Shopping Carts

[ChetMC]

How old were your kids when they stopped riding in the shopping cart?

[~Charlie's~Angel~]

I can remember my sister being around 7 when we JOKINGLY put her in the front of the shopping cart. My oldest is 3 and he still prefers to be upfront, while the little guy would rather be in the big part (more to get into from there )

I would say prolly about 4 or 5, no more upfront (size) But I will probably prefer them to be in the cart in some way intil they are 16. Can keep a closer eye on them that way........

[Alyantavid]

My 4 year old still wants to sometimes. But he doesn't fit real well. I haven't encouraged it since he was around 3ish. Just because it was a total pain to get him out.

[busymama77]

I chose 3 because at that point, I had become pregnant with #2 and couldn't lift him in to the cart any more! But really, he didn't need to be.

[Vermillion]

5... but at that point he only rode in the car carts. He stopped riding in the seat around 2ish.

[GardenStream]

Around 3 or 4 DS1 stopped wanting to sit in the cart every time. His little brother is 2 years younger and he was always in the front. I really think it was jealousy that made DS1 want to sit in the cart. Around 3.5 or 4 it wasn't so much an issue anymore. I could talk to him about being my big boy helper and he would buy it and walk nicely next to me. Now DS2 is 2.5 and he hates being in the cart. He wants to run around the store.

[Marissamom]

other, because she's 16 months and still does

[ChetMC]

Why I Asked

We shop at a store that requires all kids under age eight ride in a shopping cart. The have forklifts all over the place though. I think the idea is that they want all kids small enough to get missed easily to be up off the ground.

[Areia]

My daughter was around 2.5 when she wanted to start walking besides me so now she usually walks besides me, with one hand on the cart at all time. We do our big monthly food shopping in a store that huge, but always super packed and crazy on the weekend (to the point that sometimes you can't get an aisle). If I absolutely have to go on a Saturday or Sunday, then I ask her to sit in the cart, because I'm afraid she'll get trappled by a cart. Her favorite store though is Trader Joe's because she loves having her own little cart.

[pranava]

My 18 month old will not ride in the cart without throwing a holy fit!!! He will stand in front of me and help push the cart, although he often runs off in the opposite direction and I have to chase him down. I consider it my work out for the day

[mbhf]

Originally Posted by ChetMC

We shop at a store that requires all kids under age eight ride in a shopping cart. The have forklifts all over the place though. I think the idea is that they want all kids small enough to get missed easily to be up off the ground.

That is so weird! I don't know where I would put my purchases in that store, all of my kids are under 8.

My oldest is 7 and he still asks to ride in the cart (basket) pretty often. My 5yo wouldn't ride in the cart willingly. My almost 4yo rides in the seat most grocery trips, he's pretty small for his age though, I don't think many 4yos would fit comfortably.

[Drummer's Wife]

3-4? Probably closer to 4. Most of time my 3.5 yo still rides in the shopping cart. I just can't recall for sure with my older kids.

[mamadelbosque]

Other... DS2 is definetly still riding in them and ds1 still rides in them occasionally too - car carts and the other 'bigger carts as well...and sometimes in the main basket as well.

[Rani]

My daughter was in the upper seat part till about 1 or 2. Its been a while. But I never let her sit in the main part of the cart. I just don't feel its safe. and to be honest, I think having an older child in the cart is ridiculous, and at 6-8? thats silly. I wouldn't shop there.

[ChetMC]

Originally Posted by Rani

My daughter was in the upper seat part till about 1 or 2. Its been a while. But I never let her sit in the main part of the cart. I just don't feel its safe. and to be honest, I think having an older child in the cart is ridiculous, and at 6-8? thats silly. I wouldn't shop there.

The store is a super cramped warehouse with forklifts hauling pallets around. I do think the policy was brought in to address issues they were having with kids and safety.

I have no problem putting our six year old in the cart in that environment, though it's the only store where she still rides in the cart.

[Llyra]

Most of the carts I've seen have weight limits-- my kids were all over those limits by about 3 or 3 1/2. It's not safe to have them in there past the weight limit. I worry about the cart tipping.

We have those carts with the little car on the front, or ones with a bench mounted behind the cart. My 3 1/2 year old twins ride in those all the time, and will continue to do so. But those are safer, because the kids don't ride so high-- less risk of tipping.

[34me]

Originally Posted by Barbie64g

I would say prolly about 4 or 5, no more upfront (size) But I will probably prefer them to be in the cart in some way intil they are 16. Can keep a closer eye on them that way........

My dd was in a major bike accident last summer. On the way home from the hospital we needed to stop at Target for the pain meds. We dumped her into the cart at 15

[limabean]

I voted 4, but now that I think about it, it was probably closer to 3.5, when his baby sister was born. Although I mostly wore her when she was tiny, so yeah, I guess somewhere around 4 is accurate.

He's almost 6 now and asked for one of those car carts not too long ago when it was just the two of us at the store. I indulged him, but when I peeked around to check on him halfway through our trip I started laughing out loud at the sight of him with his knees grasshoppered way up by his ears. He's definitely too big these days.

[Mbella]

My two year old always sits in the seat of the shopping cart. If I have both kids with me grocery shopping I always get the cart that has the regular cart seat plus two bigger seats. My two year old ds sits in the cart seat and my 4 year old dd sits facing him in one of the bigger seats. Occasionally 3/4 of the way through the shopping trip she will have to walk beside me because ds tries to kick dd. I get nervous letting my kids walk around in a store with shopping carts because I am worried about them accidentally getting hit by someone else's shopping cart who is not paying attention or can't see them.

[sewchris2642]

When they learned to stay with me without being in the cart, outgrew the cart, the next child needed the cart or learned to unlatch the seatbelt and climb on his own. Each child was different and stopped at a different age. Until they outgrew the cart, if they couldn't obey the shopping rules, then they went back into the cart. Or they stopped going with me to the store.