Are you perplexed how to put a car seat in shopping cart? Over 20,000 children a year become injured by falling out of shopping carts and the majority of these are babies and infant carriers who have been knocked out of the shopping cart. For a mother, at home or outside, must know about and keep an eye on for a safe, secure and healthy upbringing of her children. Isn’t it?
In this article, we are going to share with you some instructions and tips about how to put a car seat in a shopping cart, and some alternatives for it that allow you to have a safe and secure shopping with your little ones.
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Why It Is Challenging?
Among other things, one of the challenging job for a mom is shopping with her little ones. If you are a mom, you know pretty well how much scary it is to do shopping with your child in car seat, and you have to put it in the shopping cart. You know you’re walking around, you’re shopping, you turn for a second to grab something and another kid can run up and bump into your cart.
There can be somebody coming around the corner you never really know what’s gonna happen because you can’t control every single portion of that situation and it’s really pretty scary and when you look in the shopping cart there’s always those little graphics that say don’t put your baby in here.
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How to Put Car Seat in Shopping Cart Safely?
If you are a mom, you would be worried about the safety of your children , and obviously, their security would be your foremost concern. Putting a car seat in shopping cart is the only way to do your shopping without compromising the security and safety of your babies, if so not have some other alternatives for it. Here, we are sharing some of the basic tips to let you know how to put a car seat in shopping cart:-
1). Properly Buckle your Child
The first thing that you have to do, when you are putting a car sat in the shopping cart, is making it sure that your baby is fully buckled in the car seat. It is better to keep the chest clips at the armpits of your baby, as it helps your child stay in a secure posture, avoiding any positional asphyxia that occurs due to a poor car seat posture. Thus, make it sure that the harness straps are not unbuckled or loose, letting your baby slump into some dangerous posture.
2). Keep the Car Seat in Shopping Cart in your Child is Facing You
The next thing you have to do is to make it sure that your baby’s car seat is put in the shopping cart in a position that your baby is facing you. This will help you observe the condition and position of your child, and you would be able to see whether your little one is comfortable and safe.
3). Make it Sure that You Can also See your Child
Once you have put your child’s car seat in the shopping cart, you would be up to do you’re shopping and grab the things from around you. There won’t be enough space for groceries in your shopping cart. So, you will have to keep from stuffing your groceries and other goods carelessly. Put them into the shopping cart in a way that they don’t make your baby invisible to your, or get your view of your baby obstructed.
4). Stabilize a Car Seat to Place in Shopping Cart
Now, that your baby’s car seat is packed in the bottom of your shopping cart, you have to make it sure that the car seat is stabilized in the cart and it’s not rocking back and forth, because this will slip your baby into some dangerous and awkward position. To stabilize the car seat, make it sure that the handle is placed back fully against the bottom of the shopping cart.
Must Follow: keep in mind that if you are putting a car seat anywhere on the shopping cart, it may have serious consequences for the baby, because, in this way, the shopping cart may get top-heavy and it’ll need just a small bump and the car seat will tip off the shopping cart. So, the only safe way for you is placing the car seat in the shopping cart and stabilizing it over there.
Alternatives to Putting a Car Seat in the Main Basket of the Cart
Now, you have a pretty good idea of how to put a car seat in shopping cart. On the other hand, it may take up a lot of space when the car seat is placed in the bottom of the main basket of the shopping cart, and you don’t have enough room left for other items, especially when you have a lot of stuff to buy, though it works really good when you have to pick just a couple of things.
Thus, putting the car seat in the shopping cart doesn’t seem ideal always. Thus, we have for you a couple of alternatives to keeping a car seat in the shopping cart, that you may try out:-
1). Using Cart Hammock
You have a fabulous option for you is using baby hammocks for shopping carts. The interesting thing about baby hammocks is that they stretch enough to fit a shopping cart of any size, and hey create a perfect cradle for your little one. They are designed in a way that they can securely rather a baby to a shopping cart for up to eight months.
You just have to get the hammock attached to either sides of the shopping cart. The next thing you have to do is setting your baby in the hammock, followed by strapping.
These innovative hammocks provide babies with a comfortable space to lay down, allowing you, on the other hand, to place groceries in the cart. Additionally, as these hammocks float on top of the main basket of the shopping cart, they allow you to slide the groceries without any problem into the cart.
2). Use Stroller as a Car Seat in Shopping Cart
You may use a stroller as a car seat can be easily strapped into it, though, by using a stroller, there is not so much space for the groceries. However, if you don’t have to pick so many things to pick , using a stroller is a good option for you and it is much more secure and safe for your baby and provides a safe recline to your little one.
The stroller has a cargo spot under it that you may use for groceries. Additionally, on the stroller handles, you can benefit from the stroller hooks and reusable bags, but make it sure that it doesn’t get too heavy.
