car seat in grocery cart??

[♥ms.pacman♥]

ok i just want to ask..how do you manage to secure an infant car seat to the front part of a shopping cart (the part where an older baby/child is meant to sit?). I see this being done all the time at grocery stores, Target, etc. i have a Graco Snugride 22 and i try to do this but it never seems to work..it just seems so unstable to me..it seems like if someone just bumped it accidentally it would tip the seat over and it would fall.

sometimes some shopping carts are such that i can secure the seat to the front part (the same way the carseat attaches to my Snugrider strolelr base) but in order for it to do that, the carseat has to be at some odd angle, almost like DS is lying flat on his back. just looks too weird. Further, with the car seat so up high the whole carseat/cart ensemble seems to have a very high center of mass (yes i am a geek, lol), making it easier for the cart and everything to potentially tip over.

So today i had to go to the grocery store by myself and i just put DS's carseat in the main basket part of the grocery cart, facing me..that way the car seat cannot fall out of the grocery cart, center of mass is lower, etc. however of course that results in a lot less space for groceries etc. also, it kinda wobbles inside the grocery cart a bit, so not sure that is the safest option either..

so anyway, am i being just paranoid? i see people put carseats in the front part of shopping carts all the time and i am wondering if there is some secret technique i am missing out on. right now my DS is 3 months old and cannot sit up on his own, so i can't just put him by himself (without the carseat) in the front part.

[boogiemomz]

i've only ever used the main part of the grocery cart as you described, too scary to use the front part. DD winds up "holding" some of the groceries, though. ;) doesn't work for the huge, major shopping trips though, not enough room in the cart. i have gotten pretty creative piling things up in the front seat part, underneath the cart, and in the corners of the main part! :rotflmao:

[elliput]

Some car seats can actually snap onto some grocery carts, however, for all the reasons you just stated, it is not recommended that this be done. I'm pretty darn sure I recall from my infant car seat manual that there was a picture of the carseat on a shopping cart with a bit red circle and line through it.

I prefered to put the infant seat in the main part of the basket. I figured it would help prevent me from overspending.

[wendibird22]

Baby goes in the basket. Too many horror stories of seats falling and carts tipping over. The other option is to wear baby in a carrier.

[♥ms.pacman♥]

thx everyone for the responses! i guess im a bit relieved to know it wasn't just me, it really seems kinda dangerous to put the carseat like that on top, but i just see so many people do it all the time i was just wondering..

boogiemomz - aw, so cute that your baby holds grocery items in the cart..i'm sure my DS will do the same as he gets a little older, he loves to grab things! :) and yeah today i got pretty creative in putting $50 worth of groceries (including cereal boxes) in the front seat part!

elliput - hmm, good point..i will have to go check my graco carseat manual. and yeah true about overspending....and anyway i tend to reserve the major grocery shopping expeditions to the evenings/weekends when my DH can come too (in that case, DH pushes the grocery cart and i push DS in the stroller)

wendibird - yeah i have a sling (sleepywrap) but i'm not really that good yet on using it, especially by myself (all the times i've used a sling i've had DH help me put baby in the sling). plus, my DS doesn't really like being carried all that much (odd, i know).

[KrystalS]

When my DD was still in the infant seat I would get a couple of the shopping baskets and place one under the cart and one in the front basket. That way I could put smaller items under the cart vs older big items, and I was able to hold more in the front of the cart with a basket.

[SnuggleBuggles]

It is super dangerous and my manual had a section on how you shouldn't do it. I wore my ds instead until old enough to sit stably. Wearing was much easier than any other plan I could come up with.

Beth

[egoldber]

Wel I did it. And I don't feel bad about it. Maybe I'm lucky, but the grocery store near me, the carseat clipped right on, it was a good angle and felt very secure and safe. There were some places we went where the carseat did not fit as well and then I would just put the seat in the basket.

[Kymberley]

I used to do it, until I heard about it here. A lady working at the grocery asked me about my Ergo that DS was in the other day. I told her that we don't do the infant seat in the cart anymore and she told me that she saw a cart tip the day before with a very young infant in the infant seat up front. Poor lady didn't sleep well that night, she couldn't get the image out of her head.

