How do you go shopping???

[someonenamedleah]

So, I'm contemplating a trip to target today. I'm thinking I'm going to bring the double snap n go stroller but carry one baby in a wrap, and use the empty bucket as my shopping basket. Any other thoughts? They're getting too big to wear both together in the wrap, but still too small to wear one on my back.

Thanks!!!!

[4Marmalade]

That sounds like a good idea. At that age I would usually wear one and keep the other in their carseat in the store cart (if it was suitable) or used the double or single stroller.

Have fun!

[cjcolorado]

Originally Posted by 4Marmalade

That sounds like a good idea. At that age I would usually wear one and keep the other in their carseat in the store cart (if it was suitable)

We did just that!

[dividedsky]

i shopped with both in the snap+go and used the basket underneath when they were really small, timed it so they'd be sleeping!

[honey-lilac]

Self-bribery. "If I make it through this trip I will treat myself to xyz." Probably not the answer you were looking for.

I would also wear one and put one in the carseat in the cart - of course squalling the whole way, but what can ya do, you have to do what you have to do sometimes.

[MamaChicken]

Fast forward a little bit and you might look like I did yesterday - pushing a shopping cart full of three toddlers (DD is almost 3, twins are almost 1.5) and pulling a cart full of groceries. Then 15 minutes into the trip, DD announces that she has to pee - BAD, so I head off to find the bathroom. Then I have to figure out how to get DD in without taking the boys out of the cart, since she isn't big enough to get on the potty by herself.

And that is how I ended up inside the grocery store bathroom, holding DD on the potty, with the stall door open and the entire shopping cart containing two screaming/laughing boys in the bathroom, blocking the door. Two women tried to come in, but saw the chaos and made their escape.

Lucky me!

[wondertwins]

How did it go? You are very courageous, or I'm just a coward, or maybe both! I never did go shopping with my twins without DH until DS was able to sit in the seat and I carried DD on my back. I was really paranoid that they would both get upset at the same time and I wouldn't be able to comfort them. Walks around town, sure, no problem, but the idea of shopping stressed me out, and I was afraid they'd feed off of my vibe.

I actually took shopping time (and we're talking grocery and the very limited number of stores in my town) as 'me' time when my twins were babies. The closest big stores are an hour away, and so we would have had to make a day of it. Now they will be 3 in June and highly protest the stroller while we go about town doing errands. I definitely feel a wave with twins, life is tricky, then we find our groove, then tricky again.......

[Intertwined]

Joanna! Add a trio of older kids and you have my weekly trips to the grocery store and Target!

Hang cloth bags from your double stroller and you can load those with the things you need that are small and tend to get "lost" in the stroller. That's handy for the grocery store, too. I always ALWAYS bring a carrier as back up because Ben is an absolute pill about going in the stroller these days (21 months).

[someonenamedleah]

Thanks for the suggestions Mamas!!! We made it to Target and it went well! I went with my plan of using the snap n go and wearing one baby. I also brought cloth bags to hold stuff. The babies slept most of the time, but I figured if they started crying we could always sit down, or if worse came to worse, abandon our stuff and go home. The store is only about a 5 minute drive from home.

Wondertwins, I am not so much courageous as desperate. DH has been working from like 9 am until 10 pm every day. He is planning on working all weekend. My dad has been picking DD up from school and taking her to her after school stuff. I HAVE NOT been out of the house at all (besides babies' peds appt) other than to take DD to skating lessons before school and to one competition...So I was losing it! Only in the last three days have we even been able to go for a walk around the neighborhood because the weather has been so bad. And Target is my "thing" so I'm SO glad I can actually go whenever I want and get my fix. It makes me feel so much better lol!

[Freeman]

I too feel the fear of shopping with twins! The odds are just so much greater that with 2 babies, one or both is bound to end up screaming! Things I try to remember: (1) I can just leave if things get bad; (2) I can duck into a dressing room, where I can sit down and feed them (granted, this technique is much easier with one baby, but still do-able with twins, esp. if one of them is not screaming...). I've actually thought about putting a boppy or a pillow into the bottom of the stroller for this reason alone, but then where would I put any of my purchases? Twins are such a juggling act!!!

