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 get around this when I had DC that age, I used to put the 2 year old in the trolly seat and wear the 1 year old in a mei tai carrier on my back. I do wish that all trollies had two seats rather than one though, I can't see a reason why they shouldn't, then everyone with toddlers can use them, not just those with one child.

People are ridiculous saying it makes the trolley dirty. They're kept outside so they're already dirty and it's not like you eat food directly from them.

I don't care if people do this.

it's fine, trolleys aren't exactly clean anyway.

Honestly not sure why anyone is getting so riled by this, seen kids sitting/ standing in trolleys for years and never thought anything of it.
The trolly itself is just a gross, touched by anyone and everyone.
As for safety if sitting down then see no issues.

It's totally fine.

Everything you buy at the supermarket is covered in a metric fucktonne of plastic so it's not like any food item is actually coming into direct contact with the trolley, which as everyone has already said will be washed far, far less often than any child sitting in it anyway.

It’s risky unless you e eyes in the back of your head.
Can you use a hip seat or carrier for the littlie?

It's minging. All the supermarkets around us have 2 seat trolleys but honestly your 2.5yr old can walk.

I've never noticed a sign saying not to do it.

There's flocks of pigeons all over the trollies at my local supermarket. Hygiene never crossed my mind.

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

Ability to choose from what is there not receive only half what you ordered with substititions that dont work for you

Ability to select the freshest stock to ensure you can meal plan to last the week (essential when working full time)

Don't think it's every shop but most have pictures on the handle of the trolley showing your child should only be in the seat with crosses through children sitting in the trolley.

I don't think you should do it from a safety point of view. They aren't balanced properly for a child standing/climbing (and you just can't trust them not to surprise you by trying to reach for something or climb out!)

It's a bit weird to get het up about "hygiene" given the pigeon/rat/squirrel scenarios

Loads of people are stupidly germphobic and don't realise how short a time germs live on surfaces, or that most germs spread via direct contact between people (eg through coughs & sneezes and breathing in aerosol droplets, or through physical touch - hugging, kissing, sharing food or drinking implements).

No one is getting ill because a grubby toddler sat in a grubby trolley, unless one toddler licked the trolley and a different toddler licked it the same day.

Oh and don't forget.... viruses live even less time on skin. Most last barely 20 minutes on skin due to the PH and porosity of skin.

You seem quite defensive and smug OP. The laughing face when people think its gross or my child is safer - even though it's been risk assessed by the supermarket as a danger etc. You asked for opinions and you don't like anything that isn't the same as yours.

You aren't the first parent of a baby and toddler and everyone seems to manage. You can either do the bulk of your shop online and it's a lot quicker picking up bits or just manage like everyone before online shopping and just teach your kid, not to touch stuff unless they are helping by fetching something.

I work at a supermarket and the bloke who changes the sanitary bins uses a trolly to take the bags out.
Let your kids stand in the trolly the whole place is disgusting anyway.

I do this all the time. I never thought it was a bad thing to do until I read mumsnet! I've never had funny looks or comments. And to PP - food delivery is more expensive than budget supermarkets so it's not an option for us and many others.

I can't say I am overly fussed about this - i would imagine that the inside of a trolley is not particularly clean anyway.

I don't have the MN fear of muck and germs though in general.

YABU But not because of cleanliness, shopping trollies are minging anyway. I used to work in a supermarket and it's just not safe. I seen the damage a child's head takes when coming into contact with the rock hard supermarket floor.

I often wonder whether the germ-phobes know how weird their germ-phobia is?! I know someone who washes their supermarket shop. I struggled to lift my jaw when she told me that.

Parent of multiples here - double-seated trolleys are a thing. Never had mine sit or stand inside a trolley: I don't want their bums, fingers, dribble, and grime all over the shopping, it's not even about the trolley not being clean beforehand. No one enjoys a croissant that a toddler has sat or stamped on, and even more so if you've not yet paid for it.

Sometimes, if there was no double-seated trolley available we had to wait for one or we'd even go home and try again another time. Shocking, I know.

Personally wouldn’t mind- most things have packaging on them that have been all over the place anyway! Anything you would eat would be in a bag. I didn’t ever do it just because of age differences but totally would have, you’ve enough on your plate!!

"my 2 year old in the trolley is probably much less likely to get injured than my fidgety baby with no seat belt around him"

When my kids were tiny we had reins for them that could be used in high chairs. I would connect those to the trolleys or tie the reins to the seat which was much safer than those useless and often non-existent seat belts. I did once spend maybe two seconds longer than I should have choosing a product and turn back to the trolley to find my child, who had been wearing a seatbelt, standing on the seat and about to fall off, so from that time I used my own restraints. Our reins were from Mothercare though back in the middle ages, so I don't know if you can still get anything similar, the backpack type of reins wouldn't work.

People do it in our local Asda all the time. Doesn't bother me, not my problem. I probably wouldn't put mine in as I'd be more concerned about the trolley being dirty rather than him dirtying the trolley!!
Our supermarkets have double seats at the front so can put both kids in trolley If we need to

Yes. I remember most of my contemporaries using the harness at all times because the reins could be detached if not needed but the harness could be clipped to the trolley seat or the pushchair rings/pram seat. DS 2 could undo the standard buggy straps in a matter of seconds, so the Mothercare harness was essential.

You could try online shopping for the main weekly shop and just pop in to an actual supermarket for a couple of items. So you still get the children to learn about food shopping but for a much shorter trip and the 2 year old can walk around for a short while.