What do you do with the grocery cart?
I went shopping yesterday and brought my kiddos with me. 2 year old twins and a 4 month old. I used a double seated cart and for safety reasons so I...
I went shopping yesterday and brought my kiddos with me. 2 year old twins and a 4 month old. I used a double seated cart and for safety reasons so I could be fast on my feet I kept my son in his car seat but put him down inside the basket (where the goods usually go… all I needed was sunglasses and life jackets for my toddlers). He was actually happier that way then he is when I wear him.
So here is my question. I parked as close to the entrance as I could without being far from the cart corral. I had to run to the front of the store to get the double cart and rather than try to dangerously herd my crew through a busy parking lot I left them in my van for less than a minute to get the cart while the van was in my sight.
I also had to leave them in the van at the end of the trip to put the cart away.
I heard of a woman getting arrested for leaving her baby in the car to buy some cub scout popcorn or something like that. She was a few yards away from the vehicle and it was locked and running with the AC on. She must have had keyless entry.
So my question is to people who say they would never leave their child unattended in the car- even for a moment- what do you do about the grocery cart? Do you just leave it next to your car in the parking lot and drive off? I can see if you have one kid and you can carry them through the parking lot while you return the cart but I have 3 little ones.
What do you think someone should do in my situation?
I could wear my baby and hold my toddlers hands…
But how do I push the cart?
They really need to invent extra arms or something. :-p
i wouldnt have done that but not because i thinkit is bad i am just paranoid an always afraid someone would take my vehicle….
my aunt is ALWAYS with me thank god, she stays in th car with kids and i go in store OR me and my husband go to store and take both…
I think you are a good mother, and I would leave them for that single moment. Nothing is likely to happen…You only have 2 arms, and you are not putting them in any danger…
lol, next thing you know people will be arrested for watering their garden outside while their baby sleeps inside! Keep doing what your doing, nothing is going to happen that split second while your returning the cart.
I go put the grocery cart back in the corral.
I dont just leave them in the hot car. I put the keys in the ignition. Turn the A/C on and walk the whopin 5-6 steps to put the cart back.
Leaving them in the car to put a cart back is not really the same as leaving them to fend for themselves for minutes at a time.
That is ridiculous she got arrested for that. I think she may have been standing there talking and it wasnt just a 5 second thing for her. Unless she just got an as$hole cop.
I’d strap on the 4 month old and make the twins hold my hand in the parking lot, if they don’t we leave again. It’s what I do with my 3 and 4 year old, they have to hold my hand and I like them to exit the car on the side I am on towards me, if I am carrying something they have to hold my hand their brother’s hand.
I have three as well, and I do what you do.
and I like amanda’s answer!
You didn’t do anything wrong. It was a few seconds. Honestly, yes crazy things happen, but a couple minutes? I can’t spend my life living in fear that a few seconds and the worst is going to happen. I would go crazy. My husband would come home from work and find me sitting in a corner doing the finger to mouth action (sounds like blublublu, so whatever that is called, lol)
I bring the kids with me as I put it back.
I park as close to the cart return too, even if I have to wait a bit for a spot. Then I get the cart and put the baby in first, then the toddler. When I’m returning it, I put the kids in the car first with the doors open (so it doesn’t get too hot). I also make sure I have the keys in my hand. This is where I get my exercise. Then I run the cart back to the return area, never taking my eyes of the kids. If someone is close by, I usually wait until they are gone, just in case.
I know what you mean, though. What do you do? You have your hands full. I usually shop at Walmart and they are always packed so there’s not usually a empty parking spot that I could leave the cart in.
What are we supposed to do in this situation? I have a friend who told me she doesn’t shop for anything without her hubs. If I waited around for that to happen we’d be out of food and diapers!
I try to find a spot next to the cart corral. Since the never seem to take the carts inside, I grab one out of the corral when I get there and put it back when I’m done.
BUT I only have 1 kid. If I had 3, I’d do the same as you.
I say people overreact, jumping out of the vehicle to buy popcorn or return a cart is totally acceptable in my book. While it’s not ideal sometimes it cannot be helped esp. if there is not another adult to help. I have ran in to pay for gas, drop a letter in a mailbox etc never being out of sight of my car and would be extremely mad if someone called me an unfit parent. I do not agree with leaving your child for an extended period of time that is just common sense. But 1-2 minutes (depending on the area) I am more small town area but still lock the door.
I always wonder things like this, because I have four kids, and sometimes you go to like McDonald’s and all of a sudden need to take one of them to the bathroom, am I suppose to drag all four kids to the bathroom? What if I all of a sudden had to throw up in a situation like that? Do I grab them all and still try to run to the bathroom? Ugh….
I do the exact same thing as you. I drive a dodge and with my car I can leave the key in the ignition and pull another key that opens the door out of it (lol that sounded confusing, huh?) I live in a small town and my car is locked with AC on and I can see it the entire time I’m putting up the basket that takes like a whole 1 min.
Anyway I actually did have an old ladyy call the police on me for it once. She really strated screaming at me in the parking lot!!! I was like "Are you serious?" She had just pulled up as I was walking back from putting up the basket so I guess she thought I went grocery shopping and left the kids in the car, maybe I dont’ know
But I waited untill the police got there and explained everything and the officer just laughed and told the old grumpy lady that everything was fine and to go inside!