[AnnieW625]

I did it all of the time with DD and her Snugride 22. It snapped right into the top of shopping cart, and DD was always buckled into the seat. I was always with her so I never felt unsafe doing it, but I can see how others aren't comfortable doing it and that's their MO and I am cool with that. It wasn't until a post here a few months back that I had any idea people were up in arms about it. I see it all of the time here.

I have a Beco for #2 so we'll most likely try that as we will be using a Graco Safe Seat for #2 and since it's a larger seat I can't see it fitting right on top of the seats, but I can't say I won't at least try it.

[wellyes]

I used an Ergo until my DD was able to sit in the seat.
If it doesn't feel safe, it probably isn't.
I do wonder how many people assume it's safe because they see others doing it.

[maestramommy]

Before I had kids, I thought that's what you did, put your carseat in the front seat of the cart. Because that's what I saw everywhere, and it seemed a nifty place to put it. But for some reason our infant seat (Baby Trend Latch Loc) wouldn't fit into the Target cart very well. The hook in the back was so high the bottom of the seat never even touched the cart. Too sketchy for me. The other problem was that the whole rig was so high I had trouble seeing over the top, and as a result really had trouble steering and seeing where I was going. This was a HUGE problem at TJs because the aisles are already narrow. After a couple of attempts I gave up and kept Dora in my sling. I think I didn't read about how dangerous the whole setup is until after the fact. Makes total sense. I mean, the seat makes it all so tippy.

[sunshine873]

It's incredibly dangerous. I was kind of jealous at first, because I saw so many people walking around that way. I liked how they could look closely at their baby and still have all that room in the cart. But once I really learned how dangerous it was (thank you BBB) I was glad that the Keyfit is specifically built to not fit on shopping carts. DD very quickly developed a hated with her carseat unless it was in the car & the car was moving (I hated stop lights!) So we started using a carrier quite early on. That was much easier anyway and helped to keep so many people from touching her (not that some didn't still try.)

[Ceepa]

I did sometimes but the angle didn't seem comfortable for baby so I just wheeled my stroller through the store instead.

[arivecchi]

It is really dangerous to do that. A baby carrier is the best option until they are old enough to securely sit in the toddler seat. Read this thread for more info:

http://www.windsorpeak.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=336548&highlight=car+seat+shopping+cart

[MMEand1]

I never did it and always put the baby bucket (infant carseat) in the main basket part. I put the handle down in the back to give the car seat a "base" so it would not wobble so much. It worked on both seats we used for my DC.

[Sweetum]

I just used my snap and go and used the basket underneath for the things, and typically it wouldn't be a full-fledged shopping trip. didn't think it was a good idea to put the seat on the cart.

[edurnemk]

I never did it, and I'm pretty sure most car seat manuals state you're not supposed to. But, yeah, you see a million people doing it.

When DS was a baby, I would put the infant seat in the main (big )part of the cart, or use the stroller bakset for groceries (I have a Vista, so BIG basket). Or if I was getting more stuff I'd wear DS. When he was older and sitting up on his own I got a shopping cart seat cover.

I would never ever put the car seat on top of the seat, even if it did "snap" in some way, although neither the cart nor the car seat are designed for that. I understand the convinience of it, but I would be too nervous about the car seat tipping over. That's just my humble opinion.

[DrSally]

I did it sometimes. But, the angle had to be right for the carseat (it was easier with the old, small snugride than the Safeseat). There was a red hook on the bottom of the seat that would clip onto the cart, but I didn't trust that. I either kept both hands on the steering bar, up against both sides of the carseat, or one hand on the carseat itself. Sometimes, I would put the carseat in the main basket or the stroller too. ETA: I do not feel comfortable walking away from a cart with a carseat on top and I've seen many carseats on top with a terrible angle and the baby not really strapped in (gives me a heart attack).

[hopeful_mama]

Before we bought our carseat, I read a lot of people here saying that it was dangerous to put them in the carts. I mentioned this to DH, who found it hard to believe (he prefers to use his own judgement over others'). So when we went carseat shopping we made a point of testing the ones we were considering in the store's cart, and I was surprised that despite the warnings, they were stable.

It sounds like there are carseats or carts (or bad combinations of both) where they're not very stable, but so far we've never had an issue - it just takes a few seconds to find a secure position, but once there, it won't budge (like a pp, we have a Keyfit). And the only way the cart could fall over is if someone physically turns it over - I've never seen that happen to anyone, and my DH or I am always right there anyway. But a child running into the cart is not going to tip it over.

