Lobsters
Mikey didn’t eat the lobsters. He just liked to watch them in the tank. The lobsters were friends, not food.
I probably stood there with the cart and Mikey while Will ran around the store grabbing all the stuff he wanted. Hey, it worked for us. Will was in 5th grade at this point and he could pretty much find everything on our list by himself. He was also smart enough to throw a few extra things in the cart – if you’re in charge, you’re in charge. I say, go for it!
Sometimes when I took Mikey to the grocery store, we worked on specific life skills so he could be more independent as an adult. Other times, we just had fun. This parenting journey is a marathon, not a sprint. Grocery shopping a bit differently each time keeps you from going nuts and builds flexibility in your kids. It also takes the pressure off of you – you may not have a plan for what you want the kids to ‘learn’ at the grocery store! You might just need milk.
Click the link below for ideas on ‘productive’ grocery shopping. For this trip, we were just hanging with the lobsters…and having a good old time!
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About the Author
Erica Mauro is a mom to two teenage boys, Will who is neurotypical and Michael with Autism and cognitive delays. She holds a BA in Psychology from Colgate University and a Masters of Psychology in Education from Columbia Teacher’s College. Before staying home with her children, she worked as an elementary school teacher. For five years, she served on the Board of Directors of the Molly Ann Tango Memorial Foundation, a charity dedicated to enriching the lives of children with special needs. In partnership with her husband Dave, she aspires to parent by using daily life as an opportunity for therapeutic intervention, seizing on real experiences as opportunities to build skills and strategies for Michael in a joyful, loving home environment. On the tougher early days, she just tried to get everyone safely to bedtime and start fresh in the morning. *wink* 
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