How Do You Grocery Shop With Babies? Shopping Q&A

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How do you grocery shop with babies? What about adding toddlers into the mix? When I had my first baby, I quickly realized the grocery shopping with babies is a whole different ball game! You not only have to think about safety, but also where to actually PUT the baby (or babies), how to prevent meltdowns, and how to get from the car seat into the store safely.

Now, with three kids three and under, I have some years and multiple different seasons of grocery shopping with kids under my belt. And I’m happy to say that our weekly grocery store trip is truly an enjoyable experience for everyone and a part of the week that we all actually look forward to!

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How Do You Grocery Shop With Babies and Toddlers?

Leaving the kids at home with dad and going to the grocery store by myself on evenings or weekends is just not practical for our family, so we’ve had to figure out how to make it work for me to take the kids during the day.

I’ll preface this by saying that there HAVE been a couple of seasons when a grocery store pickup was the best option for us. When our second was born in the late fall and we also had a 17-month-old, taking them both to the store in the cold felt like a LOT. (Maneuvering parking lots with babies can be a lot harder in the winter!) There were a couple months where we just did pickups. Normally, though, I would much rather go into the store to pick out my own groceries!

All that to say, if you’re in a season where grocery shopping is just not going to work, don’t feel bad about a grocery pickup. But if you want to go in, it may be more possible than you think!

During the different seasons of babies and toddlers, I’ve figured out a few ways to make taking the kids grocery shopping so. much. easier.

I wrote about why I take my kids grocery shopping (besides the most practical reasons) and how we actually do it with 3 kids 3 and under in my last post: Tips for Shopping With Babies and Toddlers.

Now, I want to get into more of the common questions that you might need to know (and that I needed to know!) about shopping with kids.

How do you take an infant to the grocery store?

My favorite way to take infants and babies to the grocery store is in a baby carrier or wrap. I usually use an Ergo baby carrier, but I also use a cloth wrap (like a Moby Wrap) for really little ones. If they’re very young (newborn) and it’s winter, I’ve also taken the car seat into the store.

Baby wearing is my favorite way to shop from newborn through at least a year! When they’re big enough to switch to riding on your back (around 6 months), it also becomes easier to use your hands while shopping.

I minimize fussing and crying by making sure they’re fed and have a clean diaper before we leave for the store (although sometimes, diaper changes in the car are inevitable!). For the first few months when they still sleep a lot, going during nap times can also be helpful. If they fall asleep in the car, sometimes bringing them inside in the car seat works best so that they stay asleep. I use a car seat cover to keep it darker and quieter.

Mostly, though, my babies prefer to be up in the infant carrier rather than in the infant car seat.

Depending on how long the trip takes, you may need to do diaper changes or nurse in the car, so be sure to bring the diaper bag along with anything you’ll need (extra diapers and wipes, nursing cover, spit rags, etc.). And don’t forget a change of clothes for the baby for the inevitable (but hopefully occasional) grocery store blowout!

Managing a crying infant

If your infant cries in the store, the best way to handle it is to not panic. For new parents, it’s easy to get anxious about your baby’s noises and worry about the people around you. But remember that your baby probably sounds much louder to you than he or she actually is. And (in my experience, at least), people are usually much more understanding than you might think.

Managing a crying baby in a crowded store can feel like a tricky setting and it’s not for the faint of heart, but it’s probably not nearly as much of a big deal as it feels like to you. Take a deep breath, comfort your baby as best you can, pause if you need to, and then just keep going.

Ultimately, every baby is different, and you have to figure out what works for you. Some might love the baby carrier and some might hate it. Many love the car seat and others don’t. Some sleep well in public and some struggle to sleep at all. You might live a mile from the grocery store and be able to make it a short trip every few days, or you might live 30 minutes from the store (like us!) and have to make it a longer grocery trip to get everything you need.

Keep trying different things. Babies change so fast and you will figure out a system that works for you!

When can babies sit in the shopping cart?

Babies can usually sit up in the shopping car around 6-9 months. Younger babies (6 months or so) may need a blanket or some sort of support. My babies do well in a baby carrier, and I always find it easier to have them strapped to me rather than in the cart for as long as possible.

Some parents also prefer to use a shopping cart hammock to help babies safely and comfortably ride in the shopping cart.

How do you keep toddlers inside a grocery cart?

Set boundaries and expectations. If you don’t want your kids to get out of the cart, they need to understand that staying in the shopping cart is the rule. Letting young children get out sometimes and sometimes making them stay in causes them confusion, and they’ll likely want to have the freedom of getting out every time.

It’s easier to set the expectation of staying in the cart the first time, rather than taking away that freedom after you’ve allowed small children to get out.

