a word of warning . . .

[racheljessee]

Parenting tip of the day: you know when you walk into the grocery store with your kid(s) and you see those "special" carts with the toy car attached to the front and you think "Oh joy! Something to keep Junior occupied while I shop! Maybe we can make it through this trip without a full scale meltdown!!" Follow through with that plan and you will find these seemingly innocent, fun looking ways of keeping your kids out of trouble while strolling the produce aisle are actually a Mothers enemy is disguise. They are physically impossible to steer and this task becomes even more daunting when there happens to be more than one other cart in the aisle with you. To put it simply, you're going to look like an ass pushing this thing around. Your little one(s) will love it until you take them out of it and they begin to come to the realization that they won't be bringing this new toy home and that their ride of fun has ended. A screaming fit will ensue (the size of this tantrum dependent on the age of the child) and you will plop them in the car in record time making a shushing noise while the shoppers around you start pulling out their cell phones wondering whether they should be calling CPS and you will chuck groceries into the car as you rack your brain for a way to fix this catastrophe. Maybe you should've bought ice cream? If you ignore this warning, I wish you the best of luck. You're gonna need it.

[LoVe4Free]

Sep. 4, 2010 at 6:09 PM

This is a good one girl...

[Fistandantalus]

Sep. 4, 2010 at 9:52 PM

No kidding, those things have the steering capability of a tractor with one wheel gone, not to mention that that "toy" is basically a bacteria hoedown.

[norahsmommy]

Sep. 4, 2010 at 10:01 PM

I have never used one of those and I have 3 small kids.  Its hard enough to steer a regular cart with kids I never felt like attempting one of those hulks.  I put my 10 month old in a sling, my 2 yr old in the kiddie seat in front of the cart and my 6 yr old either rides in the basket or she walks.  It works just fine!

[TiredbutHappy1]

Sep. 5, 2010 at 12:25 AM

I hate the carts they have at walmart...the ones with the huge double seats with the cart attached to the back of the seats. They are so difficult to push. I kept gettting stuck everywhere and try turning a corner with that thing. I could do a better job pushing a stroller and a regular cart than that darn thing!!  LOL

[Allergic2Stupid]

Sep. 5, 2010 at 12:25 AM

Our local mall has single police car carts and double fire truck cars....since I have two year old twins we get the fire truck.  My kids love it and at the age of two already know that it is something that stays at the mall and doesn't come home with us.   We've never had a meltdown over leaving it.  Other than wheels that are a bit wider than normal I've never had an issue with steering.  

I don't think painting them all with the same brush is all that fair...or fun for your kids.  JMO.

[racheljessee]

Sep. 5, 2010 at 12:31 AM Really, I was just posting this as a joke because we had a bad experience with it today. I don't really think they're that bad just a little awkward. I have a 17 month old son and couldn't really explain to him why we were leaving the car at the store, lol. He wasn't very happy about it. I'm sure when he's a little older we'll have an easier time with it. :)

(Original Poster)

[lovelily79]

Sep. 5, 2010 at 2:16 AM

How true.....yet I still manage to screw myself when I go to one particular store

[beth9stedt]

Sep. 5, 2010 at 3:38 AM

will defently keep in mind when that time comes.

[lipstickclouds]

Sep. 5, 2010 at 5:03 AM

Haha!  Funny post...the serious responses were funny too. Because this issue is a big deal worth having a strong opinion about...of course. Heaven forbid that someone just read something silly and enjoy it for what it is intended, rather than turning it into a "two sides of the story, I am a better mom because I don't use them" type situation. I agree with you here, I was never able to turn one of them without pushing it with my foot. I have 4 kids and when the first two were young, we used to put them in there for trips to the store, but gave it up when it became more work than carrying them. Not that anyone was disputing whether or not it "works" for kids to walk, but since it came up anyway, mine do pretty darn well at that too, which of course is a reflection of how superior a parent I am, since pretty much everything is here on cafemom.

I digress. Nowadays when my littler ones will get an inkling to sit in the car, I will politley remind them that more often than not, they end up wanting to get out and walk in 5 minutes, which of course means that MOMMY is left pushing the boat by herself, trying to manuveur the car cart with 4 kids in tow, and neither of my hands free. I have yet to meet a cart that I don't have this problem with, but I haven't completely closed my mind to the idea of using them again before all my kids are teenagers. Should I come across one that seems hurt that I may have previously painted it into the same category ( it was very wrong of you to stereotype, carts are people too!) as the others that have made my shopping trips so lengthy.

Also....sorry for hijacking your journal. I used to be a regular on CM and this is the first journal I have read in months, and it struck me that some things never change, and some people just feel the need to top everything, no matter how lighthearted the topic may have started out. I have done my best as well.

[2kids19yrsapart]

Sep. 5, 2010 at 2:21 PM

My 3 yr old LOVES the car carts, but she never makes a scene when we are trying to get her in the car.  She is happy to 'drive' around the store, and doesn't argue when it is time to go.  When we get tehre, if they are all taken, she does get a little upset though.  She starts looking around for them and doesn't want to use the regular shopping carts.