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?

To be completely honest, I’ve never noticed a sign that says don’t do this.
where would you even look for something like that?! Where does it say it?!

I need to pay attention next time I’m in the shop 😂

From a hygiene perspective, I couldn't get worked up about it, for all the reasons PPs have mentioned. But it's not safe for the child. Many moons ago, I worked evenings (and some extra day shifts) in a very large Tesco store, and it was horrifying seeing children handing out of trolleys and being bashed into shelves etc.

I'm surprised you would need a sign though.
It is pretty apparent it is a dangerous thing to do.

There's no sign saying I shouldn't allow my dh to be in the trolley either, but guess what - I don't do that either.

Nah I just think it's gross that people put shoes where food goes, it's a pet peeve of mine. And entitled people who play dumb will always piss me off.

Laughing that people think trollies are clean. I’d be more worried about my kids catching something.

From a hygiene perspective wouldn’t bother me but before I go into my house I strip naked and burn my “outside” clothes and shoes in the front garden and do the same for the kids before taking my groceries inside and rinsing them in bleach. No poop or peepee germs in my house, but can see why it would bother people who don’t do this tbf

You can get everything online that you can get in a supermarket. Of course you can leave the house but children can tip the trolley if they are in it. It must be really difficult to shop with 2 young children. I can’t think why anyone would want to do it.

That's very 2020.

We did it. Not one supermarket near us said anything against it. I think the staff would prefer toddlers to be contained in whatever fashion is possible over rampaging chaos!

And we couldn't shop online because we have never, ever had a shop arrive without major unsuitable substitutions, rarely on time, and we've had periods of relying very heavily on clearance items.

If you want or need to shop and haven’t made it possible by taking kids shopping from day one, you end up really stuck.

Sat in the trolley yes, with hands tucked well inside, but absolutely not to them standing. Toddlers standing risks tumbles, leaning out, and also fingers being bashed as they're usually holding onto the edge.

2.5 is quite young though. My supermarkets all had a few trolleys with double child seats which were well worth seeking out.

Those of you saying that the trollies aren’t clean anyway, they are cleaned regularly by staff (Where I work) and a few times a year an external company comes out and deep cleans/sanitises them. So they’re actually cleaner than you think.

😂😂😂😂😂😂

why not ask your local supermarket for some double seat trolleys? If you do it on media such as Twitter or their FB page they can be suprisingly helpful!

It wouldnt bother me in the least but agree with others, online shopping is the way forward, giving you more time for fun stuff like playgrounds

After seeing a kid crushed toppling a trolley YABU

I cannot be bothered about it. I had to put my very strong willed 2 year old in the trolley once or twice as it was impossible to get shopping done and if that gets me to finish and leave quick then that's what I do.

No I have never put my child in the main part of the trolley mainly because it's not safe. Not from hygiene as the food is wrapped up anyway.
You can't guarantee a 2.5 year old will stay sitting and if you turn round to pick something up and she stands up your trolley could tip.
Do the big shop at the supermarket with two seats or do it online. By the way doing shopping online doesn't mean you never leave the house. I do online shopping but still manage to take DS out every day (and did when I had two DDs under 2).

What can’t you get from an online shop that you can from a supermarket?

This. It’s totally disgusting. How can you not see that?

I used to have one in sling or backpack if there was only one seat in the trolley and both DC needed corralling. I don't think it looks very safe with a tiny child in the trolley .

I think plenty of people do put loose unwrapped groceries in a trolley, especially with the reduction in plastic packaging.

I get that the trolley might be dirty from other stuff, like you say, as they are stored outside - but I don't really think that's a justification to make them more dirty with a child's shoes on them?

Also, just to say that I have been in a supermarket when someone's child stood and fell from the grocery part of the trolley. The supermarket floors are very, very hard and it was horrible.

Anyway, I can understand your problem and why you do it, so I wouldn't particularly judge you for it. I use the shallow trolleys instead to avoid the big dirty ones.

Can you get delivery?

No issue with this. Trolleys are filthy anyway, they’re kept outside for heaven’s sake so I hate to break it to everyone but your food packets are full of germs!

Online shopping may save your sanity though, I have to say. Shopping with two toddlers isn’t easy.

Another who can't get upset about this. Maybe because I've seen what crawls on pallets of food in the warehouse and shop workers picking their nose/coughing into their hands/wiping their mouths etc. as they put the food on the shelves 😬

See it all the time in my local Tesco. Rather that than toddlers being free to run around touching food packets with their germy coughy sneezy bum scratchy hands. Just take a blanket for the kid to sit or stand on.

The trolleys themselves, aa well as food tins, bottles and other packaging will be dirtier than the child.

Hth