Julie, a Supermom of one, from Glendale, Arizona, said:
My one year old is extremely busy…as most of them are. So when we go out grocery shopping or run an errand or two, it can sometimes be tricky when he wants to wiggle his way out of the shopping cart. One day I found these little magnetic chess-like pieces that were perfect for his little hands to hold. I brought them with us on our shopping trip and low and behold he played with them the entire time. What kept his attention was the fact that he could stick the magnets to the metal on the shopping cart. He would slide them up and down and across the handle bar. Of course I didn’t bring them out again until we went shopping so that they would be a special toy and not one he sees daily.
Another little “gadget” I have found helpful are lipstick containers. My little boy loves to open and close things, so these are just the ticket and are excellent for developing his fine motor skills! I emptied out the lipstick and let him play with these during church. They were quiet and held his attention for quite some time. The best thing was it was free! I used old lipsticks that I never used. He also enjoyed putting his special mini marshmallow snack inside and then taking them out. It was perfect!
Thanks Julie for these super-tips! In her pre-mama days, Julie was a school teacher. Hear more from her on her blog.
Have a Super-tip to share? It can be anything related to motherhood and family life, from a favorite recipe, to ideas for activities or a great way to manage an everyday chore. Email your tip to super-tips@pagingsupermom.com. We just might publish your Super-tip next!
I love the magnets idea — that is just brilliant!
Hi guys,
These are good ideas but I just wanted to add one caveat. Please make sure the magnets you choose to use are really big. My two year old daughter swallowed a magnet a couple weeks ago. I had no idea at the time, but magnets pose a serious danger if ingested…particularly if you swallow more than one. One ER visit, doctor visit and two xrays later, she was thankfully fine. I had no idea though. At the time we saw her do it and it was so small I naively figured she’d be fine. After that experience I got rid of all small magnets in my house. I just wanted to let you know. I think if you had larger magnets, it would be a great idea. Trust me, I’ll take any novel ideas for getting my kids to behave at the supermarket! Love the blog.