When Can A Baby Sit In A Shopping Cart? Here Are Six Practical Things To Know
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Grocery shopping is one of my favorite weekly tasks since I love buying pieces of stuff for the households. While doing my usual grocery outing, I couldn’t help but watch toddlers sitting in a shopping cart and daydream what it would be like to have my little companion one day.
When I turned into a mom, I had to change my shopping routines. With no one to help me look after my son, he became my grocery shopping buddy. Initially, it was a challenge because at six months old, I didn’t know how to position him in a shopping cart to ensure that he’s safe. Soon,
I started questioning myself: “When can a baby sit in a shopping cart?” Here’s what I found out.
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When The Baby Can Sit Unsupported, He Can Sit In a Shopping Cart!
I read several articles and suggestions from forums that a baby can sit in a shopping cart when he reaches six months. This is true if we base this fact from a child’s developmental milestone. At six months, babies are expected to sit up alone by propping themselves up using their hands.
Over time, babies begin to let go and sit independently. However, it is also a fact that some babies have delayed developments. Hence, it is safe to say that your baby can sit in a shopping cart as soon as he can sit unsupported.
Is It Safe For Your Baby To Sit in a Shopping Cart?
In a report by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), there are approximately 23,000 cases of shopping cart accidents every year. The Consumer Product Safety Commission states that kids who are injured from these grocery cart mishaps are brought to emergency rooms and suggests against placing the baby in an infant car seat carriers as it can slip out or topple over, thus leading to serious injuries.
Smaller babies may attempt to move out of shopping cart. On the other hand, older babies who already have the ability to stand might tip over if they are not securely strapped in. Babies are likewise at risk when their older brother or sister leans on the shopping cart’s handle.
Unfortunately, some shopping carts do not have good designs that a 16-pound downward weight can have it flipped over. The most typical form of injuries from shopping cart accidents includes abrasions, cuts, and bruises, as well as neck and head fractures. The most dangerous thing is when the baby falls onto the ground head first.
Keep the Baby Safe in a Shopping Cart
Bringing your little one to a grocery shopping spree is an enjoyable bonding activity, but this requires a lot of precautions. Securing your baby’s safety should be on top of your priority.
Fasten The Seatbelt
If you decide to bring your baby to the grocery store, and you let him sit in a shopping car, fasten his seatbelt well and avoid letting him stand or sit on the cart’s main part nor allow him to climb on the shopping cart. If you have older kids with you, avoid letting them push the cart. Only you or other responsible adults with you should be pushing the shopping cart.
Find Carts With Built-in Infant Seats
When you have your grocery shopping, look for carts that have built-in infant seats. You may also purchase a seat insert to secure your baby in shopping carts. This is an excellent thing to buy when the seat belt of the grocery cart’s seat in flimsy, missing or broken.
Also, seat inserts are comfortably padded. A lot of them may cover up the handles of the grocery cart, thus protecting your little from bacteria and germs.
Use a Baby Carrier
You may also consider putting your little one in a front or back carrier or a sling when you go shopping. In this way, you can free up both of your hand. Putting the baby in a carrier while shopping is popularly applied by many mothers because this does not only guarantee the baby safety, it also keeps the baby close to you. Most importantly, using a baby carrier does not take much space in the shopping cart.
Baby Strollers Are Excellent Alternatives Too
Another way is to keep your bundle of joy in his stroller and utilize the shopping basket for item storage as you navigate the store. Some strollers have a good-sized basket where you can put all your items. The only thing to be cautious about is to avoid overloading the stroller because doing so may cause it to tip over.
You Only Have a Car Seat To Use? No problem!
When the only thing you have to put in a shopping cart for your baby is a car seat, there are ways to position the seat securely to ensure your baby’s safety. For instance, you may position the car seat in the middle portion of a shopping cart instead of placing it on top of the cart.
This is the best position to have to avoid from falling off the cart. However, the downside to this is that the car seat will be taking up a large space in the shopping cart. Here are some high-quality car seats you can purchase from Amazon.
A Shopping Cart Cover Is Worth a Try
Have you seen a shopping cart cover This is one recent innovation that you may use to suspend your baby across the cart using a sling. This cover is excellent for infants, particularly those who are unable to sit unsupported. Some stores have a safe dock installed in their shopping carts. This safe dock can securely buckle the baby’s seat in the cart.
Final Words
Shopping with your little one is fun. However, securing your baby’s safety should be your primary focus all the time. A baby can sit in a shopping cart only when he has developed the ability to sit unsupported.
Otherwise, you may use alternative devices to guarantee your little one’s safety and avoid mishaps.
Have you ever gone shopping with your baby? Share with us how you secured your baby’s safety in the shopping cart. We would be glad to hear from you.
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