Shopping with Two Kids
I’ve got it pretty easy. My big kid is five–a much more cooperative and responsible age than, say, three–and my little kid is only two months old, which means she’s easy to keep track of!
So shopping is not difficult. I buckle in Annabelle. Ada buckles in herself. When we get there, Ada lets herself out, carefully staying near the car, while I unbuckle Annabelle and slip her into my wrap (pretied in a front cross carry).
When we get into the store, Ada rides in the shopping cart and this is the only tricky part! With a baby wrapped on my front, it’s surprisingly difficult to lift Ada straight up and into the seat.
Out is easy. If I take the cart to our car, Ada enjoys climbing out into the trunk of our minivan and from there into her seat. I just hold the cart still. That is her preferred way but she can as easily climb out of the cart into the open side door next to her booster seat.
If we don’t take the cart into the parking lot, I just turn my back to Ada, and she climbs out of the cart onto my back and slides down. This is actually not awkward, difficult, or uncomfortable at all. I should have my husband video tape it sometime to demonstrate!
But getting Ada in the cart is difficult. I can manage it, by picking her up toward my side so as not to squash her sister, but always prefer to have her climb in without me if she can. We look for steps, or short walls that give her a boost into the cart.
It would be much easier if I had Annabelle on my back but she is almost always nursing while we run erranhds so for now, we make do.
I’m lucky my big girl is so willing and helpful!
Liz March 7, 2010 at 12:48 pm
I always used to start out with a hip carry so that I could get my 3 year old into the trolley more easily, and then re-wrap into fwcc when we were in the store.