Avoidance or Acceptance?

I've been reflecting on my parenting this weekend, rather than on teaching, which is still chugging along nicely. The occasion for this reflection was a trip to the supermarket with both children, and husband, in tow.
Saturday morning is never the best time for this undertaking, but with my work hours all over the place at the moment, I'm just not managing to fit it in during the week. I have been doing top-up shops here in the village, but we were seriously low on fundamentals (think loo-paper, washing powder, and cornflakes - things which just cost so much less at the big supermarket).
Things were tense from the moment we left home - well, actually from about 2kms from home, when hubby suddenly realized he'd left both his wallet and driver's licence at home. Oh dear! With Wee Man already starting his usual chorus of "When are we get there, Mummy?" and "How long does it take?", we decided that me driving was the better option. This lead to the Big Man chorus of "Change gear now" "Watch that pothole" and "You could have overtaken him there". T.E.N.S.E.
Our children no longer fit in the seats of the supermarket trolley, but they do love riding in it - only problem is that now they are so big, they have to get out again as soon as we start putting any consumables in...
And thus it begins..."Mummy, look at this." "Mummy, can we buy that?" "Mummy, do you need this?" "Mummy, X from school always eats this." WE KNOW THIS IS GOING TO HAPPEN. So why, then, does it always make us tense, and slightly crazed-looking around the eyes?
There are some things in parenting which are simply inevitable. THIS IS ONE OF THEM.
Which is why I've decided to break my parenting down into two possible reactions to any given situation, and plan accordingly.
I can either AVOID the situation all together, which means shopping during the week, while the cherubs are at school.
Or ACCEPT that they find the supermarket amazing, and are filled with wonder when there. I can thus prepare by making a list of things for them to find. (This time, Emily loved picking the best apricots and bagging them. Weighing them turned into an instant maths lesson. Liam was less than impressed that we'd only left the carrots for him to bag.) I can make sure they're well-fed and watered before going in. I can explain clearly the behaviour I expect from them (staying close by, keeping hands away from things which are not on our list..). And to end well, I can choose the check-out lane which does not have all the chocolate and lollies displayed to tempt little fingers and frazzled parents.
Avoid or Accept - my new way to deal with parenting.