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?

I really don't like to see children standing or sitting on the floor of the trolley. Logically I'm not sure why. Just see it as a bit rude and thoughtless towards other users. It's one of those social markers I guess - crossing a boundary.

I always put mine in the trolley! Never thought about it and wouldn't think of it being a thing - but he always soars down on his coat/jumper/shopping bags just do what's easiest for you

Oh no toddler shoes will make the lovely supermarket trolley dirty that I put all my unpackaged food into!

My toddler regularly goes in the trolley. I wouldn't even think of it as a hygiene issue. She stands up a lot which I tell her off for but from a safety perspective more than anything else. I really do not understand why anyone would be upset to see someone else's child in a trolley. You are putting packaged goods in there and I'm fairly sure they are minging anyway.

First world problems.

I have two toddlers and do this from time to time. I don't like to, and I do try to shop without them/shop online as much as possible, but on the odd, desperate occasion I do need to pop to a supermarket when they're with me, I'm not sure what else I'm supposed to do.

I just wish our local supermarkets had trolleys with double seats to be honest. They seem to have loads with x2 newborn baby style seats, but none with x2 normal child seats. It makes no sense.

Going into supermarkets with small children is stressful enough without this to factor in!

Why not just get a supermarket shop online ?

Do you never just need to pop in for a few bits? I get a weekly online shop and always inevitably they substitute something/something is out of stock/not available on the website even though it was last week/they definitely have it in the store.

I'm almost 100% sure that anyone who has a baby and a toddler or two toddlers would much rather not go into a supermarket with them unless they really really had to. It's certainly not my idea of a good time!

I remember when I worked at Tesco, it was well known that you should avoid any in-store bakery produce in that shop, as we all knew who was responsible for making it & how that person was a stranger to hand washing, to say the least of it.

And just like that you've cured my post-nursery run M&S pastry habit.

Ive never put my children in the trolley, and wouldn't do it.

But to be honest I've never considered the bottom of a shopping trolley to be particularly clean anyway so I don't know how much worse it's really making it.

People get worked up over such ridiculous things

My littlest goes in the seat and my 4 year old sits in the trolley. He loves it.

Trolleys are not clean, whether or not there's a child in them.

Please please please don't put your child in the trolley itself. When they stand up and they do this just as your back is turned, they reach out of the trolley, over it goes head hit shelf, heads bleed lots....

A 2 year old can't be expected to walk round a supermarket

Oh yes they can. You teach them to do it. It might mean dragging them round screaming on reins until they get the hang of it, but they will learn to behave and do as they are bloody well told eventually.

At what age does it become unacceptable? At my local supermarket there are kids that look about 8 being pushed around in a trolley while they are on their phone . Surely they can walk next to their parents . As a kid I had to walk round numerous shops with my mum ( no supermarket) and help to carry the shopping home.

Nasty head injury waiting to happen.

@blacksax Jesus…😳They’re 2..they can go in a bloody trolley

Don't do it. I've seen two horrific accidents from children riding on/standing in trolleys. Both times resulting in permanent injuries. They aren't designed to have children standing in them. They aren't shaped or correctly weighted for that.

One accident happened with the parent literally holding onto it. Mum reached out to get something, child stood up and reached over, trolley rolled sideways, child overbalanced and tipped the trolley. As she fell, she hit the corner of the shelf which ripped through her cheek from the corner of her mouth to just below her eye.

Tried to sue the store, obviously got nowhere as her fault. Just use the seat and have the older child hold onto the trolley. If I can do it with 4, 2 of them under 5, you can handle one.

I hope you take your shoes off as soon as you get home!

I agree. I find it really upsetting seeing a child in the trolly, and not for hygiene reasons.

I really want to point out the obvious dangers but I keep my mouth shut as there have been so many well publicised incidents that the parents must be knowingly taking the risk.

Food is made/packed/shipped/stocked/touched by thousands of people before it is on the shelf in the supermarket. It's funny that people think that a child in a trolley will be the one to make it dirty. A child walking around will touch more products than in a trolley anyway.

You’re being ridiculous. A 2 year old not having a huge stamina for walking does not mean they are misbehaving.
And FS “drag them around screaming” that’s sure to go down well with all the people who already moan that children are in the shop with you!

For those moaning about shoes. You realise trolley live out side so have potential animals/rodents on them not to mention teens messing with them.

Also the supermarket I worked at (the green one ) had regular bird infestations in the ware house plus ants and the odd field mouse. You think they throw food out? 😂 And god knows what happens to it before it gets to the warehouse.

I have put my son th trolley before if needed. Although tbh I mostly online shop.

This. Trolleys are definitely not clean. Just don't stand up in trolley much as it can tip over. Couldn't get worked up about this!