Standing in trolley

[Wordsareimportant]

after a debate with another parent this week, it got me thinking. AIBU to put my child ‘in’ the trolley?

I have a nearly 1 year old and a 2.5 year old. There is only one supermarket close to us that has trolleys with two seats.

If we have to go anywhere else I will put my youngest child in the seat and my 2 year old will walk. However, there are times when putting her in the trolley behind my other child is just 1000x easier than dragging her around the shop.

Discussion with another parent made me wonder if I really am ‘disgusting and spreading germs’ for letting her sit in there.

For context:

• on the odd occasion this happens, she always sits, doesn’t stand.
• I can’t ‘just go shopping without them’
• Yes, she can walk. but she’s 2.5 years old. She likes to touch everything, ‘explore’ the shop and just be an average 2 year old.

so, AIBU? Or am I just an average parent trying to food shop with toddlers?

Yes it's minging. All the shit, wee, spit and other crap your kids have walked through on the pavements will then be spread on to the floor of the trolley where other people will put their groceries when they next use the trolley.

No, children shouldn't be in there it is also not safe for them

Yeah it's a bit gross. Maybe online shop if you don't want her to walk about.

Yeah it’s disgusting. I work in a supermarket and we ask people to take their kids out if they’re standing in the trolley.

I can't get worked up about this. The trolley is probably dirtier than your kid is so I don't see the big deal from that side of it. I can understand it being dangerous when they are standing in it in case of tipping but if theyre sitting i don't see the big deal.

Totally fine.

I'm surprised people think the trolleys are clean or the food in the shop. It's well known you should wash cans before opening them because of mouse piss. Imagine what all those hands that have touched the trolley handle have been doing all day. A 2 year old can't be expected to walk round a supermarket, I wouldn't take a second glance at a kid in a trolley tbh.

Having had my children before computers and online shopping were available, I cannot fathom why you wouldn't do a regular online shop. I hated dragging my DC round the supermarket and I would never have put the older one in the main bit of the trolley for reasons of safety and hygiene. I would have loved online shopping and getting everything delivered to my door.

What about taking her shoes off and then sit her in the trolley🤷

It has been a long time since I took a toddler shopping, as my kids are older.
Don't the trolleys have wee seats in them anymore, just in front of the handle?

But the trolleys live outside of the shop where all manner of things can get to them? (Dogs, foxes in the night, general crap ‘floating’ around)

it’s not like people are putting loose, unwrapped groceries in the bottom of a trolley? 🙈

Yes, but when you have two children that need the one seat what do you do?

Always put grandchild in trolley…the food will have more germs than a clean child! Imagine how many people have handled the food that you buy 🤢

Can't get worked up over this. Those trolleys are left outside all night. Any kind of creatures could be running over them.

I guess the answer is go to the 1 nearby shop that has a double seated trolley for your big shop and the other ones for a quick couple of items or when your older child is in the mood to walk or do online for the big shop. I don't think children are safe in trolleys and they aren't designed for standing in.

It’s not only germs, it’s dangerous.

put the toddler on reins if you think she will run off.

So do I never leave the house? As much as online shopping is convenient, you can’t get everything you need online.

I absolutely wouldn't mind at all as I have no intention on licking a trolley.

@Wordsareimportant

No, you're not because of the 'hygiene'. People seem to think a trolley is clean & hygenic until a child gets in it. They'd hyperventilate if the saw what happens to them overnight. 🤣🤣🤣🤣

However, having seen children with head injuries after falling out of one, it does make me shudder.

if yours stays sitting and you don't get distracted. Then it's preferable to having them walk around the supermarket getting hit by trollies & baskets.

This feels very far down the list of day to day things to find energy to care about honestly. Trolleys are sitting outside round the clock anyway so not exactly sanitary, you put food in packaging in them, not unpackaged food that you then directly eat.

The handlebars of a trolley are going to be the most unhygienic thing I'd imagine. People's hands with faecal matter and god knows what else on touching them etc. But if you think about stuff like this you'll go mad so best to just not!

This is one of those weird MN things that no one in real life cares about, I always put dd in the trolley, never had any weird looks or comments and never been told to remove her and have done it in various shops over the years with now older children. I always put her coat down first or a blanket before she sits in there so she’s not even touching the trolley 🤷‍♀️ more because I assume sitting on bars is uncomfortable rather than germs on shopping 🙄

I wouldn’t mind sitting in a trolley being pushed round whilst I point and stuff and someone else pays. Babies and toddlers live the high life!

Not quite sure where on my post you got that she’d run off from.

Ignoring the rules that children are not allowed in trolleys, there's the safety issue

What if the child falls out and lands on it's head?

As long as the child is sitting in the trolley I think it's fine! I used to make a seat for my DD from the bumper packs of nappies 🤣