[Kat's Mommy]

Originally Posted by 4Marmalade View Post
That sounds like a good idea. At that age I would usually wear one and keep the other in their carseat in the store cart (if it was suitable)

I am not that brave yet

I prefer to have the twins in the stroller, and at least one twin sleeping. I get too freaked out/nervous if they both start crying.

...now what happens when they are no longer in the bucket seat?? oh boy...more fun!

[royaloakmi]

Use two carts. (Push one, pull one behind you.)

While mine were still in "buckets" I could fit two of them in their carseats in one cart (at some stores), and pull another for the groceries. Or, I could put one bucket in each cart.

I used the two cart method till they were at least 3 yo. I found it pretty easy actually.

Re: nursing . . . if you pick a store with a pharmacy, there's usually a waiting area where you can sit and nurse. Also, I would usually nurse them in the car right before going into the store so they'd be relatively happy.

[Tigerchild]

I either used the triple stroller (which had a pretty nice sized basket underneath), Or I used a baby seat cart to put one baby in (and put my items in the basket part) and then put my toddler into the child seat part of another basket and a baby bucket with the other baby into the basket of that cart). I prefered the former at all possible, it was much safer than the latter. If you have just the twins, I would put them in the double stroller, and use a cart to haul groceries.

Or see if any of the local grocery stores have a delivery service.

I also said "yes" when employees asked if they could help me out of the store.

[babyproject]

I have been really worried about how I would be able to shop with newborn twins and a 2-year-old. I figured I would put one baby in a sling, one in the carseat in the basket of the cart and the toddler in the seat of the cart. But where would I put the groceries? I hadn't thought about pulling a second cart behind me. I guess I am already going to look like I escaped from the zoo, so I may as well pull a second cart around to add to the sight.

[hergrace]

The two shopping cart system is good.

With regular, single-seated shopping carts, I have gone through 3 systems depending on how old the kids were.

a) triple stroller ahead, shopping cart behind
b) One on back, one on front, one in cart.
c) One in each of two carts, one walking.

Where we are, one of the grocery chains uses shopping carts that seat two kids and I only shop there when I have all three toddlers so I just use 2 carts with 3 sitting kids or 1 cart with one kid walking.

It won't be long before my kids don't fit in those shopping cart seats, and then I don't know how I'm going to manage.

[Intertwined]

We have those carts at our Dillions Kate. It fits two in the car part and two in the top seats. I usually put the twins up with me and then the older four fight over who gets to drive. Yes, the eight year old included.

[4Marmalade]

Originally Posted by Intertwined

Yes, the eight year old included.

Oh man, my 7-1/2 year old is the worst

[cdahlgrd]

Originally Posted by 4Marmalade

Oh man, my 7-1/2 year old is the worst

WHat is is with the older kids being pills? Mine is HORRID!! I will take the younger 3 anywhere, but add ds1. . . NO WAY!

Some of these responses are too funny.

COSTCO - they have 2 seater carts!! I love them. I also wore 1 and put one in the cart for anywhere else, even when they were too big for bucket seats.

Many times they were both screaming as we left. But not as much as you might think. I would just smile and say, "Naptime was an hour ago." Most people were fine. Occasionally people would ask to help, sometimes they would offer to hold a baby. I only had 1 clerk who just insisted on weighing the apple my son had already eaten. . . and was now flopping and screaming on the floor . I just handed her another apple from the bag that she already weighed and waited for her to figure it out.

Kate: you let them walk beside you with the threat of NO COOKIE AT THE END, if they take off without you. You may leave a time or 2 without the cookies, but they figure it out fast :Lol.

[Intertwined]

I totally had it out with the aforementioned eight year old at the family doc's office the other day! I had to take all six to a necessary appt and I warned them all going in about the behavior expectations. EVERYONE (well, everyone except Ben who was the sick one) was awesomely behaved EXCEPT for my eight year old ds. I was like "it says something when your three year old sister is sitting quietly and behaving while you bounce around like you're on a sugar high". HUFF!

[celesterra]

Originally Posted by someonenamedleah

So, I'm contemplating a trip to target today. I'm thinking I'm going to bring the double snap n go stroller but carry one baby in a wrap, and use the empty bucket as my shopping basket. Any other thoughts? They're getting too big to wear both together in the wrap, but still too small to wear one on my back.

Thanks!!!!

that's exactly what i did, and found it worked really well. you can always ask a staff member to carry something if it's too big for you to fit under the bucket seat.