Bottom line - if we felt it weren't safe, we wouldn't do it, and I hope that's true for every parent. I'm surprised by how many people just assume it's always dangerous and that parents who do it are being negligent. Maybe this is just not a one size fits all issue.

[deborah_r]

I do wonder how many people assume it's safe because they see others doing it.

I think the answer is most people. When I would intentionally put the carseat in the main part of the shopping cart, sometimes people would ask why I didn't put it on the top, like I hadn't thought of that possibility. Or the bagger would want me to move it to the top to fit the bags in the cart.

[arivecchi]

http://www.aap.org/advocacy/releases/aug06shoppingcart.htm

[deborah_r]

So when we went carseat shopping we made a point of testing the ones we were considering in the store's cart, and I was surprised that despite the warnings, they were stable.


I could get the seat to fit snugly into most carts with our carseat (Graco Safeseat, before that a Peg Perego whatever-it-was-called) - that was not the issue that worried me. Also, if I had the cart weighted down with stuff and the seat on top, it was probably not going to tip. But with an empty or not very full cart, it seems to throw off the center of gravity (not sure if that is the right term) for the cart making it more likely to tip over. It makes it top heavy, and heavy toward that side of the cart as well (whether to call it the front or bacvk of the cart I don't know).

ETA: but I also do several of the things that AAP link tells you not to...so I understand everyone is comfortable with different things. I sometimes put the carseat on top of the cart, but most times I was uncomfortable with it. It just didn't feel right for me. Now I let my 7 year old hang onto the outside of the cart which I shouldn't do, so I certainly don't have all of the answers!

[ewpmsw]

Our Graco Snugride (circa 2008, not sure which model) would fit securely onto most carts. I only hit the grocery store for major shopping, so putting her into the basket was out. I wore her a few times, but she screamed the entire time, so we went back to the carseat/cart set-up. Before I felt safe enough using the carseat attached to the cart, I'd put DD into the stores' infant-seat carts. For some reason, most of the stores we shop keep these waaaaaay in the back of the cart storage, which was more than inconvenient. Most of them were dusty, too.

[s7714]

My old infant seat (Eddie Bauer from around 2003) had slots that snapped into it's car base which also fit perfectly over the front metal bars of the shopping cart seat. The little metal hooks that latched the seat into it's base also latched over the metal bar of the shopping cart bar. To get it off you had to pull the release handle just as if you were going to take the seat off it's base. It was pretty snug. That said, I only used it that way if absolutely necessary (like if they had just finally fallen asleep and there wasn't a chance in h*ll that I'd voluntarily wake them up! ;) ) I always preferred to wear my DDs instead. Kept nosy busy bodies from trying to touch my babes. :) And on rare occasions I did find shopping carts that just didn't work with my car seat because they were a customized shape or size.

I always laugh because my mom thought putting the car seat onto the shopping cart was silly. She said when I was a baby she just put a thick towel or blanket down on the shopping cart seat and laid me down on it. I actually thought about customizing a shopping cart cover so that it had no leg holes and extra extra padding with a special belt so that I could lay a baby in the seat. Kind of like a moses basket for a shopping car. But, I just never got around to it!

ETA: Now that I'm a mom of bigger kids, there's no way I'd put a infant seat on the cart (or anywhere in the basket in general) because I understand how easy the carts can tip over. Seriously, my barely 40 lb. 7 year old can--and has--caused a full sized shopping cart to start tipping over on more than one occasion. Granted it wasn't totally full of heavy groceries, but it can still happen.

[hopeful_mama]

I could get the seat to fit snugly into most carts with our carseat (Graco Safeseat, before that a Peg Perego whatever-it-was-called) - that was not the issue that worried me. Also, if I had the cart weighted down with stuff and the seat on top, it was probably not going to tip. But with an empty or not very full cart, it seems to throw off the center of gravity (not sure if that is the right term) for the cart making it more likely to tip over. It makes it top heavy, and heavy toward that side of the cart as well (whether to call it the front or bacvk of the cart I don't know).

And if I put it on a cart where I had concerns it would tip over, I definitely wouldn't use it there either. I certainly haven't tried all carts; just some of the ones local to me. I'm not advocating that anyone do it, especially if they're not comfortable. I just don't believe that all parents who do it are negligent, unaware, or stupid.

