This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Walmart. The opinions and text are all mine.
Before I had kids, I'd hear a kid screaming at the top of their lungs in the store, and I'd throw side-eye in the direction of the parent, without giving it a second thought. Like, why can't you control your kid? Now that I am a mom? I've learned all too well, that sometimes, most of the time really, control is relative when it comes to kids. And sometimes friends, control is a mere illusion. Of course, we teach our tiny toddler {tyrants} that laying down in the middle of a grocery store aisle in general protest is wrong! Does it mean they won't do it? No. I assure you, it does not. These tiny humans have minds of their own, folks! And sometimes, despite our very best parenting efforts, they throw us a curve ball to keep us on our toes. It just is what it is.
With four kids, I've certainly experienced my fair share of moments where my kid was "that kid" over the years. Probably more times than I can count at this point. My all-time most mortifying public moment where my kid was "that kid?" Hands-down ... when my oldest daughter was four. We took her to see Santa. Of course, she was dressed to impress; not a hair out of place. We stood in line and waited our turn. When the time came, she walked up to him with a big smile plastered on her face, both hands still firmly tucked into the pockets of her holiday trench coat. When she got to him, she started by refusing (albeit, politely) to sit in his lap. She shook her head at him and said, "no, thank you!" He went along with it and asked her what she wanted for Christmas. She responded gleefully with her list. He then asked her if she had been good all year. Her response, while still smiling? "No, not really." So, he asked her if she intended to try to be better. Still smiling, she said "maybe, I'll have to think about it!" Friends, she was still in that lovely stage of toddlerhood where she was painfully honest about E.V.E.R.Y.T.H.I.N.G. Totally unfiltered.
Since I'm being real here. Another moment of honesty? Because kids can be so unpredictable, I don't love taking all of my children shopping with me at the same time. It seems like it always turns into a bit of a circus act. Whether it's one of the toddlers or one of the older kids, I never really know what to expect. Will they melt down? Will one of them forget their filter and say something jaw-dropping? You. Just. Never. Know. So, honestly, I kind of avoid it like the plague. While I would like to say that they are all perfectly behaved angel sweethearts 24/7, that, like those perfectly staged Instagram photos, would only serve to make you feel inadequate. And who needs that? Parenting is hard. Kids can be crazy unpredictable. Be kind to yourself. You're not alone! My kids color on the walls sometimes. They lay down in the grocery store aisles and scream at the top of their lungs from time to time. They don't always make the right choices and they don't always say the right thing. What can I say? They're a work in progress. We all are, really!
As I navigate my messy, unpredictable, joy-filled, kid-filled days, I too look for ways to be kind to myself and give myself a break. One way that I help maintain my sanity these days, is by skipping the melt-downs and judgmental looks from passer-by all-together. No, I didn't hire a personal shopper. Who has the money for that? Instead, I sit down with a cup of coffee in-hand and my laptop, and I order all of my groceries online using Walmart's Online Grocery Pickup Service. Once it's all purchased and paid for, I load all of my kids into the car when it's pick-up time, and a friendly Walmart associate loads it all into my trunk for me. I don't ever have to set foot out of my car. Now tell me friends, what mom wouldn't love that?!
Moms, show yourself some love today by giving Walmart's Online Grocery Pickup Service a try. It's pure heaven! First time user? Use promo code WOWFRESH for $10 off your first order (*with a qualifying minimum purchase of $50 )
