Children in shopping trollies

While I understand the hygenie aspects I just want to give you an idea of what it is like shopping with children.

Most of us work full time , with no other support around and bringing children is the only option.

Children by nature don’t always obey and stand nicely while doing a 45 minute shop.

My own child has autism , will not sit in the seat and will become visibly distressed and won’t renter the shop unless in the trolley. If I don’t put her in she will only be carried around the store (aged 6) which is almost impossible.

I think at times just a little compassion sometimes is mums make “poor” choices because they are the best of a bad lot and really doing our best to juggle the demands of small children and daily tasks . It’s not done to cause upset or worse anger at these choices.

Shopping for me is stressful enough if someone approached me saying this I would actually be distraught and deeply embarrassed , but please be kind when approaching parents it’s a tough time for all of us.

I had never done this as a healthy strong young woman with children i could lift them into the seat no problem. But since having covid last year on the couple of occasions i havehad to take 2 year old gs in with me i have had no strength to lift him on the seat. He is too big for it anyway.
I have had to lob him into the trolley which i felt was better for other shoppers than wandering about and quicker. I will no longer judge people who do it they may not be strong enough or there bladder isn't either!

crazyH

Sperm?????

Who knows what goes on up the meat aisle

Shopping trollies are designed to safely sit one toddler, which I did. If my older toddler got cranky, she was plonked in amongst the germ covered shopping which, I am sure had as many germs on the packaging as were on the trolley.
I am from the school of thought that immunities must be built up and being too clean leaves us open to infections.

I don’t have a problem with children in trollies.

have you any idea how miserable old bat you sound
Mimipoppetnana Wot! Me?
I haven't even opened my mouth yet, but if you're anxious to consider a man's opinion on this, after all we do occasionally stoop to the menial job of shopping, whenever I encounter a trolley with a tiny passenger, some friendly repartee such as "Are they on special today?" invariably promotes a friendly reply such as "He/She/ is always special!"
And we both have a happy day; I hope!

Hithere

I think trollies being stored together, in the street, under the rain, people put their bags inside, we do not know what kind of hygiene they keep in the warehouse for the items we buy, etc...

Kids are the least of trolly problems. Dont kids wear clothes to cover the diapers anyway?

I feel as grans, it is harder for you to sympathize with moms with young kids and daily activities - are you aware how hard is to go grocery shopping with a child?

It takes 3 or more times longer than normal, the kid wants everything and tears, wants to run to everywhere, little grabby hands, etc.

Ways easier to put the child inside the trolley - honestly.

I bet if a child is running wild with the parent chasing the kid - posters wouldnt be happy and judge the parent too. No win situation

And yes, a stranger comes to me to tell me my child shouldn't be in the trolley, you would be told politely to mind your own business.

Every supermarket I use has trollies where there is a place for children to sit. Including ones for two children. No kssue with that but parents still put them in the part where the shopping goes. Yuk

I totally agree. It's disgusting. I work in a sweet shop and parents often sit small children on the counter to see the range I shudder at this and have to clean the counter after they go as we are not allowed to tell them off

Children should definitely NOT be IN trolleys there is a designated place for them for a certain age after that sitting or standing shouldn’t be allowed health and safety should be looking at this they seem to have rules for everything else

I have no problem with little ones in shopping trollies, better that than risk having them wander off and get kidnapped
I feel safety first when it comes to little ones.
However I agree that the trollies should be put through a wash or steam cleaned.

I'm in agreement about children sitting inside shopping trolleys.

On the other hand, I've seen some disgusting behaviour from children running crazily around supermarkets - dodging in between shoppers - or using roller blades - even those 'heelies' (trainers with wheels built into the heels).

There ARE times that I wish we could have those shopping trolley lock-up cupboards back into the stores. They'd come in VERY USEFUL for locking up the worst of the disruptive kids, until their parents decide to come to collect them - though I suspect that many would leave them there while they go off into some other shops .

I really don't worry about this sort of thing. I fear all too many contributers to this thread seem to have forgotten what it's like to be shopping in a supermarket with at least one small child in tow. Or perhaps they were left with the nanny? Covid aside, so many seem to be completely germ phobic these days, how on earth did we ever survive in the days before antibacterial sprays that kill 99.9% of all known germs? Since many won't now leave the house without said antibacterial bac, why not spray your trolley down &, if you do that already as a matter of course, which I'm sure the majority of posters today do, just get on with your shopping , stop worrying and leave other people to get on with their lives as they think fit, just as you all do.

