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I stopped taking RJ with me to stores when he turned about 20 months old. Just not worth the struggle! We grocery shop at night now (one of us runs out probably 2 or 3 times a week for short trips to pick up essentials) and I do a Costco run on Mondays, my day off when RJ is at school.

I just deal and get my shopping done. I don't want to have to go back later when I am already there. But I know I can't take her to a shopping mall since she doesn't sit in a stroller and I am not going to carry her for that long (not that she'll let me anyway)! But I'll take her to one store destinations like Target, Costco, grocery store, etc.

@artbee: haha, me too. He finds that funny, as well as when I clear my throat, which he repeats. He sounds like an old man, lol.

I just suck it up and pick up what I went there for. My DD is only 6 months so she's still fairly easy to calm. I always carry snacks for my DS so that keeps him occupied for a bit. Lately, I take him to stores that have little shopping carts for kids - he loves it. But I feel like I'm always on a mad dash when running errands with any one of them. I tried grocery shopping with the both of them once. It was not a pretty sight. I also play every trip out in my head before going and plan very strategically.

I used to be terrified of the grocery story. I think Charlie picked up on that, and acted like a maniac while we were there.

I started acting more confident and more willing to just yank him out of the store for misbehavior, and since then it's been night and day!

@mrbee: I have noticed that being firm has worked a little better in the past few months. Ever since I read that article about French parents, I"ve been trying out a little more firmness (which feels more natural to me anyway... I always felt like I was kind of a mean mommy but that article made me feel better) and he will now hold our hand to walk with us about 75% of the time! It used to be ZERO! Now I just confidently say "let's hold hands and go!" and grab his hand and start walking. If I hesitate at all he sits down and whines. But usually my firmness and quickness catches him off guard and he just automatically goes with me.

I'm glad to hear it has worked wtih you at the grocery store (story)! Maybe I will try it this weekend...!!! Grocery shopping used to be fun, now it's just a race to get back to the house asap (or done before the store closes!)

@tina: Wow that's awesome!

Cesar Milan's focus on creating calm assertive energy around his dogs has been hugely helpful in a similar way:

http://www.dogchannel.com/dog-information/cesar-millan-dog-whisperer/article_energy.aspx

@tina: Malcolm Gladwell wrote a wonderful profile on Cesar where he talks a lot about the specifics of Cesar's calming energy:

http://gladwell.com/2006/2006_05_22_a_dog.html

The sad coda to that article though is that Cesar's wife filed for divorce in 2010.

I always make sure to take snacks with me wherever I go. LO loves american cheese, puffs, and mum mums. And those are easy to stick in a diaper bag. When LO gets cranky, I give him these things in order of least to most enjoyable (for him). I start with the cheerios..and if he gets crankier, then mum mums (he likes to hold his own food) and then if finally he doesn't want the mum mums, american cheese is his FAVORITE. that will usually give me enough time to do what I need to do and get the H out of the store.