Apparently I need a 5 point harness for a shopping cart?!?!?!

[catroddick]

My mom just called. She has DD today. She called to confess “that I will see a huge bump on her head when I get home, but she’s ok now”.

Mom had DD at Lowes strapped in the shopping cart seat. Apparently DD tried to wriggle out of the seatbelt to make a leap for it. She did not make it out of the seat, but smacked into a display shelf when she lunged.

So I had a calm conversation with Mom about tightening the seat belt and not letting her get loose in the seat. She admitted that she needed to be stricter about keeping her bottom in the seat.

In the meantime, I’m freaking out inside. :dizzy: Falling out of a shopping cart onto a concrete floor in a home improvement store is not going to be ok. At all.

Mom did mention that my brother was a huge shopping cart leaper (43 years ago) and that she had a harness for him. I generally Ergo DD in stores, but Mom is not comfortable with the Ergo. And I have a great shopping cart cover, but it just relies on the shopping cart belt.

Does someone have any type of harness thing that they can recommend?

TIA!

[SnuggleBuggles]

They do sell a 5pt harness shopping cart seat cover. Just when I really felt desperate enough to buy it, ds2 stopped with his shopping cart shenanigans. But, Target has an Eddie Bauer one. I tried it once in the store and it was a bit of a pain but it would work. I am sure there are other options as well but that one is easy to get.

Hope her noggin is ok!!

Beth

[hillview]

DS2 was not safe in a cart until about 2.5 when he would often listen ;) I used to take a stroller -- he is a monkey.
/hillary

[DrSally]

Glad at least she hit the shelf instead of the floor! I do believe they make shopping cart covers with a 5 point seatbelt. DD likes to try to twist out of the cart too, so I make sure the seatbelt is tight. DH, OTOH feels the seatbelt is unnecessary! He's not one to stay by the cart or keep his hand on the handle. Makes me sooo mad.

[WatchingThemGrow]

Geez, that's scary! I'd ask her to use the stroller next time, then put some Mommy Hook type of things on it to carry reusable bags. Did your mom say it scared her?

[catroddick]

Oh, YEAH- Mom is freaked out! I do think it made a fairly huge impact on her. She asked repeatedly not to be disowned. And then, since DH gets home before me, had to go through the whole story with him too.

Both DD and my mom will be fine- but DD's got a goose egg that will last awhile. Mom is probably scarred for longer.

We talked about the stroller- but DD realy prefers to be up high where she can flirt with every single person around- whether they want it or not.

So- have her shreaking in the stroller or squirming in the cart- assuming we can keep it to just squirming, and not vaulting. I found a couple harness options that I need to study further.

[AshleyAnn]

I'm not sure of any products that can turn it into a useful 5pnt. I have the EB cart cover and its 5 pnt won't hold a child in if they want out its good support for a baby that can't sit up well on their own but not restraint. I have some ideas of how to make your own but nothing concreat...yet (seems like an esty idea I can market)

[MoJo]

I have (and love) the EB one from Target too, but they specifically say you should NOT count on the harness to hold your child in the cart.

However, my DD generally doesn't try to stand if she's in the EB harness; if I just use the shopping cart belt, she's trying continuously.

I hope she has a fast recovery and NEVER does this again!

[arivecchi]

So- have her shreaking in the stroller or squirming in the cart- assuming we can keep it to just squirming, and not vaulting. I found a couple harness options that I need to study further. I would just get her used to the stroller. If she is that active, things will only get worse. A fall from a shopping cart would be pretty darn serious and I would not want to risk that! GL!

[FieryOne1231]

Yes, get what you need to or strap her in super tight. I'm speaking as someone who as a child fell out of grocery cart! Of course, I'm fine now, but I still have a bump on my forehead from the fall that has never gone away. Not visible, but you can feel it if you touch my forehead. I use one of those shopping cart covers with the velcro straps and that keeps my 16 month old son in. When I forget to bring that & use the shopping cart straps provided, my son is able to get loose too and turn around. But I just keep a eye on him and turn him back around.

[AngelaS]

I used the links from Discovery Toys to make my own harness in shopping cards. You know the rainbow colored links that hook together to attach toys to your stroller or cart? You can also hook them to the cart, over the shoulder and back to the cart (so there's an X on the front of their chest). They work great. :)

[GonnaBeNana]

I haven't tried it, but I wonder if one of those child harness/leash things would work. If there is a way to secure it to the cart, that might keep her safe. They are pretty inexpensive too.

Beth