Tips to avoid a strop at the shop

If you think that you’re in for a sulk the next time you go for a big shop, try bargain hunting! Getting them to find all the items less than £1 on your list can keep them entertained.

While you’re shopping, get your child to look for prices and check how much different things cost. You could turn it into a bit of a treasure hunt and look for items that cost more than and less than £1. Or look for any item that costs £2 exactly. If something is on offer - 2 for £1, say - you could help them work out what each individual item costs.

If your kids throws a strop when your shopping, why not try playing banana and beans? Ask them to find everything on your shopping list that begins with the letter 'B'. If you don't have a shopping list, ask them to point out all the 'B' words they see.

Have a go at making a simple shopping list together and look online to work out how much it would cost. What's the change from £10? If you’re shopping online, why not let your child help you put things into your basket? They could check the total with you as you go along.

Tell your child what you’re looking for, then when they find the item you can read the name and check the price together.

Picking out a can or food packet, and helping your child read the label is a fun way for them to read while they’re out and about with you. After sounding out the first letter, they could then look for other items that begin with the same letter - like milk, margarine, and marmalade.

First, you can tell your children what item you’re looking for - then ask them to read the signs above the aisles to work out where to find it. Once you’ve got the right aisle, the final part of their mission is to help you spot the item and tell you how much it costs.

Kids love doing grown-up things. So the next time you pop out for a few things at the shops, why not let your child have a go at counting out and paying at the till?

If you find that your kid tends to kick up a fuss when you get to the sweets aisle, it can pay to save yourself the headache and avoid it.

It also pays to give them a snack like a piece of fruit before you go shopping. Who hasn’t done the shopping on an empty stomach and come home with pretty much the entire junk food aisle?