Even the AAP press release doesn't say that all carseats in all shopping carts are unsafe; they don't even say what percent of shopping cart accidents are related to infants, much less infants strapped into stable carseats with responsible parents present. In this country public policy often goes for blanket statements to keep things simple and easy to understand. I find this a sensible approach as far as public policy goes, but it shouldn't excuse people from using their own brains and judgement in deciding whether recommendations are too strict, too lax, or just wrong for the specifics of their situation. That's how I see it, at least.

[arivecchi]

JMHO, but it is not worth this type of risk:

http://www.woai.com/content/troubleshooters/story/Car-seats-in-shopping-carts-become-a-dangerous/r8L5T6EXd0mw29A5OjCsaw.cspx

What car seat techs think:

http://www.car-seat.org/showthread.php?t=98072

[KrisM]

And if I put it on a cart where I had concerns it would tip over, I definitely wouldn't use it there either. I certainly haven't tried all carts; just some of the ones local to me. I'm not advocating that anyone do it, especially if they're not comfortable. I just don't believe that all parents who do it are negligent, unaware, or stupid.

Even the AAP press release doesn't say that all carseats in all shopping carts are unsafe; they don't even say what percent of shopping cart accidents are related to infants, much less infants strapped into stable carseats with responsible parents present. In this country public policy often goes for blanket statements to keep things simple and easy to understand. I find this a sensible approach as far as public policy goes, but it shouldn't excuse people from using their own brains and judgement in deciding whether recommendations are too strict, too lax, or just wrong for the specifics of their situation. That's how I see it, at least.

Just beware if you end up with an older kid and an infant (don't know how old yours are). My 6 YO who is just over 40lbs likes to help. But, he can't set things in or get things out quite yet without standing on the side of the cart. He could easily tip over most grocery store, BRU, TRU, Kmart, Target carts. Easily. He knows he's not supposed to do that, but he still does at times. So, if you end up with that age of kids, make sure it's still stable enough even with a helpful child.

[liz]

I am one of those moms who use my infant carrier on top of the cart. I only use it when I really need the large basket of the grocery cart and only when the infant carrier seems to "lock" onto the cart. Sometimes they just won't fit right (eg Target). And before you know it, your baby will be old enough to sit in the cart, so you won't have to deal with the car seat.

[Nooknookmom]

I never put DD1 on the top, only IN the big part and stuffed groceries around her. It didn't last long anyway b/c she hated the infant seat.

DD2 didn't like the infant seat either (what's with my kids?) and I had to get a RA by 3 months. She was in a carrier (BBjorn, Hotsling or Babyhawk) for most shopping trips!

It makes me cringe when I see a precariously perched seat on a cart. Esp with older sibs jumping around in the big area, they could dump the poor baby easily. I try not to do mommy drive-by's but sometimes it looks so dangerous I can't help myself!

[♥ms.pacman♥]

thx everyone for responding!


When my DD was still in the infant seat I would get a couple of the shopping baskets and place one under the cart and one in the front basket. That way I could put smaller items under the cart vs older big items, and I was able to hold more in the front of the cart with a basket.

oh that is so smart, never thought of that! thanks for the tip!


It is super dangerous and my manual had a section on how you shouldn't do it. I wore my ds instead until old enough to sit stably. Wearing was much easier than any other plan I could come up with.

Beth

see i wish i could do this..i need to get better at using my sling. i've only used it like 2 or 3 times really, as DS doesn't really like to be held all that much. plus it's so hard to get him in it on my own without DH helping. i guess i should practice more.


I used to do it, until I heard about it here. A lady working at the grocery asked me about my Ergo that DS was in the other day. I told her that we don't do the infant seat in the cart anymore and she told me that she saw a cart tip the day before with a very young infant in the infant seat up front. Poor lady didn't sleep well that night, she couldn't get the image out of her head.

omg if i ever saw something like that i don't think i could sleep well for days. that is horrible!


