all about the grocery store daycare

Clearly, you guys were really excited about the grocery store daycare. And rightly so! I remember when I first learned of it, and the boys and Haney were still too young for it. I feared I would die before I ever saw my children enter into that Promised Land. And now, here I am.

Giant Eagle isn't the only grocery store with child care -- I know some Kroger stores have them too. Not all Giant Eagles have an "Eagle's Nest" up here.

Drawbacks: Children have to be at least 3, and have to enter willingly. They won't take crying or protesting kids. Also, Giant Eagle is a very expensive store for doing most of your grocery shopping.

Slight drawback: You can't leave the store. [LAUGH HERE.] Not even to load your groceries into your car, which was a big drawback for me when I had kids ages 1/3/3/5. Because a heavy cart full of groceries requires two hands, and so do 3-year-old twins.

HUGE PLUSES: You sign then kids in using your license, and they have you a walkie talkie or just a wrist thing that serves a purpose I don't yet understand. You then have up to TWO GLORIOUS HOURS to yourself, except for the time you are rushing to get your child to the store bathroom (because there's no bathroom attached to the child care).

The toys are really good. They have nice kitchen sets, cute looking baby dolls (no hair, so they don't look cracked-out and funky), amazing train tables, lots of craft and coloring stuff, and even tvs with video games. So far all the attendants have been very nice, and there's a supervisor who is usually there. She clearly has a background in early childhood education, and is really good at getting the kids comfortable and involved.

At the store I normally go to, they give you a punch card and after 9 times of dropping off your kids, you get a free fountain drink or coffee at the IN-STORE COFFEE SHOP. Yes, I said it: This store actually has a seating area with tables and sandwiches and chips and drinks... So really you could go there and just sit and have time to yourself.

Not sure if they have wifi.

So! Especially if you live in a major metropolitan area, you probably have such stores around and just never knew it! I'd check the websites of all grocery stores in your area and see if some have child care at locations just outside your normal path.

And that's today's parenting tip, courtesy of Diagnosis: Urine.