I know it's happened to me and I have definately seen it happen to others.

The drama of taking your children shopping. They throw tantrums, they want lollies, they do whatever they can to get your attention.

Well, there is a way to remedy this.

Include your children in all aspects of the shopping starting with the shopping list.

Tell them you are writing a shopping list and need there help. Is there anything they know of that we need to buy from the shop? Encourage them with prompts like: "Do we need peanut butter? How much milk do we have left?" and so forth.

Let them watch you write the shopping list.

Once the shopping list is ready discuss with the children that you are going shopping and that you would like them to help by putting the items in as you walk around the shop. Explain that if they help and you get through the shopping with no tantrums that they may choose one special treat to buy to bring home. Add this to the shopping list before you leave for the store and explain that only the things on the list will be bought. The treat may be an individual thing or something for the family to share such as a packet of tiny teddys.

If the shopping trip has gone well, make a big fuss of how grown up they were. You may even like to express how you need a rest after that and while making yourself a drink give them a glass of milk and a biscuit to eat at the same time. This makes shopping a time spent together instead of a time to be bored and dragged around the shops. While sitting down with your drinks encourage the children by reinforcing how wonderful a help they were and how you would love there help next shopping trip.

If all else fails, bribary is a useful tool. Just make sure you stick to "your" terms and conditions.