I used an Ergo until my DD was able to sit in the seat.
If it doesn't feel safe, it probably isn't.[B]
I do wonder how many people assume it's safe because they see others doing it.

good point. a lot of things seem safe and really aren't, so if something seems unsafe, it very likely is very unsafe. and it's not so much that i don't trust myself to watch DS & cart at all times, in stores i think there are a lot of kids running around, employees stocking this or that and they may accidentally bump the cart and the seat could fall or the cart could tip. Costco for example (esp on weekends) it's hard to maneuver a cart without getting mauled by people from all directions


Before I had kids, I thought that's what you did, put your carseat in the front seat of the cart. Because that's what I saw everywhere, and it seemed a nifty place to put it. But for some reason our infant seat (Baby Trend Latch Loc) wouldn't fit into the Target cart very well. The hook in the back was so high the bottom of the seat never even touched the cart. Too sketchy for me. The other problem was that the whole rig was so high I had trouble seeing over the top, and as a result really had trouble steering and seeing where I was going. This was a HUGE problem at TJs because the aisles are already narrow. After a couple of attempts I gave up and kept Dora in my sling. I think I didn't read about how dangerous the whole setup is until after the fact. Makes total sense. I mean, the seat makes it all so tippy.

true, and yeah i could never get it to snap into the Target carts. with the more traditional metal carts i could get the seat to snap, but at weird angles and plus it did feel like it could tip over very easily, especially if there weren't that many things in the cart

[♥ms.pacman♥]

It's incredibly dangerous. I was kind of jealous at first, because I saw so many people walking around that way. I liked how they could look closely at their baby and still have all that room in the cart. But once I really learned how dangerous it was (thank you BBB) I was glad that the Keyfit is specifically built to not fit on shopping carts. DD very quickly developed a hated with her carseat unless it was in the car & the car was moving (I hated stop lights!) So we started using a carrier quite early on. That was much easier anyway and helped to keep so many people from touching her (not that some didn't still try.)

lol, this is exactly how i felt! i saw ppl do it all the time so much that it looked like that was were u were supposed to put infant seats there. tho whenever i tried it, it just felt so wrong so i just assumed i was just a clueless new mom and i was somehow missing something. i remember checking out other parents who had their seats on the front part and trying to see if they had done anything different.

and yeah, about keeping people from touching baby, i have this mesh cover that goes over the carseat which has been a godsend in keeping bugs and random ppl from touching baby


I did sometimes but the angle didn't seem comfortable for baby so I just wheeled my stroller through the store instead.

yeah, i would do this, but i just have a really small stroller (Snugrider base) so things like boxes of cereal etc wouldn't really fit in the small basket part underneath. i would do this though if i was just running in and getting one small item

[♥ms.pacman♥]

I never did it and always put the baby bucket (infant carseat) in the main basket part. I put the handle down in the back to give the car seat a "base" so it would not wobble so much. It worked on both seats we used for my DC.

oh that is so smart, i didnt' think of that! will do that next time.

arivecchi - thx for the links, will definitely check those out!

sorry i couldn't reply to all posts, DS is calling now :)

[KrisM]

I always laugh because my mom thought putting the car seat onto the shopping cart was silly. She said when I was a baby she just put a thick towel or blanket down on the shopping cart seat and laid me down on it. I actually thought about customizing a shopping cart cover so that it had no leg holes and extra extra padding with a special belt so that I could lay a baby in the seat. Kind of like a moses basket for a shopping car. But, I just never got around to it!



You know, I've done this, too. When DS2 was 4.5 months, on Black Friday, we were shopping and he was wide awake. I carried him for a bit and he just wanted to be free to move. So, I used the shopping cover and his thick fleece blanket from the car to make a little bed for him and he loved, loved, loved it! I did it a bunch of times after that as well.

[ilfaith]

I'll confess to putting the infant seat in the top of the shopping cart. It did seem to fit better in some (Publix, Costco) than others (Target, Whole Foods). Sometimes I'd use the Baby Bjorn (if I remembered to have it in the car) I found it awkward to be pushing a shopping cart wearing a sling. Sometimes I'd put the carseat in the main basket, but sometimes that left almost no room for groceries.

My supermarket does offer shopping carts with built-in infant seats made of a molded plastic. If they were available, I'd use them (wiping them down first, as they sometimes seemed a bit grimy).

My boys all outgrew the infant seats by six months...generally before they ere sitting up really well on their own. At that point the challenge came became keeping them from toppling over (even with the floppy seat).

[1964pandora]

I think people *do* do it because they assume it's safe because they see other people do it.