If you’ve been letting your kids get out during your shopping trip, start next time by apologizing for the confusion and communicating to your children the new rule that they must stay in the cart. With the right attitude, it can still be an enjoyable experience for everyone! (And probably much more so, since it will bring the stress level down immensely!).

From a safety aspect, it’s also a good idea to buckle your children into the front of the shopping cart whenever possible. Although the goal is to stay close to your children in the store, the possibility of someone snatching them from the cart is much lower if they’re buckled in.

If your toddler is struggling to stay in the cart and it becomes a safety issue, some moms also use a carabiner attached from their belt loop to the cart to make sure they stay safely inside. (Just be sure to keep working on obedience while you use this method, too! You don’t want to have to use a carabiner forever.)

For older kids, you can still focus on safety by communicating the rules of either walking right next to you (possibly with a hand on the cart) or staying safely in the back of the cart, depending on their age.

Can you put a car seat in a shopping cart?

Infant car seats can go in the main basket of a shopping cart, but trying to balance an infant seat on top of a cart is not a good idea.

I only bring the car seat into the store when babies are newborns. After the first couple of months, I find that they tend to be much more fussy while strapped into the infant car seat than they are in a baby carrier or sling.

Riding the car seat around in the main basket of the shopping cart also presents another problem — where do you put your food? If you’re not getting a lot, of course, you can store some foods in the bottom of the cart or in the seat up front (if you don’t have a toddler up there, that is!). I’ve also used a Mommy Hook to hang bags from the front of the cart.

How do you navigate grocery store parking lots with babies and toddlers?

No one wants to think about the reality of parking lot abductions, but the very sad truth is that they happen. Fortunately, there are a lot of measures that you can take to stay safe in the parking lot, even when you’re juggling a baby or multiple children.

Here are some of our top tips that we use a lot!

1. Park next to the cart corral or as close as possible

This way, you can easily get your kids into the cart and then later put the cart away without having to take more than a few steps away from your vehicle. (With one baby, it’s easy to carry them into and out of the store, but this gets tricker when you have two or three or more kids!)

2. Limit the time your kids have to be in the parking lot

What I mean by this is that they should go as quickly from the vehicle to the cart as possible, and vice versa. We have a minivan, and I have all three of my kids (who are all 3 and under) get out the same door and back into the same door.

I would rather allow them have some freedom inside the van where I know they are safe than have them sitting in the cart while I’m turned around strapping in another child. After I strap in the baby, I can get in the van and strap the toddlers into their seats. (Side note: we also work on obedience of course, so they are pretty good at going to their seats and not being too crazy in the van, thankfully!)

3. Try to leave space between you and the next vehicle

If you can have a wide enough space – or better yet – park where there is no car next to you, you can bring the cart right up to the side door and transfer your kids to the cart without ever being more than an arm’s length away.

4. Go to the store during less busy times

I actually drive 10 minutes farther to a different town because the Aldi and Walmart there are less busy. We also like to go first thing in the morning when the least amount of people are there. And we avoid weekends whenever possible! Of course, every family’s schedule is different, but if you have a choice to choose a morning or weekday, a less busy store can go a long way in keeping your children safe (and making it a quicker trip, too).

5. Don’t turn your back on your kids, and don’t let them be more than an arm’s length away

Every situation is different. With three kids three and under, it feels like we’ve navigated nearly every parking lot possibility with littles! Sometimes it takes a few weeks to figure out a system that works for you. Keep at it. Think about ways you can stay safe while you’re not in a high-pressure moment. Get creative.

How do you handle meltdowns in the grocery store?

The best way to handle meltdowns in the grocery store is to minimize them in the first place. Some of the best ways to do this are to time your trip wisely, prepare a grocery list ahead of time, and set boundaries in advance.

Two toddlers in the front seat of the shopping cart

(We go over all of these in depth in our tips for shopping with babies and toddlers!)

No matter how well you prepare however, temper tantrums do happen to everyone from time to time.

And when they do, it’s an excellent opportunity to stay calm and parent. Remember, just because your child is melting down doesn’t mean that you have to! Be gentle but firm, address your child, and then keep going.

If the behavior continues to happen, it might be time to practice a simple trip more often with the only goal being to work on behavior rather than to get all of your groceries.

Meltdowns often happen because the child wants something that they can’t have. Work on communicating in advance what is allowed and what is not. For example, make sure your kids understand your expectations about if they must stay in the cart and if they’re allowed to ask for items at the store. If these rules change from week to week, kids WILL be confused and it will make shopping trips hard for the whole family.

And don’t forget to encourage good behavior, too!