grocery shopping

Hi! My boys are not quite 2 yet but thought this group might have a little more experience.

I want to take the boys grocery shopping alone but I am not sure how to handle the challenge physically...I have taken the stroller and carried a basket...but I need to use a cart...I have arthritis so I can't really push and pull 2 carts and we don' have any stores here with the 2 seat carts.

Is there any other ways to do this?? Thanks!

Rebecca

 

Around 2 I started letting one ride in the cart and the other in the seat. Then I put groceries in the cart with her and also under the cart. Its not ideal, but it will work. Thankfully I can do most of our grocery shopping at BJs wholesale which has double carts, but some things I can only get at the regular grocery store (which only owns one double car cart that is falling apart).

 

I also let one sit in the front & one sit in the back. I would let the one in the cart sit on my pile of reusable bags that I take, so that it was a little less uncomfortable for them. I often would put one of the handheld baskets under the cart to hold more groceries (if it will fit, it works in some stores but not others).

 

I have 3 little ones and I put one in the front and the twins sit in the back. I bring a blanket for them to sit on, because it is uncomfortable. Good luck!

 

I have been taking my girl's grocery shopping since day one, they are almost two now. Like the pp's I will let one sit in the seat and the other in the cart. Or I will take the double stroller in with the girls. I also can't push a stroller with a cart so I bring about 5-6 of my own "green bags" and put them on the handles of the strollers. I put most of my groceries in these bags and the heavier items in the bottom of the stroller. I have been to several stores and none have ever had a problem with me doing this. This seems to work the best for me as when I have one ride in the cart they are constantly standing up. It would only takes a second for me to grab something off the shelf while one of them goes head first over the cart. Fortunately that has never happened, knock on wood Hope you find something that works for you! Good luck!

 

I put one in the back and one in the seat. Now they're a little older, one wants to help push while the other one (he's totally lazy I swear!) wants to sit in the seat.

 

Great idea!

 

We utilize the cart for the children too. But, to just to forewarn you, we did have a fall with one of the boys around 2. And of course, it was a fall directly on his head. UGH The sound was just horrendous!!!
We still use the cart, but I'm extremely cautious with never letting them out of my vision. No more turning my back to grab something off a shelf. (If anyone remembers my middle son had a traumatic head injury at 14 months old, so we take falls seriously.)

 

I push the stroller (it's not too heavy and easy to move) and pull a cart behind me. I don't trust my kids one bit if they are not strapped in. I did it once with DD out and DS in the seat, but now DS wants to get out then too and it's a disaster.

 

Well, I just did this for the 1st time yesterday. Our stores have the fire truck carts, where they can sit up front and play with the steering wheels. Not sure how I'd do it otherwise.

 

My nephew flipped a target shopping cart when he was 2 too (no other kid to weight it down in the seat). Thankfully he wasn't seriously hurt, but I think about my SIL telling me that story every time I have Meara in the cart. She is very good about sitting down which is why she gets to sit there. I can't trust Ana (she just doesn't think thru her crazy, wild plans), so she sits in the seat.

 

I will either push the stroller and pull the shopping cart or shop at a store that has the cars that are attached to the cart they can sit in. I bring lots of special snacks and drinks to keep them quiet.

 

When my older kids were young I had two that weren't of 'walking the aisles' age and I would put the smaller one in a carrier on my back (My backpack carrier goes to 40lb - so he was 2.5 before he outgrew it) and one in the front of the cart. I do this now with the twins also and it works great.

 

Our stores have the double ones. Have you thought about maybe mentioning it to the store to do so? It can't hurt. I remember dh mentioned it to someone once at the grocery store about their lack of double seats, and shortly thereafter, some appeared.

But when I've gone to Target, or other stores without the double seat, I've put one in the seat and one in the carriage part-and tell them they are NOT to stand up AT ALL. I'm very firm and they don't move! Good luck! You'll find a way!

 

i just went yesterday with the girls, and i pulled some chest muscles to where i can't lift much or bend much. i explained to them that mommy has a booboo and won't carry anyone, so they have to sit like big girls in the cart, blah blah blah... they both sat in the cart part, andi just piled groceries on top of them, which they thought was funny i also bring snacks for the girls to keep them occupied, and i try to get thru the store as quickly as possible before the snacks run out!
if i had to do a MAJOR shopping trip, i'd either wait for dh tocome with, or one of us would go alone.

 

I've been taking mine shopping for the longest time. When they were younger I used the stroller and bought my own bags and filled them. But then around 18 months I put them in the cart. The place I take them has a double seat. Then if they get cranky I open whatever snacks I'm near.

 

i'm visiting this site from the 1-2yr old one and thought i'd comment. my daughters are 19mos and i've been taking them shopping with me for a very long time now. i used to have my FIL come over to babysit while i went but they are older now and like going so i put up with the hassle. i am lucky enough to have a 10yr old so if i can i make her go with so she can either push the stroller and i take the cart or we'll each have a cart with one in the seat. i've gone a couple of times by myself now but only to stores that have a double seat of some sort in the front of the cart. of course the last time i went, i nearly had one fall out. she wiggled herself out of one of the chest harness straps and bent over to take off her shoe, when the leg strap popped off. she was dangling there for a second until i could get her...very scary! so just be careful with whatever method you choose since the 5pt harness isn't even fail proof!!

 

I don't know what we would do without Publix or Kroger that both have double carts! When I am somewhere that doesn't have the double front I do the same as others - one in the front, one in the cart part but really I usually save grocery shopping for the weekend and my kids think it is a fun outing when dh and I both go and use two carts!!!

 

For a long time I used two carts if I was getting a lot of groceries (which usually is the case since I only go twice a month). One to sit the girls in and one to put the food in. I would go early in the morning when there wasn't hardly anyone so that I could easily push and pull both carts through the aisles without having to worry about crowds of people. I've always taken my girls with me. Once I was comfortable with them walking with me, I dropped the two carts and they follow me down the aisles. If I'm getting a few things, one sits in the seat and the other in the cart. As a matter of fact, I'm making out my grocery list right now. In the early years I never went without a list so I could get in and get out as quickly as possible. They are so used to going to the grocery with me now that it's just routine and they are great. I usually let them pack a toy with them and they will usually just play with their toy while they follow me around.

 

I had to grocery shop with the girls from the time they were born so I learned a couple tricks. It requires a heavy stroller with a large basket though. I had the Graco Duoglider which has a large basket underneath and some of those clips to hang bags from the stroller handle. I hung the grocery basket and my purse/bag from the handles. I put the breads and lighter items in the grocery basket and put the rest under the stroller...I could get about 5 days worth of groceries that way and amazingly the duoglider basket never gave out. Being a very heavy stroller it balanced the grocery basket fine with no tipping issues. I wish they had those reusable bags because it would have been easier to load those, put it in the underneath basket and pull out to put on the belt to scan.

I did this until they were 3...it was easier for me than pushing those heavy and hard to maneuver carts with the attachments. I did try to request a few carts like Costco at Kroger and Publix but it never happened!