How to keep the supermarket shopping trip from getting out of hand.

Camp has started, and along with it comes trip season.

You know what that means: negotiating with a seven-year-old over how many sour belts is too many sour belts. But guess what? You’re the grown-up. You’re in charge. You have your house rules and a firm voice that works…sometimes.

The nosh does not have to run the show. Here are a few ways to keep things under control:

• Set some ground rules before entering the grocery store. Here are a few examples:

Give them a budget, an amount they can spend. Or use a “pick three plus one drink” rule: one snack, one treat, one chocolate, and one special drink. The rest can be filled in with whatever snacks and drinks you normally stock at home.

Set a timer because we are not moving into the grocery store. For kids who have a hard time deciding, let them know ahead of time how much time they have in the store so they can think about their choices before they get there.

• Create a summer snack stash at home and use it as currency for good behavior. If there are behaviors you’d like to work on over the summer, such as getting into bed on time, listening the first time, or helping around the house, use the extra trip nosh as an incentive.

• Use this as an opportunity to pack way more than snacks. You can teach boundaries, planning ahead, decision-making, and self-control. What looks like a simple trip to buy nosh is actually a chance to help your child practice important life skills. Every time your child works within a budget, follows a rule, makes a choice, or handles disappointment when they can’t get everything they want, they’re building skills that will help them far beyond camp season.

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