There are 'germs' everywhere and always have been. A Covid virus IS different but we are getting through it by being sensible and not paranoid

I don't think creating paranoia about grubby shopping trolleys is a valuable use of my time as there are many areas of germ laden hazards in the world and I am just happy to wash my hands (or use wipes and sanitiser) regularly before I eat, drink or touch my face

As for children in trolleys. please find another vent for your enthusiasm for putting the world to rights that doesn't involve judging mothers who have enough on their plates already. They need our help and support

Wipe down the handle with the sanitiser and paper towels before using, wear gloves if you must, take a trolley liner bag for your goods, it's not that difficult, but shopping with children is

GrauntyHelen

I'd rather they were confined in the trolley than under my feet

I agree!

suziewoozie

Iam64

SueDonim

I’ve often wondered, even pre-CV, why trollies don’t get put through some sort of washing process, like an automatic carwash. Maybe not with every use but once a day at least.

Suziewoozie online deliveries don’t mean you escape! Our local supermarket uses an ordinary trolley in which to gather the items for online deliveries. ? ?

Exactly so. Put the trollies through a hot wash.

I don’t think mine come from the local supermarket but of course I have no way of knowing how they get from the shelf ( wherever that is) into the carrier bag. Oh well, at least I don’t see the filthy trolley?

I think that the only online shopping I know that comes from a warehouse is Ocado, though I'm guessing that must be true of Amazon as they don't have retail shops.
But when you go round Tesco and Sainsburys you often see assistants putting online orders directly into crates, so I wouldn't be so worried about them. I don't know about others as it is so long since I've shopped anywhere else.

We'd probably never know even if we did get a serious illness from a trolley. The doctor probably wouldn't think to ask if we'd recently handled a supermarket trolley. I'm sure that it's not impossible, but there are so many other sources of a similar nature, we'd never be done sanitising. For instance, you pull yourself nearer the table in a restaurant by handling the chair where numerous other hands have been - not all germ free!

AGAA4

I sometimes find the handles of shopping trolleys are sticky and disgusting and that gunk will be inside as well.

But there are spray bottles and paper to disinfect handles near most supermarket entrances.

Slightly off piste here but with regard to children "running wild" in supermarkets or elsewhere for that matter, my mum used reins for me & I did the same for my offspring back in the 70's. For a start it keeps a little person close by in case of "Stranger Danger."
Also, if you sit a small child in a purpose built trolly with a seat facility, it helps to give them their own little shopping list to select items as you pass down the aisles. Worked a treat for me and mine & kept the peace.
I can see that an older child with dirty hands and shoes could contaminate a trolly but I never put supermarket bags on my work surface in the kitchen so any contamination is kept at floor level. My kitchen floor is mopped at least every day & certainly after shopping is sorted out.

I'd rather they were confined in the trolley than under my feet

Yes hithere it is hard work taking even one small person shopping. It’s just as bad trying to put them in the trolley seat - I always tried to cover it and wipe the handle even before Covid. Think it’s each person’s responsibility to wipe stuff down as they go.

A majority of posters seem to blame the parents for allowing their children to sit inside the trollies and eat random, unpaid-for food.

Who brought those parents up? Each one of those parents, must be one of our daughters or sons. Just saying.

I've always subscribed to the view that we all need to consume a certain amount of dirt to strengthen our immune systems, but since covid I have been careful to wipe the handle of the trolley. I usually gel my hands then spread gel along the handle. It dries off quite quickly. I hadn't really thought about the trolley insides at all. The first few times I shopped I wiped my purchases at home but that didn't last - way too much hassle! I haven't caught covid so far as I know and so I don't suppose I'll stress too much about the contents of my trolleys in future.

I agree though that trolleys should be washed regularly by the supermarkets if they are so bad. In my area Waitrose seem to be the most hygienic, being wiped down after every use. M&S were doing that early on but I don't go there regularly so don't know now. As for the rest, it seems to be left to the customers though the big supermarkets provide sprays and gel so it is up to us to look after ourselves.

No you are not being unreasonable Molly. It's totally unheigeinic and what's even worse it is a safety hazard. When I worked in my local diy store a good few years ago we were told by our manager of we saw any customers with their children sitting inside the trolley we had to politely ask them to take them out as it was dangerous. If they were standing up and jumping around they could have gone head first into a concrete floor and been killed.

‘Suziewoozie I have seen lots of shoppers using the ordinary trolleys to pick the items for an online shop so, sadly, it is no guarantee that your shopping hasn't been in a dirty trolley.’

Oh I absolutely agree - I’ve decided I’m in the ‘ if I didn’t see it, it didn’t happen ’ frame of mind ?

It’s dangerous as well! I saw a 3-4 year old stand up in a trolley and fall out head first into the hard floor!! It was so stupid of the mother to allow that...

Suziewoozie I have seen lots of shoppers using the ordinary trolleys to pick the items for an online shop so, sadly, it is no guarantee that your shopping hasn't been in a dirty trolley. MollyAA12 I do agree with you - if they are too old to fit in the trolley seat then children should be walking. Interesting that trolleys are being wiped down at this time but I don't remember seeing it before. Even the trolley handle is likely to be a germ party at the best of times!