When I do solo grocery trips, I usually put C in the shopping cart and push it, with the babies in the double stroller, pulling behind me. But it's always such a pain to get everything to steer the right way, I don't enjoy it.
So, today I figured I'd try something different. I put B in the front carrier, and was going to put C and A in one of those carts with extra seats for kids..... except those carts were nowhere to be found! I even saw one right outside the store as we were driving up, but by the time I got everyone to the front of the store, it was gone. So I tried putting A in a regular cart seat, thinking I could let C ride in the basket. Wrong.... Every single f-ing shopping cart's safety strap was broken or ripped off. And A is waaaaay too wiggly at this point (and probably too small for the seat still, in hindsight).
And as I'm trying to figure this all out, C refuses to stand next to me or stand still, and I'm totally paranoid about him running off or getting snatched.... I finally gave up, said F-it. And we all went home. Yes, I could have pulled out the double stroller, but by that point I was too pissed off, and all the kids were getting pretty cranky.
UGh.... does this ever get easier? And don't tell me it will when they are all walking, cuz I know I'll just be chasing kids in 3 different directions..... sigh.
Vent over, thanks for reading if you made it this far ![]()
Re: Shopping cart epic fail..... vent
Thanks for letting me rant
I guess I'm sticking to the double stroller, double push/pull maneuver for now. It's not so bad if we go in the mornings when the store is pretty quiet, but I hate trying to dodge people without hitting them, hahaha.
It really makes me appreciate weekend shopping trips when we can all go and DH pushes one while I push the other, so much easier!!!
Now off to the grocery store, now that the kiddos are in bed, to buy all the things I meant to get earlier
That is frustrating! I was so close to getting a double cart at Target today and a lady with 1 toddler and baby (that she was wearing) snapped it up right in front of me.
I used the same method as you (stroller and cart) up until recently. Now, I put both babies in the seat in the cart. Each has one leg out the front slot and one between the seat and the cart. I'm pretty sure I saw that idea here. I take my own strap to thread through the cart and around them because the one on the cart is way too short. My older child sits in the back of the cart or I attempt to have him walk beside and hang onto a strap. It's felt easier now that I'm not trying to steer two things.
I hope the next trip goes more smoothly!
I would be sooooo tempted to get some velcro straps and just tie the stroller handle to the cart handle and then pull the whole mess behind me from the front of the cart...
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it seems lately that everytime i go to WM or target, whomever collects the buggies decides that the double/triple seaters should be buried behind all of the other carts making it impossible to get to one.
I have a double umbrella stroller that I thread one of those store hand baskets over the stroller handles and keep the girls in the stroller and just make it a light trip, or grab a second arm basket and hold it in my hand (or let my 4 yr old hold it if she's with me and she walks) if there are a few more items that I must have that won't fit in one small basket.
I've also coordinated grocery runs with another friend before and that way I can put one in each cart. It's not always an option. Also, I'm hoping to recruit a reliable sitter that I can trust to watch them for 2 hrs, but I haven't found one yet that isn't in college or already has a job.
That bites. It gets way easier when they are bigger. At least it did for me. I go to the store where I know they will almost always have car carts that seat 4 kids. I almost always take my kids with me when I grocery shop and it is usually no biggie. If I'm going somewhere (like Target) where I know they won't have the bigger carts, I bring our choo choo wagon. The kids love being in it, I have found that pulling the wagon and pushing a cart is a hell of a lot easier than trying to push a stroller and pull a cart.
FWIW, I have never ever had my toddlers running in different directions in a public place. A little prep goes a long way!
This is so true. I always, always park as close to a cart corral as possible and load everyone in the cart before going into the store. I'd love to try a double cart someday, but it'll have to wait until it's in the corral and no one else gets to it first
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And whoever, mentioned the old ladies ogling, so true! I have met some really sweet ones though.
I'm sorry you had such a rough trip! Some grocery stores actually have carts that will hold 3 - you might want to do a little research and find one of those! The Target double carts will seat three, for example, because one child can ride in the regular cart seat.
No joke, when I was at the grocery store on Tuesday I saw a guy using a double cart with NO CHILDREN. I wanted to punch him.