I swear I NEVER do this, but I saw a woman with a brand spanking newborn in a carseat perched on top of a cart and I very gently told her why it was really dangerous. She was very defensive, as most people would be. This particular instance was really difficult for me to see and not say anything because the carseat didn't even line up with the cart. It was just perched there on top. Nothing but gravity holding it there. The carseat slots didn't line up with the cart, for lack of a better description.

[MomToOne]

I used the peanut shell to carry her. I've never seen anyone put a car seat on a shopping cart where I live so it never occurred to me to do it. Similarly, I've never seen a child in one of those fabric shopping cart germ protector things that they sell on etsy and stuff. I live in a city though.

[JoyNChrist]

Wel I did it. And I don't feel bad about it. Maybe I'm lucky, but the grocery store near me, the carseat clipped right on, it was a good angle and felt very secure and safe. There were some places we went where the carseat did not fit as well and then I would just put the seat in the basket.

We only have one grocery store in our town (yeah, we live in the middle of nowhere) and DS's Snugride fit like the cart was made for it. I would actually have to pull the release thingy to get the seat out of the cart...just like getting it out of the base in the car. So it seemed pretty sturdy to me. :shrug: It also fit well in the Wal-Mart carts...never tried it at Target because they were just building our Target when DS was a baby.

Of course, DS hated his carseat with a passion and I started using pouches and slings pretty soon, so it was pretty much a non-issue for us anyway.

[sariana]

I always put the carrier in the main basket and fit the food around it. I hated shopping at BRU because the bottom part of the carts was just open, with no slats or whatever. Now, whose brilliant idea was that? Whether I have something in the main basket or not, I sometimes put things down on that lower shelf. I think our BRU/TRU stores out here have that shelf on the bottom, but those at the store in Michigan did not!

I couldn't use the carrier with DS for months because it had an 8 pound minimum, and he was only 4 lbs. 9 oz at birth and slightly less than 5 lbs. when he came home.

[♥ms.pacman♥]

I always put the carrier in the main basket and fit the food around it. I hated shopping at BRU because the bottom part of the carts was just open, with no slats or whatever. Now, whose brilliant idea was that? Whether I have something in the main basket or not, I sometimes put things down on that lower shelf. I think our BRU/TRU stores out here have that shelf on the bottom, but those at the store in Michigan did not!

I couldn't use the carrier with DS for months because it had an 8 pound minimum, and he was only 4 lbs. 9 oz at birth and slightly less than 5 lbs. when he came home.

oh i hate that too! it makes NO sense. actually one of our first shopping trips with DS (3 or 4 wks old) was to ToysRus/BRU. DH & I went in and one of us was holding the carseat. we put the carseat in the main basket part, but that left NO room for anything else..and yeah, no slats on the bottom at all to put anything. so i pushed one cart with DS inside, and DH put another cart with all the stuff (boxes of wipes, bottle warmer, etc). if i had been by myself don't know what i would have had to do..push 2 carts? lol

[SnuggleBuggles]

ms.pacman- do you have a babywearing group in your area? Google "Nino" (nine in, nine out) and see if it turns up a group near you. I went to a local meeting before and with ds2 to learn how to use my new carriers (sling and, at the time, Ergo). They were fabulous b/c no one was trying to get you to buy anything and they just wanted you to safely, easily and comfortably figure out babywearing. They had lots of different carriers to try b/c not every style appeals to everyone (I'm not a sling lover, I found).

Either that or You Tube or look for product DVDs for instructions and practice. Babywearing really frees things up when running errands, going to sporting events and festivals...

Beth

[♥ms.pacman♥]

snuggle buggles - thanx for the tip! though i tried googling nino and went to various websites but they were all dead links etc (maybe the group doesn't exist anymore?)

anyway that would be awesome to find a local group where ppl could help me figure out how to use my wrap..it would make things a lot easier. i feel bad i don't use mine just because i'm not really great with putting DS in it. doesn't help that my DH isn't all that supportive of me using the wrap because he is super paranoid about things and claims DS will fall out or something. argh.

edit: ok after searching i just found a website
http://www.sakurabloom.com/pages/Find-A-Babywearing-Group-Near-You.html

and i found a yahoo babywearing group in my local area, but not sure if it's all that active anymore (site says next meeting is January..hehe). but i will definitely join it. thx again for the suggestion!!

