Do You Guys Do the Car Carts?

Absolutely. My kids are all too big for them now, but we have used them whenever we went in - unless it was a quick trip. They are only kids once...why not?

Not so bad at all. We did it for a while. DS got to drive and I got to shop in peace - no constantly telling him to keep up and stay close. It was too funny - as soon as he got in he ALWAYS buckled up his seat belt.

We do it. I like it actually because it keeps my kids busy in the cart. They like to "buckle" so they actually can't even get out.

I used them with my boys when my oldest was little, and now I let my 5 year old boy and my 3 year old girl use them.

Worrying about germs is kind of silly at this point... we wash hands when we get home, and don't eat anything in them.

Sure, I use them. Is there a reason I shouldn't? I'm completely confused by your abhorrence to them. Do you think it's wrong, or something? My son is delighted to use one, he loves cars. He's also fine with not using them. I have never had a problem steering. Perhaps, the ones here are made differently? They don't steer any different then a regular cart. I do go shopping early in the day, so the size of them is not an issue. I would never use one if it were during a very busy shopping time of day. I feel like I would get in the way, and I think that's rude. He doens't get in and out. If he did it's not the carts fault!! It's the parents fault for allowing it. If a child throws a tantrum over it, it's not the carts fault!! It's the parents fault for standing there tolerating it. I see a lot of mamas blaming an inanimate object, for their children's bad behavior! Oh, and my son is almost 3. He has been mildly sick ONCE in his entire life. It wasn't from a shopping cart, either.

People are so funny. I have much more important things to do then shield my son from evil car carts!!

ETA : I wasn't talking about you specifically. I was being sarcastic about the tone of people's answers!! It is just silly to me that people are so up in arms about a cart. I wouldn't have never though twice about it. Just doesn't seem like a big deal to me.

YES!! LOVE IT! makes grocery shopping so much more tolerable. the boys stay in one place, they laugh and have fun. Why not do a little extra work on my end to help them have the time of their life. . . .at the grocery store.
I sometimes get ewwed out by the germs, but whatever, they are in school/child care no less exposure.
I guess I am of the mind that I am going to have to push a cart anyways and if this is ALL they want to do and all they ask for to enjoy their mandatory grocery time (LOL), why do I have to be that sour puss and say NO. :)

Why in the world would you deprive your children of something fun and harmless at the grocery store? It's a lot better than buying them a candy bar at the checkout. I mean, what harm does it do? I honestly can't believe you are calling this a "slippery slope!" I mean, what's the next step, they'll want to go on a slide at the park?

Not to seem harsh...but I'm honestly confused by your question. Yes, I let my children ride in the car cart at the grocery store, and they have fun. Would they have fun otherwise? Maybe, maybe not...but really, I don't feel like I'm on a slippery slope.

I honestly can't sort out why you are so against them.

(And who cares if they are heavy? Bonus workout for me!)

I just thought of something...a few days later...you probably don't let your children play the claw machines at the arcades, either.

Sure we do it, why not? The kid has fun pretending to drive and I can get my shopping done faster. What's the harm?
The only downside that I can see is they are a bit bulky to steer, but seriously, I SO MUCH prefer my kids playing in there while I shop.
L.

They're harder to steer a little, but that's about it. And it keeps them occupied. Why NOT do it?

Car carts are nothing but a win win for a certain age range and temperament of kids. My independent little girls would not be content to be plopped in the cart to patiently wait while mommy did all the shopping. While bulky and hard to maneuver, they made the difference between chasing my kid and containing my kid. I have driven 5 miles past my nearest grocery store to be able to use carts with cars. Its a total save for age 2-4. Maybe your kids are too old for them to benefit you.

Well as a general rule, I don't shop with my kids. But sure, we've used them before. Life's too short to be rigid and miserable. If they sit inside them and amuse themselves, why not use something free and readily available to make a chore more fun? I didn't find them hard to steer or heavy or difficult to use, nor have I ever bumped into anyone or anything while using one. I don't shop during peak hours anyway so it's not like crowding has been an issue when we've used one. For me, there was no downside to using them when my kids were younger.

This so makes me laugh. I hate those things and I get roped into them every time! They don't steer well until your cart is loaded down with groceries (to balance out the frontward poundage of two kids in the car part). And, my 4 y/o always wants to climb out sit on top, getting me dirty looks from all the other shoppers and clerks. The 2 y/o wants to get in and out, in and out. Inevitably, 1/2way through the store they aren't even sitting in it, with my 2 year old now uptop in the normal cart seat, and the 4 year old hanging on the side in some manner. Everytime I am like "NO you don't even end up sitting in it!" and every time I ended up thinking "oh fine, whats the big deal.

Ideally I go to the store alone or with only 1 of them, Then I don't do the car cart.

On a side note, I went to a Chuck E. Cheese B-day party last weekend and I guess I should be counting my lucky stars... my kids survived! Just as healthy as they were before the outing. They always seem to survive the car cart germs too.

I hate those bleeping car carts.

I tried it once. Never again! It was really hard for me to control and it was awkward. My DD was hanging out the "window" yelling at everyone to "get out my way!" Never, ever again!

ugh I hated those things. Our son is too old for them now but back in the day...I remember those days.....he'd get in, I'd go for it....and somewhere between aisle 1 and 4 he'd be out walking beside me. while I'm stuck pushing that thing full of groceries. He would tell me he got tired of me bumping into the aisles. Well good grief, they're so hard to steer, the wheels would go all different crazy ways.
:))

I do not use them but my ex has and now my kids ask every time. They are just so bulky and more difficult to control, esspecially after you add an extra 70lbs worth of kids (2 toddlers) to the front of it. The only time we use them is at home depot cause it keeps my kids quiet in a "boring store"

Can't stand them. The ones by us are really bulky and hard to control. If the cart is full, it really wrenches my back to turn it. Meanwhile, my son enjoys it for a few minutes, then gets bored.

