Taking kids out on my own

[lockdownbabyx]

Sounds silly but I really want to go out and get some Xmas bits, decorations and few presents etc. But I have a 2 year old and 10 month old and I just dread doing any kind of shopping and taking them both with me! Just makes me feel anxious. Anyone else?

Only want to go to b&m 🤣
Anyone know if that have 2 seats in their shopping trolleys? Might make it easier

This is aibu so no doubt you'll get lots of posters calling you names, but i get it. Those are such unpredictable ages. Mine are 2 & 4 and I still avoid shopping with them as much as I can.

Put the 2 year standing in the trolley (often frowned upon but sometimes needs must), baby in the trolley seat and zoom round. Easy.

If you have the option, I'd leave them with someone whilst you go, but for their sake, shopping is so boring for kids. But surely you go out with both of them on a daily basis anyway? How do you function otherwise?

It’s frowned upon because it’s really dangerous - ever watched a toddler topple a trolley over and whack their head on the floor? Put the kid on reins, use a sling, shop online… there are no “needs must” circumstances where you put a two year old standing up in a supermarket trolley.

put the baby in a sling and the 2 year old on the trolley seat. Go at a time when they’re both well fed and not needing a nap.

Please don’t do that. It only takes a second for them to fall out.

do you have a sling for the baby or reigns/backpack for the older child? May make it easier?

I never have and while it’s clearly something that can happen that doesn’t make it likely to happen. How many times have you seen it relative to how many times you’ve seen a child standing in a trolley? I think it’s more likely frowned upon as many would prefer a toddlers shoes with whatever they have trodden on are not inside the trolley they will put their food in than because of concerns for the toddlers safety.

Have you got a sling? I put my 2 year old in the trolly seat or pram and have my 6 month old in a carrier on my back. Or I have them both in the pram! Go with low expectations and take snacks it will be fine

How do you function in life if you don’t go out with your own kids ?!
anyway standing a kid in a trolley is gross - that’s where food goes .

Put baby in a buggy - mine wouldn’t have fitted in a sling at 10ths - and 2 yr old on reins . You don’t need a trolley .

I was thinking this, these days people can't seem to cope with the simplest of problems, it's very worrying.

Do you never go out ordinarily?

Toddlers' shoes are hardly the worst thing to touch the inside of a shopping trolley. Rainwater, bird poo, the bottoms of reusable shopping bags, sacks of cat litter, the outsides of various boxes and packages that may or may not have had mouse urine/droppings on from whatever warehouse they've been stored in... Just don't put fresh, ready-to-eat stuff directly in the trolley and then eat it without washing it!

Having had a two year age gap, I absolutely totally get it! I kind of forget how anxious things like this used to make me! At lot of the time, I used to purposely wait for my eldest to go to nursery (he had funded hours from 2).

Can the 2 year old be trusted to walk if you put the baby in the trolley?

Practice makes perfect. But I wouldn't do it today since its "Black Friday" which seems to have caught on in the UK despite no Thanksgiving

There is a huge difference between taking a toddler and a baby to somewhere that is designed for them like a park to a shop. They can run wild at the park but are generally tutted at for doing the same in the shop

@Xmaspenguin

There is a huge difference between taking a toddler and a baby to somewhere that is designed for them like a park to a shop. They can run wild at the park but are generally tutted at for doing the same in the shop

Thanks for the explanation of the obvious

Jesus people are being so nasty.

Do you have a partner OP? Could you wait until they're home and do the shopping then?

Nice little judgy post to really help the op

Totally understand your anxiety! I had two under 18 months and it used to make me so anxious going to places with them that weren’t designed for small children. Especially shopping!

I used to put baby in the sling and toddler in the buggy with lots of snacks. But if your toddler will wear reins (mine wouldn’t) then go with that and baby in the trolley seat? Toddlers like being helpful fetching things off the shelves for the trolley, you can make it into a game.

It shouldn't matter whether people tut or not, I remember people moving aisles to get away from my daughter screaming but I cracked on.

Yes I understand OP. I have a 14 month old who has NEVER been one of those babies who's happy to sit in her pushchair and have a look around. She's ok for a while if she's constantly on the move, but if you stop (eg...to shop!!) she just starts moaning.

It's really hard and does make me want to avoid shopping with her.

Sling for the little one, 2yo in the trolley? Take some snacks for the 2yo to munch on his way round the shop? I've also started writing a 'shopping list' with pictures for ds before we go so he can help me pick things out. So you could chat to 2yo before you go, draw some pictures of Christmas decorations, baubles etc and tell them they have the important job of helping you with the list as he sits in the trolley. Setting out an expectation for them before heading out seems to help a little bit too I think.

Good luck, hope you get some lovely festive bits

But the food is packaged 😕

I have the same age gap so completely understand, although mine are a bit younger.
I only go shopping early in the morning and time the shopping bit to 30 min max indoor. I go early in the morning as soon as the shops open (and right after breakfast), we walk there and for the way back I've got snacks for the eldest.
It might be easier walking in the end because they're strapped in the double pushchair most of the way, I don't have to do transition from car to pushchair etc. I will only let the eldest out if he's in a good mood for the last 10-15 min before we get home.

What do you normally do, though, when you’re out and about with them? Surely you go shopping or to the post office, or whatever, normally. Do you have a double buggy? Or a sling and a single buggy?