How do you ladies do it when you go shopping with two little ones. I have a three yr old and a 10 month old and i'm wondering what i can do when i go grocery shopping with them inregards to where to sit them down. I usually go to costco so i don't have a problem because the shopping cart is big and has two seats in the front but the typical grocery carts don't, they just have one seat. And i don't want to have my daughter walk because i'm afraid she'll run off. Do any of ladies have this problem and if so what do you do?

Mine are 3 years and 3 months apart so my oldest is a bit older. But he rides on the back or he walks. He knows he has to stay right by me at all times and we work on that. He's really good now. Sometimes I would put him in the cart so that he couldn't go anywhere, but got tired of the squished bread!

Hey Vanessa!

Ours are about the same in ages. I usually put Gracie in the shopping cart where the groceries go and I sit Jon in the front. If I have a lot of groceries to get - I bring help! :oops: Either my mom or my DH will put Gracie in a seperate cart. They do have those carts that have two seats in the front - Walmart has them. (I think you mentioned that.) I am not sure of another option.

If youj're still in snugli weight range...do that for the little one and if not...I bring my DH and we take two carts! One for kids and one for groceries!

I was going to post the same question Vanessa!

At the moment I am carrying my little one in a front pack and putting my 2 year old in the trolley. However, I was getting a sore back this morning when I did the shop - Jenna is getting pretty heavy already at 3 months (and I am only small). If I get my ds to walk in the supermarket it has been very stressful trying to keep him with me and trying to keep his little fingers off everything on the shelves. Also, there is not going to be enough room for him in the trolley with all the groceries. So, I had been wondering whether to leave the shopping until the weekends when dh can watch the kids for a while. That idea doesn't really appeal either because I would loose some of the precious family/relaxation time in the weekend.

I used to push the cart full of kids and pull the one with the groceries. :D

I used to push the cart full of kids and pull the one with the groceries. :D

yep, this is what i do when i have all three. sometimes if it is just the little ones, i sling one and the other sits.

You should have seen me at walmart one day though, I had 6 kids and two carts. both the carts were the ones with the kiddie seats attached. Now that was fun!! :lol:

I used to push the cart full of kids and pull the one with the groceries. :D

yep, this is what i do when i have all three. sometimes if it is just the little ones, i sling one and the other sits.

You should have seen me at walmart one day though, I had 6 kids and two carts. both the carts were the ones with the kiddie seats attached. Now that was fun!! :lol:

Oh wow! :shock: You girls are gifted. I could barely manage one cart. :lol: Don't know if i'll be able to push two! I could possibly give it a try sometime but i think i'll probably be sticking with putting Ethan in the front and Hannah sitting inside the cart along with the groceries.

I usually have been doing it on the weekends but i feel i'm taking away quality time with my dh and the kids. The weekends are the only time we get to spend with him so we are very limited on family time right now.

I remember doing the Snuggley thing and one in the cart or two in the cart and pulling one or my favorite, one running wild, chasing him and then tending to a crying one in the cart :lol: :lol: . Stephanie :D

I generally do the shopping cart safety faux pas and put the elder of the youngins in where the groceries go and the baby goes in the seat. At the age you're speaking of anyway. Earlier, the baby is in the sling and the other is in the seat. But once the baby is sitting up, is also about the time they don't like the sling as much, so, they go in the cart seat. This is our pattern until another baby comes along and we just keep shifting kids down the line hehe

Right now, with the 5, I have 3 ducks in a line, 3yr old in the cart, 1 yr old in the seat of the cart. A few months ago, I had 3 ducks in a line, 3 yr old in cart seat and baby on me.

Generally, 3 is my limit for the cart. Sometime during that third year they transition to walking with everyone else. They can start by being trained to hold onto my pants leg or the side of the cart. If they let go without my permission, they get a spanking. That simple. But I don't even remember those days LOL My boys do pretty well as 'ducks in a line' behind me. Sure, from time to time they stray and spread out, but, they're allowed so much lee way..at their ages. At age 3 and 4...right by my side. Age 5, they can go a bit ahead or to the other side of the aisle :)

It's only been recently, like, the last few months, that I have been shopping on my own. I used to take the kids, all the kids, with me every time I went shopping. But then we went down to one vehicle which meant a different shopping time/day for me and that allowed me to go on my own. Wow, that was weird the first few times LOL I was constantly checking over my shoulder, ready to count heads.

Anywho...um, got windy....but there's my "Shopping with more than one child 101" course for ya teehee

I backpack one ten month old, sling the other ten month old, put my two (almost three year old) in the cart-seat, and let the five year old either walk or ride on the front (where you push) of the cart while I am pushing. No big deal! :)

When it's just me and the three babies, I back pack on ten month old, put the other in the cart-seat, and let the two almost three year old ride in the big part of the cart or ride on the front (where you push) while I'm pushing. :) You work it out! Good luck!

