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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

People taking ridiculous risks with their dc in supermarket trolleys

211 replies

wherewasi · 21/04/2013 16:30

Just done the supermarket run, as always I find I have to avert my eyes and bite my tongue at the sight of so many tiny children standing up in the trolley while it's being pushed round the shop or hanging off the side.

I have seen so many accidents where the trolley gets shunted and the child falls over/off and hurts themselves - bangs their head, bites their tongue, scrapes themselves on the metal. Why do parents do this? Presumably they take the normal precautions in other areas - car seats, road safety awareness, advising dc to take care in the playground or running round the house?

Even saw a really tiny one today slumped in one of the shallow trolleys with his head lolling over the edge, just at the right level to bang it on a shelf.

AIBU or OTT to cringe about this?

OP posts:
Mehrida · 21/04/2013 22:50

This is all just reminding me how much I always wanted to go trolley surfing yesterday when I was wee and DH my mum wouldn't let me.

Thanks for that.

Schooldidi · 21/04/2013 22:54

I was injured once in a trolley. I was strapped into the proper seat and when the trolley fell over (because it was missing a wheel Shock) my arm was trapped underneath and I broke my wrist.

That hasn't stopped me letting dd2 ride standing up in the main part of the trolley, or hang onto the end. I make the decisions about what I consider to be safe for my child because I know my child and the way she is likely to behave. There are things other parents let their children do that i consider to be unsafe for mine, but that's their decision.

TheMNeffect · 21/04/2013 22:58

Youngest DD has fallen out if a trolley when she was 18 months old. She was sat in the seat bit, but there were no straps on this particular shop's trolleys. I was bent down looking at something on the lowest shelves and she landed next to me. Luckily she didn't hurt herself.

She is 2 now and can take the straps off and stand herself up on the seats. She is also the most horrendous bolter. Given even the slightest chance, she would run away and end up in the car park.

So I weigh up the situation and I let her sit in the basket part of the deep trolley as I feel it is the safest of all the options available to me.

I actually do my shopping online so I will only do this when we are nipping in for a few supplies and won't be there long.

I had no idea I was failing her so badly as a parent Hmm.

neunundneunzigluftballons · 21/04/2013 23:03

If this thread was about stairs, trees, walls whatever we could have a litany of trips, falls and all sorts of hazards. At the end of the day parents need to supervise their kids and even doing that with the best will in the world there will be accidents.

BurnThisDiscoDown · 21/04/2013 23:09

I've done this with DS (20 months) once - as soon as I put him in the seat he screamed and started to climb out, and I can't hold his hand and push a trolley at the same time, so I put him in the basket section. I couldn't see an alternative at the time, he only stayed there until I got to the baby aisle and bribed him into the seat with Organix biscuits. Blush I've never done it before, but he would have fallen trying to climb out of the seat.

YouDontWinFriendsWithSalad · 22/04/2013 02:35

God I must be a terrible mother - I let my kid stand in the trolley AND I take the buggy down the escalator to get to the tube.

reluctantmover · 22/04/2013 08:38

Of course it's a risk to put a child into a shopping trolley designed not for toddlers but for putting your purchases in. It's also a risk putting them in the seat, but at least it is designed for that purpose and the likelihood of an accident from the seat it much lower, so long as you keep an eye on your child. You really can't argue that there is no risk in letting them stand or sit inside the main part of the trolley, or hold on to the outside of the trolley. I've seen the odd child fall out. You'll indeed find details of deaths of children who've fallen from these trolleys, yes they are rare but it happens, they are all accidents which would have been avoided if parents had just not put them there. You'll also find details that shopping trolley accidents do make up a small percentage of A+E admissions for children, but you'll find far higher percentages of admissions are due to causes which could have been avoided, such as leaving a baby on a bed, a sofa, a changing table, open stairs, even dropped from arms. Why do parents take these risks? I really don't know.

ilovexmastime · 22/04/2013 08:55

I used to let mine sit in the trolley, never stand. I honestly can't see a problem withit.

fortyplus · 22/04/2013 09:02

YouDontWinFriendsWithSalad - you'll stop doing it the day your child reaches for something and falls out and lands on his head on a hard floor like mine did when he was 2

reluctantmover · 22/04/2013 09:14

Life is full of risks, you just can't avoid them.

I didn't like the idea of taking a child down an escalator in a buggy when they were small. If I was in a shopping centre with the option of lift or escalator, even if the lift was further, I'd take it. If I was taking the tube and the option was stairs and escalator, I'd take the escalator and hold on for dear life! But if I were in a supermarket and had the choice of seat where I could strap a child or where I could let them stand up, the choice was easy to make which was less risky.

