Shopping with twins alone?!?!

Shelli - posted on 11/20/2010

ive always gone shopping alone ever since mine were born they are 18 months old now, and my husband hates shopping. when they were in infant carriers walmart was my favorite store because of the buggies. one carrier fits horazontally accross the end of the basket and the other carrier fits in the front where an older child would sit and i still had plenty of room for groceries. when they got out of the carriers they fit in the seat part facing each other (sitting sideways) and i pushed the cart with my arms behind their backs on the sides of the buggie. now that they are older i sit them in the basket and they are very good, they never try to get out or anything and when available i use the double buggies when i can find them...with straps that arent broken ;). hope this helps!

Kara - posted on 11/19/2010

Oh these stories of pushing a stroller and a cart at the same time sound horrible..I would probably never go to the store!



You could definitely use a double sling...or wear one baby in a sling and one baby in the cart. It may even help you at home having a hand free. You could wear a back sling like a mei tai and then a front or side sling.



http://www.thebabywearer.com/articles/Ho...



http://www.google.com/images?rlz=1T4SKPB...

Pamela - posted on 11/18/2010

I shopped at a place that had carts with double front seats. I put a carseat in the top, baby on the hip and groceries in the bottom. I could never do the 2 unit thing - but you'll figure it out.

Julie - posted on 06/29/2009

when mine were younger...haha...like theyre so old...anyways...i had my mom or a friend watch them. i didnt really go many places with them. they are almost 2 now and i can put one in the seat and one can sit in the back...but they usually try to eat through most of the packages before were done. see if you can find a sitter or i saw it posted to make an outing out of it with a friend...ive done that before too... good luck.

Jennifer - posted on 06/29/2009

I always went to a grocery stores that has the 2 tier carts. The kind that would sit 2 children. I could put one car seat on where the older children would usually sit and one sideways right behind and that would give be the 2nd tier and under the cart to shop with. I am in Canada, but imagine you have them in the States as well!

Melissa - posted on 06/29/2009

Hi! I put my twins in their stroller, push the stroller, and pull the cart behind me. I get some crazy looks and a bunch of smiles. It works for me!

Janine - posted on 06/28/2009

Some grocery stores offer shopping online (Acme, Shop-rite,,,etc) It is the best thing ever!! You pick all of your food out online and the you pick a time to either have it delivered or you can pick it up. There is a fee for doing it this way but it is so worth it in the end.

Lila - posted on 06/27/2009

I know the Q. is how to do it on your own, but we should also remember it's always okay to ask for help! Get your girlfriend and make it an outing :-) I have a few who take turns.
It's humbling to ask for help but in the end I'm always glad I did!

Julie - posted on 06/27/2009

Around where I live the grocery store has big baskets on their carts (Giant grocery store) I put the carseats side to side across the basket of the cart and I still have enough room to put my groceries in between the carseats. I go shopping right after their feeding so they are content and usually sleeping while I do my shopping. It is a struggle and takes some getting used to, but you will get the hang of it. Good luck
julie

Angel - posted on 06/24/2009

I have 2 year old twins and a 7 month old. When it was just the twins, I would enlist the help of a neighbor child. An 11 or 12 year old would be perfect to push the second cart for you, or to push the stroller while you tend to the cart of groceries. Now I tend to do smaller trips, more frequently and put the baby in the snugli and the twins in a cart or stroller. We only get what we can fit in the small cart or basket...or however long it is before someone gets upset. As long as you keep an open mind and a positive attitude, it will get easier. Wait, not necessarily easier - but more manageable. :-) Getting out of the house will do you wonders. Good Luck!

Crystal - posted on 06/24/2009

i put one in the infant carrier on top of the cart and the other in the cart. then you push/pull another cart. i have been doing this since my twins were 8 weeks old. they are 18 months now. I do all of the household shopping without another adult along. My husband is a farmer so spring, summer and fall i feel like a single mom. i stay home with them everyday so i had to learn how to be efficient. you will get the hang of it:) i knocked over a lot of stuff before i figured out how to handle both carts without hitting anything or anyone.