I dont leave them, but the cart return things are every ten feet in the parking lots over here… so..i only walk away like ten feet. lol.
I do not think that is unattended.
nor do i think what you did was unattended.
Maybe it was unattended if it was at 4 am and theres a horrible riot going on =p
lol.
I know a women who leaves her 8 month old alone in her bed for 25 minutes while she goes and picks up her teenager from school, and takes her to soccer practice.
yes. alone, in the house. by herself. I dont know why. what if theres a fire?! a burglery?! an earthquake! yes i think the same thing. stupid.
I remember seeing that story on the news and Dr. Phil even had the parents on. The mom walked just past the front of the car to donate something to someone in front of a store and someone called the cops on her. While I think the person who called the cops is crazy, you never know when that crazy person is going to walk by your car when you’re returning a cart. It’s not worth it to go through all of that over a cart return. I would do my best to park my car next to the cart return, but if you can’t then I would just leave the cart there next to my car. I’d rather people give me a dirty look for leaving a cart out than risk being arrested because some crazy person has nothing better to do.
When I have one child with me, I will just hold his hand (or carry him depending on which child it is) and bring the cart back.
If I have all three children with me, I leave the cart right next to my car. There is a cart person always on duty outside, and a lot of times they will come take it from me when they see me getting everyone loaded back up into the car.
I think what you did was fine– as long as you don’t lock yourself out of the car and there’s NO chance the car will move (emergency brake). My husband usually does our grocery shopping, but when I have to go, if we’re out of formula or something, i use the stroller as a cart. I put my daughter’s carseat in it and use the cargo basket for groceries. I only use a cart if my husband and I are shopping together– that way one of us can get in the car with the baby and the other can put away the cart. If I HAD to use a cart by myself, I would do the same as you did, but I always park by a cart corral anyway, so it would be literally like 3 feet away.
I totally understand where you are coming from. I have two kids, one 11 and one 2. But usually when I go shopping I only have the 2 yr old with me. So what I do is the same as you I park as close to the cart corral as possible and run it back after I put him in the car. But there have been occasions, especially at walmart when I can’t park close enough to a cart corral to feel comfortable with returning the cart with my son in the car so I have to leave it in the lot. I absolutely hate doing that but my son’s safety comes first. I would not worry about it as long as you can see your car at all times and your kids are safely strapped in. You aren’t going shopping with them in the car, you are trying to make the parking lot safe for other drivers by returning your cart.
well try to get your husband or some one else with u next time or just tell some one near u to get u the cart and put away the cart since u have 3 kids!
can you seriously put your tit-s away
we dont want to see your parasite eating off you
Just leave the cart in front of ur car or give to some1 walking by to take back in. I wouldn’t leave kids even for a min. U can never be too sure these days. Good luck
Good question..
I have a 4 year old (just turned 4 on Sunday and a almost 3 year old and I am pregnant..so for me if the cart thingy is close by where I can see my vehicle than I hurry and put it away if it is far away than I take them both with me and just make them hold my hand…Now when the 3rd baby comes that will be a bit harder to do..lol I will either carry the baby in a carrying thingy on my chest or just park real close to the corral…You are not doing anything wrong though!!! alot of mommies do it!
Although I don’t think what you did is totally wrong I don’t do it. I only have one and I wear her. Could you wear the little one and hold the hands of your two year olds? A woman was arrested last Christmas time by me for having her child in it’s seat in the car (heat on and car locked, child asleep) while she walked less than 10 feet with her older child and child’s friend to put money in the salvation army box… ridiculous but it happens.
EDIT: You are only holding their hands until you get to the cart – then put them in the cart and continue to wear your newborn. When you leave unload the groceries in the car – walk to the cart corral (with toddlers still in cart) and then take them out and walk back to your car holding their hands. Never are you needing to walk with the toddlers and push the cart…
I would have left them just like you did. I took my 2month old and my 3yr old nephew with me to the store and just ran to grab a drink out of the soda machine and left them to in the car, the baby was sleeping and the 3yr old was buckled in her car seat. I was like 3feet away from the car and some lady walked by my car and was like what type of person would leave 2 kids in the car, but I really didn’t feel the need to get the baby out for a drink and I was parked by the side of the store. I think its fine as long as your kids aren’t screaming and moving around in the car, also if you can get to your car in a min just in case of an emergency, but you did what I would of done.
leaving your children in the car while you walk a few feet is fine.. People do it all the time…
yes some people would just leave the cart, and those are the inconsiderate people who push them away and they end up damaging other peoples cars.
My husband is a cop, he would never arrest anyone for that. Most cops wouldn’t… they see what real child abuse looks like so they are not gonna waste time arresting someone for walking 10 feet away from their kid! The lady who had the issue was arrested by a Mall security guard who obviously thought he had something to prove..
My twins are 13 months and can’t walk yet so I have to leave them in the car while I ge my shopping trolley but I always park close tot he door I even sit and wiat for a space to become available. I have no option to leave them in the car but they are always in sight nd never left for more than a min or so.