crumpled up lists. One simply said to tape Oprah and pick up a cutting board. One guy’s list included a reminder to say goodbye to his wife. So far I haven’t found one that includes the cost so I guess most people just wing it.

Karen Weidman has a great post on 10 Ways to Teach Your Children About Money. No matter what your situation, it’s important to learn how to manage finances. We weren’t rich but we were comfortable thanks to my parent’s hard work and my mother’s skill at budgeting.

Taking your children to the grocery store and letting them help with the list is a good learning experience. As a bonus, it’s a good way for them to learn how to behave in public. Mine learned quickly that screaming for smarties would not get them far.

It’s also a good way for them to learn menu planning. A couple times, I let my daughter choose our meals and once she picked a box of flavored chicken wings. They were yummy but they certainly didn’t feed six people. Making things from scratch is a little extra effort but you often get three times the amount of food that you would otherwise.

Stick to the budget

I am a bit of a stickler with my grocery list so if it’s not on the list, we generally don’t get it. I will budget a bit for a treat but that’s usually chosen ahead of time and included in the list. This is a good way for them to learn how to stick to the budget and see in black and white how much their treat will cost.

Work and Save

If your children are old enough, let them do small jobs and save for some of the things that they want. Shoveling snow, cutting grass, and delivering papers are all good starter jobs. I noticed that when our kids started buying some of their own things, they took much better care of their belongings. My son kept stepping on his headphones for example so instead of us continuing to replace them, he bought his own. They’re still intact.