Mine are 3 1/2 and 13 months, so I usually try to go somewhere that has two seats. If I go to Market Basket (that only has single riders) I have my son walk and he must keep one hand on the cart at all times. Sometimes, I leave the baby with my mom and my son and I have "special time."

I like what Tara said about the pant leg! That is perfect, I used to have to hold on to my dad's belt loop, same kind of thing.

When I take both kids (I am impressed with all you mom's with more than 2), I put the 8 month old in the seat. My 5 year old holds on to the bar you push while she stands on the bar underneath where you put bigger items (does that make sense?). She leans her body weight on me while I push the cart, and gets off and comes with me when I go to grab something. It works well, and she thinks it is fun.

I don't know how some of you do it. I kind of got thrown a curve ball when we got our first foster child at 7 weeks old and our youngest of 3 was just 6 months old! Then I used the infant carrier on top of the cart and our 6 month old in the seat. Now that our daughter is 16 months and our foster child is 10 months, I either have our 8 year old go with me or I do the push one cart and pull the other. Good Luck!! God always provides a way!

I used to push the cart full of kids and pull the one with the groceries. :D

When I had three 4 and under this is what I did. It is a challenge. But these days will pass! :lol:

Logosnimby, Tara, JRBL -- you girls deserve a standing ovation [claphigh] [claphigh] [claphigh] [claphigh] [claphigh]

Two is plenty for me. You girls are my heros...I could never handle that many!!

Hey V,
I don't know if anyone mentioned it yet..but usually all the grocery stores have the big Cadillac shopping carts..(lol) with the car attached to the front where older kids can sit, and then the younger can sit in the seat part of the shopping cart. It's like steering a boat and it's very hard to maneuver around the aisles..and everyone looks at you like your crazy when you bump into everything...or maybe that's just me?... :oops: I'd love to see you do the two shopping cart thing though! lol :lol:

It's like steering a boat and it's very hard to maneuver around the aisles..and everyone looks at you like your crazy when you bump into everything...or maybe that's just me?... :oops: I'd love to see you do the two shopping cart thing though! lol :lol:

Uh, it's not just you LOL Anytime I drive those bigger ones, I'm bumping into things. They need to reconfigure all the aisles in order to accomodate those beasty carts LOL It's easier for me to just leave those things alone :?

I know this is an old thread, but wanted to suggest maybe you can teach the older one to hold onto the side of the cart while you are shopping. I give my son two choices...either in the cart or hold onto it while we are shopping. He never wants to go in it, plus he's getting too big, so he usually picks holding onto it. It takes some consistancy, but he does well. That way he's still holding onto something and it seems to keep his hands busy and doesn't give him the urge to run off.

Aren't we moms resourceful :D
I actually miss the "sit in the cart days" as I now have three who walk with me. I'm blessed in that mine (like Tara said) are pretty much ducks in a row. I often have their various friends in tow though- and that is hit or miss. Last summer on the way to a BBQ I had five with me and was so distracted that I knocked over a huge pyramid of A-1 steak sauce bottles. It was a huge, embarassing, and very smelly mess! I felt so badly :oops:
Once our new baby arrives I'll be using the sling for sure. Once they outgrow that they have to ride in the cart. I admire JRBL- I've never really had the strength for the backpack. I leave that to DH!

Hey V,
I don't know if anyone mentioned it yet..but usually all the grocery stores have the big Cadillac shopping carts..(lol) with the car attached to the front where older kids can sit, and then the younger can sit in the seat part of the shopping cart. It's like steering a boat and it's very hard to maneuver around the aisles..and everyone looks at you like your crazy when you bump into everything...or maybe that's just me?... :oops: I'd love to see you do the two shopping cart thing though! lol :lol:

Hey V, have you tried any of the suggestions yet? :P :lol:

oh, I was going to say, some stores actually have the mini shopping cart for kids, too.

Again, I know it's an old post, but I think it'll be a recurring concern for newer mommies.

My solution is a little different than I've seen anyone suggest, but I've gotten a harness for my 2-1/2 yo. The first couple of times I took her out with it, we took very short trips, like grabbing a gallon of milk or something. It has taken her a little bit of getting used to, but she loves the freedom of getting to run around instead of being in a cart. And I love not having to worry about her climbing out of the cart and busting her head open or being kidnapped!

When I first got her the harness/leash, I was kind of worried about the looks I'd get. What surprises me is that the only comments I've gotten are positive ones. I was walking my older daughter into the library last week and pushing her sister in a stroller when an older lady stopped, looked directly at Audrey and said, "Your mommy must love you very much. She wants to make sure you're safe." Go figure!

That's sweet what that lady said! :)