I cannot fathom why anyone can't see why there is a problem with a child sitting or standing inside a shopping trolley, when there is a safer option.

Crunchymunchyhoneycakes · 22/04/2013 09:18

I saw someone with a baby of about a year old sat precariously on the tiny baby basket seat on the top of a trolley - not even strapped in! So about 5 feet off the ground on a slidy too small seat above a hard floor. I couldn't even look it made me properly shudder. Why would anyone do that? It was so obviously really dangerous. I have a really strong anxiety response to stuff like that though, I can't watch children hanging over balconies and things either it totally freaks me out, I actually have to run away to somewhere I can't see them anymore.

Crunchymunchyhoneycakes · 22/04/2013 09:20

Oh and I don't let my son ride in the main bit of the trolley - the older one is 5 and he walks round with us or if we go to one supermarket near us - gets a half hour in the soft play within the shop - there's a good idea! The wee one stays in his sling at the moment but may go in the trolley seat in future.

Crunchymunchyhoneycakes · 22/04/2013 09:20

It's like a softplay/crèche thing.

Fakebook · 22/04/2013 09:29

Life is one big risk. Stop being a party pooper.

UnChartered · 22/04/2013 09:34

i always thought trolley surfing was where you held it by the handle, ran as fast as your could then balanced on the handle to see how far it could run without you knocking loads of jars over touching the floor again

every day a school day Wink

mmck · 02/01/2017 19:51

there are so many accidents including serious ones. Also do you clean the trolley after your childs feet or bums (smelly, leaky nappies , are a personal issue of mine ) have been on the trolley, out of consideration for the next user... I know the trollies are not sterile by any means. as they sit outside in the rain and pigeon poo.

Ohhhhbother · 02/01/2017 20:36

I work in a supermarket and had to take glass off a toddler once. He was sitting in the main part of the trollie hitting two dried herb glass containers together and the smashed. The father was looking in the opposite direction on the phone. Quickly asked for the glass and luckily the toddler gave them to me, thankfully he understood ta. So I really don't like it when people don't put children in the appropriate seats.

CharleyDavidson · 02/01/2017 20:41

I left my DD sitting in a trolley at a local small supermarket on the pavement next to the carpark, right by my car. I took my hands off the trolley to unlock the boot and I failed to notice that the trolley wheel lock had come off and the trolley was rolling towards the edge. It tipped off and over and I have no idea to this day how DD1 managed to a) stay in and b) not break her legs or her face when the trolley fell.

I tripple checked the locks on the wheels from then on and didn't take my hands off the trolley handle if she was still in there. Lesson learned!

ElfontheShelfIsWATCHINGYOUTOO · 02/01/2017 20:45

I really don't understand why parents do it - why not just put them in the trolley seats as designed

This type of comment makes me feel almost violent.

Do you really think the person has not tried this Xmas Confused here have another Xmas Confused and one of these Xmas Angry

Mine would not be strapped into anything , not pushchair, not car seat, no high chair and YES we have tried and YES her sister did so its not us. Never ever ever would she sit in super market trolly seat Xmas Angry no accidents here either, and never seen any. Go and find something else to pick on op.

Andcake · 02/01/2017 20:49

4 yo stands in trolley as otherwise I would spend the whole time chasing ds around the shop and miss half the things off my list. He is mostly well behaved but big supermarkets he finds incredibly exciting.
I am I ver cautious about most things eg parents who don't cut grapes ( so an actual frequent cause of death for lo freak me out)

Tanith · 02/01/2017 20:53

Zombie thread is from 2013. Op has probably long gone!

addstudentdinners2 · 02/01/2017 20:53

Zooombie

Crumbs1 · 02/01/2017 20:56

Makes me remember coming home from school aged from 4 on a public bus with no doors but an open back exit with a pole to hold when you climbed on and off. There were about two dozen children aged 4 -11, no accompanying adult. You were accepted as one of the 'big kids' when you sat at the door legs dangling over the side. Some conductors stopped us but most didn't worry too much. None of us ever came to any harm but it was probably a bit higher risk than standing in a supermarket trolley.

brasty · 02/01/2017 20:58

Sitting in main part of trolley, I can't see an issue. But I have seen a child standing in the trolley and it tipping over. I would see it as unnecessary risk.

TheThingsWeAdmitOnMN · 02/01/2017 21:12

I wish to fuck they'd leave the ZOMBIE warning on the top of the fucking thread. Grrrrrrrrr

Nice to know my opinion hasn't changed in 4 years though 😬