Going to the shop with a toddler

A question we've all wondered... why does a five minute trip to the shops with a toddler always take 20 minutes at least?

We've all had it, right?

We quickly need to pop to the shops for that ingredient you forgot to add to your shopping basket the week before. Your toddler comes along with you because it's a good excuse to get you both out of the house. You think a five minute walk to the shops and back will be a perfect time killer for you both, and then before you know it, it takes you 30 minutes to walk around the corner and come home.

Why is that?

Well, it's partly because your toddler has no concept of time!

But also, it’s because this walk represents a key part of your toddler's development.

For example, if they spot a leaf on the ground, they are almost definitely going to stand there and look at that leaf. That leaf reminds them of the other leaf they saw the other day in the other park in the other month.

That bug they've just spotted crawling up the fence? They've never seen it, and they don't remember ever seeing a bug in this park. It's something new to think about.

That huge puddle from last week? It's dried up now. But they have to step on it because it was so much fun to do last time.

Remember when you walked past that statue? You bet they're going to want to do it again so they can see that again, and everything they saw last time.

Even if they've done this same walk with you 100 times before, they'll want to do it again and again to experience the same sights, smells and sounds. And if anything new happens along the way, that's an extra amazing bonus!

These repetitions of movement help to ground your toddler. It helps them to secure the knowledge that they're building with you every single day.

So even if their need to take a while is frustrating, remember that it's just a way for your toddler to make sense of the world around them. There's so much going on around them, so of course it takes a little while to process everything!

What do you think? Have you noticed this behaviour in your toddler?