3). Car Seat Carrier
Another alternative to putting the car seat in the shopping cart is car seat carrier. You can use it to secure the car seat of your baby by fixing it to the sides of shopping cart. It’s just simple to do. You have to unravel this product, followed by clamping either of its ends to the sides of your shopping cart.
After that, you have to set the car seat on top of the car seat carrier, followed by strapping it to hold your baby safely and securely. What’s interesting about the car seat carrier is that, like a cart hammock, it also floats on top of the main basket of the shopping cart, allowing you to slide the groceries without any problem into the cart.
4). Babywear or Sling
Getting a baby carrier or wrap is a great option for you while shopping with your babies and keeping them from any kind of danger or insecurity. A baby-wrap keeps your baby tight and secure when you have to grab groceries.
There are so many ways to baby-wrap using soft-structured carriers, slings or wraps. You have to decide what best suits you and your baby, and just wear your little one only of these when you get to shopping. What’s interested about the baby-wears is that you can still easily push a cart and grab your groceries. Additionally, there is no fear of someone’s bumping into your shopping cart. Thus, consider using baby-wraps or slings instead of carrying your baby inside a car seat.
5). Using of Safe Dock
Safe Docks are designed for only one purpose and that is keeping your baby safe on a shopping cart. You may find these Safe Docks in some grocery store around you, as they are becoming common and universal nowadays. They are structured in a way to allow you to safely set a car seat in.
If you get to notice any docking station fixed to a shopping cart at a grocery store, all you have to do is simply clicking your car seat into the designed docking station the same way as you click it into your car. Then, you have to strap the car seat. But, here is something to be kept in mind before using Safe Docks, that when you put a car seat on the shopping cart, using the Safe Dock station, the shopping cart may get top-heavy and there are more chances of its getting toppled.
A small bump would be enough to do the job. So you have to be very careful and stay close to the shopping cart as another kid can run up and bump into your cart.
6). Ask Someone to Accompany You
Another good option for you is accompanying some adult. When you have another adult with you on a shopping trip, you may use two shopping carts: you can use one for your baby and the other one for the groceries. In this, it prevents you from putting your baby to any kind of danger while shopping. Additionally, you can grab as much things from the store as you want with a fully vacant cart.
7). Making Small Trips
If you want to do shopping with your little one’s car seat kept inside the shopping cart, which leaves you with very limited room in the cart for groceries and you have got to grab so many things, you may choose to divide shopping into small trips.
Bring half or one-third of your groceries in the shopping cart to your car, and make another visit. In this way, you can do your shopping in two or three small trips, without risking your little one’s safety.
8). Grocery Pickup
It gets really tough when you are shopping with your babies, and even all the above given alternatives may not work for you sometimes, as a mom’s foremost priority is no-compromise on her little ones’ safety. If the above given alternatives don’t work for you, you may consider grocery pickup if it’s available on the grocery store you visit.
A grocery pickup allows you simply to order online all the groceries you need, and stay in the parking lot, and get a worker bring all your groceries out to you. You won’t even need to leave the car.
Some More Safety Tips
Whether you are having the car seat put in the shopping cart, or using a hammock or a safe-dock, you still have to take care of a couple of things while shopping.
Conclusion
You have gone through this article, you might have got a pretty good idea of the dos and don’ts of shopping with your babies. Now, you know pretty well how to put car seat in shopping cart, and putting your baby’s car seat in the shopping cart is the only one secure and safe option for you instead of adjusting the car seat somewhere on the shopping cart.
However, if it doesn’t work for you, you may try some alternatives to it, like a cart hammock, cart seat carrier, baby-wears, stroller, Safe Docks or having another adult with you while shopping. However, in any case, you have to stay near the cart and use the safety belts and straps for the security of your baby. After all, for a mom, it’s all about doing all that’s possible for the safety of her kids.
Frequently Asked Question
Can you put a car seat in a shopping cart?
Yes, you may put a car seat in the shopping cart as it’s the best option for you to keep your baby safe and before your eyes when you have taken your little one with you to some grocery store. You can simply out the car seat in the shopping cart, though it takes much space, but still leaves some room for your groceries.
How do you attach a car seat to a shopping cart?
You can attach a car seat to a shopping cart, but the cart may get it’s one side heavier and it can get toppled. So, it’s better to put the car seat in the main basket of the shopping cart.
How to go grocery shopping with a baby?
The bat option is putting the car seat in the shopping cart. However, you may try some alternatives to it, such as cart hammock, cart seat carrier, baby-wears, stroller, Safe Docks or having another adult with you while shopping in a grocery store.
What age can baby sit in grocery cart?
A six months to nine months old baby can get to sit in the grocery cart and is able to maintain a good head control. So, it’s better to strap the baby properly to avoid any mishap or injury.