Angie - posted on 06/20/2009

For the most part, I have avoided it. Often I shop at 9 or 10 pm after putting the kids to bed. It's tiring but so much easier to do one big shop without kids every two weeks than several small shops with whining, kids who won't stay in their seats. With the kid distractions I inevitably I would head home without key items I needed to buy. I have done more daytime shopping at Target with my twin stroller - balancing boxes of diapers on top of the stroller and cramming as much as I can into one handle basket and the under-stroller mesh areas. Now with my twins at nearly 3, the only way I can get through Target is with them strapped into their strollers. It gets harder in some ways!

Shereen - posted on 06/20/2009

try to fill up as much as you can in the under carriage then empty them out into another carriage that you can leave somewhere on the side and then fill up the under carriage again and so on! you will just have to ask the groery cashier or manager for their help and understanding!

Dawn - posted on 06/19/2009

The easiest for me is to go to Costco/Sams. One car seat on top, and the other in the cart. At Sams, both infant seats fit in the basket, so you have the under carriage and the front part where the legs go. I quickly learned how to pack around the infant car seat inside the basket. At check out, they would load into another cart, and I always managed to get them outside to my car. They always offered to push for me, and you can always ask for help to your car. If I needed some other small items at another store, I would push the stroller, carry in my "green bag," fill it up and check out. If it didn't fit in the bag, I didn't get it. I also have 5 and 7 year old that I have to take with me sometimes. If people look at you funny, just smile and say hello.

Lisa - posted on 06/19/2009

I used two carts. Put them in one and use the bottom for the big stuff and pull the other cart behind. If you fill one, bring it the front and ask for them to hold it and grab another. Most grocery stores will hold the cart for you till you are done with the second and then help you to the car. They will even hold the cart (full of groceries) for you if you need to step out for a moment. Like when they cry or you need to feed them or something like that. I am very short and small, couldn't do the bag backpack or carries. I couldn't shop like that.

Lacey - posted on 06/18/2009

I am glad you asked that Summer! I have 1 year old twins and I haven't figured it out..

Lucy - posted on 06/18/2009

why dont you shop online? would save alot of hassle and hardwork and would free up more of your time for nice walks and stuff with your twins rather than stressful shopping! sounds like your doing a brill job tho, i have 6 month old twins and they reli arent easy, especially on your own. but dont give up, you'll get used to it and find your own ways of doing things that suit u, good luck

Tasha - posted on 06/16/2009

yea shopping was kinda difficult at first but i just kept them in their double stroller (front &back) i pushed the stroller and pulled the basket so i still had a full basket to use.

Deloris - posted on 06/15/2009

when they were still in the baby bucket seats I have the doubledecker stroller that was a frame the seats locked in. after they were in the regular stroller I just push the stroller and drag the shopping cart in the store. if you have to walk everywhere we just shopped daily. I also had a 3 yr old with me. the boys are now 8 and the oldest 11 so you will make it.

d in seattle

Katie - posted on 06/15/2009

I used a MOBY wrap and it was the only way I could do it by myself. You can put one or both babies in the wrap securely and still move around to shop. It even worked with my little guy who was on a monitor.

Amy - posted on 06/13/2009

I liked the push and pull too. I also used the front pack after I had another child 14 months after the twins, but it would have worked well with the twins as well. Another thing I did was balance the basket on top the the handle of the stroller. And I also used the cloth shopping bags tied to the handles too. Eventually you figure out what works for you and do it. The best thing is that when you get them out early they just get used to it and it is less difficult later on although I cannot really say that it is easy either..

Frederica - posted on 06/13/2009

I always ask a box person to help... they always say yes and are very nice about it.

Rebecca - posted on 06/12/2009

My boys are 15 months and I've been shopping with them since they were born. You push the stroller in front and pull the cart behind you. Don't turn the cart around --- pull it the direction if was intended to be pushed. Basically, you need to loop your hand through the far end (corner) of the cart and pull it along next to you if you walk. Depending on the size of your hands, you may be able to wrap your hands around the cart and the stroller handle at the same time. I won't mess around with trying to put them into a cart -- carts aren't designed for twins and once they are able to stand you are not going to be able to keep them seated. It's better in the long run to make them stay in their stroller.

