Time: 1-2 hours
Cost: Your grocery budget
Recurrence: weekly
Age: infant – 12
Impact: =)
Grocery shopping may not seem too much like a Daddy Daughter Date, but we’ve already seen a few dates on this blog that are day to day activities that can be turned in to a special time for dads and their daughters. Chances are, you probably need some groceries at some point. Chances are that she would be willing to go along with you. Both of you may even earn brownie points with mom by taking care of the shopping and giving her a little bit of break from child-care (unless you have multiples). Grab your list, a few reusable grocery bags, and your daughter to go do some shopping.
She's got a Groupon for those Cocoa Pebbles
Your daughter’s age is going to make a big difference in your experience here. I think taking an infant is a fine thing as a date, as you can still talk to her and interact with her as you’re shopping. As the age levels go up, your daughter can take more and more responsibility during the shopping trip. The critical element is having a game plan ahead of time WITH your daughter before you enter the store. If it’s her first time there, walk through the rules of the grocery store (no running, shouting, or GRABBING ANYTHING Dad DOESN’T TELL YOU TO, etc). If it’s not her first time, still walk through your expectations for her in the store (see above).
"Lisa, where are you honey?"
Plan out how your daughter is going to help. Obviously, you want to gauge your daughter’s sense of responsibility first. Maybe she’s just going to push the cart, maybe she’ll be finding different foods in a different aisle. If your daughter is the appropriate age, going an aisle or two over with a specific item to find is a good self-esteem builder, but it should be something she has seen before and knows how to locate easily. Don’t ask her to find a new version of the crunchy peanut butter with 50% reduced fat, no sodium, and gives 5% back to the rain forests.
While inside the store, talk through the choices you’re making. Show her how you buy on value or buy on quality. Your daughter, even at a young age, will be able to understand differences. She knows when you have an haven’t shaved, correct? She’ll be able to pick up why you’re buying whole grain bread versus regular wheat. Talk about prices and have a calculator to keep a running total BEFORE you get to the counter. That is an amazing way for her to learn about money and sticking to your budgeted amount for groceries. She’ll learn to make choices with her money, when the time comes. Once you get to the checkout line, have your daughter see how close you came.
"Why did you spend $40 on Cocoa Pebbles? I thought you had a Groupon..."
At the end of the trip, make sure to have a few bags or items light enough that she can carry. This helps her realize that she’s part of the team and can make a contribution. It might be just a grocery run, but she’ll see it as a time with Dad where she felt needed.
DID IT! with Adam from Fodder4Fathers
“My wife and I both work, but every weekend, my daughter and I go shopping. So, it just me walking down the aisles with my daughter. So I’m walking with the cart, but she’s right in front of me, so no one can actually see her. Often times, it will look a ghost is just pushing the cart, because I’m walking behind it, she’s pushing it, but I don’t have my hands on it. I’ll get strange looks because I’m throwing things in the cart, and she’s banging in to stuff and the carts going all over.
My favorite part of that is just watching the eyes of all the moms, just staring, like, “Why doesn’t my husband do that?” People that are from older generations just watch you and say, “You’re doing such and amazing job!”, but I’m like “How is this any different from a mom doing something like this?” “
“Dads and daughters have a different relationship than boys. That one on one time is really the only way to get her over Mommy-itis. Like, if it’s the three of us together, it’s almost impossible to get my daughter’s full attention. Being a dad has totally changed my life. My life is still about me, but now I get so much joy from doing things from her. I’m the one that wakes her up the morning; I’m the one that takes her to daycare; I’m the one singing kid songs out loud, when no one else can see her in the back seat. I’m the one that makes her dinner. Being a dad, it’s just a great joy, especially with a daughter. “ Adam @Fodder4Fathers
Thanks for being a dad….
-Scott-
Daddy-Daughter Date 