[HIU8]

You should NEVER but an infant in a carseat on the front portion of a grocery cart. That is an accident waiting to happen. Carseats are not made to snap into place on the cart (maybe they have been in the past, but not now). Your child in the infant seat goes in the main portion of the cart facing you. You put your items in the front, around the carseat and us those smaller baskets and place them underneath for more holding space. That is what I have always done. Also, I have used my snap n go and put stuff under in the basket (of course it's when I don't have a ton to buy).

[essnce629]

DS2 outgrew his Keyfit at 9 months so it's not an issue now, but I'd always either put his seat in the main part of the cart, wore him in my Beco if I was doing major shopping, used the large basket of the snap-and-go, or if DS1 was with me I'd have him push the stroller while I'd push the cart. I never put his seat on top of the cart, and like someone said, the Keyfit was designed by a carseat tech and made specifically so it wouldn't fit on top of carts.

I have seen shopping cart covers that can be made with optional flaps that can cover the leg holes so you can lay your baby down in the seat and they'd be fully enclosed. The KozyPal is one that has this option.

[♥ms.pacman♥]

hmm, i may look into those (shopping cart covers that cover the holes). prob is though i think my DS may be already too big, especially for those smaller shopping carts.

that's interesting that the Keyfit was designed not to fit on carts. thought that doeesn't seem to discourage anyone it seems...where i live, the Keyfit the most popular infant seat and i see people put them on the top part of carts all the time, even at Target where the carts aren't metal and there's nothing to clip on to, so it's literally just gravity holding it there.

[arivecchi]

Ms. Pacman, aren't you glad you asked us? :loveeyes: You have gotten a million responses! LOL!

[♥ms.pacman♥]

Ms. Pacman, aren't you glad you asked us? :loveeyes: You have gotten a million responses! LOL!

hehe, I know! I love this forum!! :love-retry:

Nowadays I ask DH about this or that (about carseats, whatever) and he says "I don't know, why do you ask on BBB?" :D

[scrooks]

Wel I did it. And I don't feel bad about it. Maybe I'm lucky, but the grocery store near me, the carseat clipped right on, it was a good angle and felt very secure and safe. There were some places we went where the carseat did not fit as well and then I would just put the seat in the basket.

Same here...my seat clips securely although I rarely do it now with DS since DD usually rides in the seat, he rides in the basket (in his seat) and my purchases go underneath!

[gatorsmom]

Wel I did it. And I don't feel bad about it. Maybe I'm lucky, but the grocery store near me, the carseat clipped right on, it was a good angle and felt very secure and safe. There were some places we went where the carseat did not fit as well and then I would just put the seat in the basket.

:yeahthat: However, I never moved far from the cart and while pushing it, i had my hands and arms "around' the seat and gribbing the sides of the cart, rather than the cart handle so that I was almost hugging the carseat. Also, I made sure that I used carts that had lapbelts for seated children except I clicked those onto the hook on the back of the carseat so that it couldn't slide side to side. Honestly, the only store I ever really went to was Target or SuperTarget and those carts are big and feel sturdy to me.

While that scenario felt safe to me, I NEVER put toddlers into the seat of the cart. I was way too afraid they'd climb out or lean over and fall out. I made them sit inside the cart, or morelikely, I'd keep them in their stroller and load the stroller basket with goods as well as using Strollr Swivelrs to hook a shopping basket to the handle. I did this much more often because the toddler could be strapped into the strller securely with the stroller's 5pt harness AND it kept their hands off those germy carts.

Now that they are better behaved, I take my 4yo and 6 yo to Target all the time and they hang on the sides of the stroller. Honestly, those 2 monkeys hanging off the sides feels 10X more unsafe than a baby strapped into their Snugride in the top of the cart.

[gatorsmom]

, even at Target where the carts aren't metal and there's nothing to clip on to, so it's literally just gravity holding it there.

well, gravity and the lapbelt strap that can be wrapped around the back of the seat and hooked onto the carseat hook (for the Graco, that is). That strap, I've found, will nicely keep the seat from sliding around.

[AnnieW625]

I have seen shopping cart covers that can be made with optional flaps that can cover the leg holes so you can lay your baby down in the seat and they'd be fully enclosed. The KozyPal is one that has this option.

Honestly that would scare me even more because at least with the infant seat most kids (well at least my 1) is still strapped into the infant seat. I'd rather have a 5 pt. harness in an infant seat than just a lone strap with an infant lying down in the toddler seat, I just can't see that being comfy at all.