Kehli - posted on 06/11/2009

I also do the push and pull. My twins are 9 months old. It gets harder as they get older, heavier.

Shelli - posted on 06/11/2009

I used to do one of 2 things.

1. Get hooks for the side of the double stroller and put to hanging baskets or those totes ont he side

or

I would push the stroller infront of me and pull the cart behind (a little awkward and people look, but oh well it get the job done) once I got the finish line (check out) I would have the bagger push out the cart

put

Christine - posted on 06/10/2009

I push & pull! I find that my jogging stroller is much easier to manuver in the stores around the ailes much better than the front/ back stroller. Slowly some stores around my area have two seats instead of 1 which is really nice for the toddler stage.

Kendra - posted on 06/10/2009

I contacted my store manager and asked why they don't make carts with double infant carriers, she looked at me like I was crazy!!! When i would get done from the push and pull, I would sit on the bench outside completely exhausted... Little did i know that two infants is nothing compared to two toddlers. I am not sure there is any really good way to shop, it doesn't help either that every other person stops to ask if they are twins!!!!

Sarah - posted on 06/10/2009

I pushed and pulled either a stroller or another cart. I like taking my 7 tear old with me because he could push an extra cart or the stroller. You can do it, you just have keep trying.

Becky - posted on 06/09/2009

You could also use 2 carts. Push one, pull one. If you're still using the infant carriers, put one in the top and one in the grocery section of the cart and pull the cart with groceries. Also, I have a SuperTarget which has a full grocery store in it including produce, bakery, and deli. The isles are bigger which help. Good luck. I used to shop this way with 3. Strap one on, etc. My twins were 15 months when #3 was born. Remember, necessity is the mother of invention!!! Get creative. There's always a way.

Sarah - posted on 06/08/2009

I could never stand the stroller/cart combo. If I needed more than I could fit under the stroller, I would carry one girl in her Bjorn baby carrier and put the other girl with her baby seat in the top of the cart.

Find what works best for you and keep shopping! It's easy to feel housebound, but not healthy. My girls are 3 yrs now and sometimes I still have no room in the cart if neither wants to walk. One up top and one in the back basket - but at least we're out and about. Good Luck - you can do it!

Danielle - posted on 06/08/2009

I would push the double stroller and pull the cart behing me. This worked great for me. I started taking all three of my kids, oldest was 3 1/2 when the twins were born, out by myself when the twins were about 4 weeks old and haven't looked back since.

Jodie - posted on 06/08/2009

do you're shopping carts not have the seats designed for young babies?? ours do because that was what i used and there was always plenty of room for shopping!! maybe suggest to yu're supermarket that they re think their design so you can put twins in you never know it may work lol

Sara - posted on 06/07/2009

I pushed and pulled myself. :) I would push the stroller and pull the cart. It was the only way to get it done. It's takes a while to get used to it. I suggest wearing sneakers the first couple of times as your heels will take the abuse when you get it wrong. :) Good luck

Laura - posted on 06/07/2009

What I did with my twins if I needed to take them with for shopping, because we all know once you put both in the cart there is no room for anything else, When infants I had one in the front of the cart in a baby seat and one in a sling or baby carrier strapped to my chest. Its not easy but that left the back of the cart for food. Of course I got a lot stares and people actually asked me if I was crazy. I looked at them and said somebody has to go shopping and buy food for the house and a mom of twins learns to manage. It will only work for so long but it got the job done.

Alana - posted on 06/07/2009

I know some people have figured out how to push the stroller and pull the cart. I haven't though. To increase my shopping potential, I use the reusable shopping cloth bags that I hang on the handles of the stroller. My stroller is heavy enough to take it. That way I have two bags, plus the under carriage as well. It really just means that I have to grocery shop once a week for the everyday things. Then when my hubby is around we do a big shop at costco. Once they get big enough you can start shopping at the stores that have carts that can take two children. At least, that's my plan! Good luck!