He still asks to use one even though he's 5 now. I always tell him no.

He once had a major temper tantrum - one of his biggest ever - over my refusal to take the car cart. I think he was around 31/2 and we just had to run in to pick up maybe 5 items. We wound up never even getting in the door and I had to give him a HUGE timeout when we got home. He's never had a tantrum over them since.

It's deifinitely more fun for shopping, but our store doesn't let us take the carts outside, so when the bags are loaded back into the car cart, I have to switch them to a regular cart to take outside. If I'm doing a big shopping, it's too much of a hassle! They should just put the bags as they're filled into a regular cart, but I don't have the hands to take one with me, and no one there's really helpful.

Yes, I let me kids ride in them when they were and are the age. My youngest 5, can still fit in some of them. It's fun for them, and I've never ran into someone or thing. Now some have been a little harder to move, but I'm careful. I think "CVS" has the hardest wheels to move, but I let my kids... I don't see anything wrong with doing it, and we all have fun, I even made sounds when they were little...

Not a hill to die on. My kids liked them, so they rode in them (when they fit). What's the big deal? I can't believe so many are so deathly afraid of germs. And someone said they were embarrassed to be seen with one? What's up with that? Being seen with your kids having fun? I'm lost.

NO! If I could make them go away I would! Do you know how many times I have been ran over by a preoccupied mom who doesn't realize they are longer and you can't see the ground, or my ankles, in front of them?

Hate hate hate them!

My kids asked but no no no. My son was willing to have a temper tantrum over them, I was willing to leave over them that day. :p

Yes, I have used them. If one is available we grab it. It's not a big deal. They do steer backwards, but it only takes a minute to adjust and get used to it.

And I have never run over anyone or up the back of someone's ankles.

I used to! They added some fun and while they're a bit more difficult to steer it wasn't a big issue. The funnest was taking them to an empty area of the playground and you can whip them around in circles. My kids loved it and would be laughing! It's really easy to do and so much fun. Somehow the physics of the cart let you spin them with one hand...

I hate those things. I used them once or twice before learning my lesson - they're hard to maneuver, super heavy with the added weight of the kids, bump into things and after a while, the kids want to get out anyway, then you're stuck pushing that darn thing (ya know, because of all the groceries now in the cart) AND trying to get the kids to stay with you. REALLY hate those things. So I stopped using them (of course, now my kids are too old for them anyway...thank goodness.)

Now I hate them for a different reason - trying to push my own (smaller) cart down an aisle where someone's using one of those car carts is such a challenge, I usually have to go around them by going down another aisle altogether and coming back up the other side. Can't tell you how many times I've seen poor moms pushing empty cars with grocery-full carts with their toddlers running around - I SO understand the looks of regret on their faces, shoulda just gone with a regular cart or basket...

Used one ONCE. That was enough. Very, very hard to move the thing around the store. I just said "no" from that point on.

We use them every time we can get one (which is rare - they are always taken). The kids enjoy it and sit there nicely while I do my grocery shopping. Why is it you don't want to use one so bad? It's not hard or painful at all. It is a bit bigger in the front so you might bump into something if you are not careful about turning/stopping in time. Huh. I just read some other answers. Maybe different places have different sized car carts. The ones we use are at Whole Foods and they are not huge and heavy.

Best thing to come along since sliced bread! My boys, now 9 & 11, loved every minute of them. It's like a free 1/2hr. at Chuckee Cheese but you get to shop. Add a lollipop or bring a book and now you're supermom The one rule we adhered to was; once you're in...you stay in. I also brought wipes (which they now have at the entry of almost every store) and did a quick swipe of the inside. It's true, once you start you can't stop - but why would you want to? Well maybe because mine would still go in if they could actually fit.

We use them and love them. It keeps the kiddos occupied while I shop. I only go early in the morning on Sat or Sun, so the store isn't too busy. At peak times I avoid the store like the plague, with or without kids, I wipe them down with a cleaning wipe and off we go. :)

Sometimes. I don't have a problem maneuvering them...my issue is their cleanliness. They are usually dirty and and I don't want to spend the 5 minutes wiping them down and then letting them dry. When I take the time to clean them, my toddlers love it and it keeps them occupied while I shop so I can finish my shopping quicker.

They are so hard to steer around corners & such. I've only used them once. Never again!

Letting my kids ride in the cars or the airplanes or whatever the store had is what helped keep my kids quieter and made my shopping experience easier. I used two at a time, pulling one and pushing another. The day my triplets got too big to fit them anymore is when life got harder to manage them in the store. They still wish they could go in them. They're 7. I used them for my older boys too. As long as you know the store and see that they keep them relatively clean then why not use them. There has been times that we went into a store and saw that they were nasty and that was before the stores started stocking those cart wipes so you could disinfect your shopping carts before using them. So you can also do a quick wipe down on the handles and seats before letting the kids in. They're not hard to push. Give it a try! They're funn for all!

K. B
mom to 5 including triplets

So funny, IMO. I don't see what the big deal is. Some stores I have put my 3 yr old in the car cart and they are just too huge and not quite fun to maneuver. But hey, not a big deal. He enjoys it. If I accidentally miss-maneuver the huge thing, I laugh and tell my son to 'watch where you're driving!' My nearest store with a car cart is actually a lot shorter of a cart - not a full sized humongo cart. Looks like this http://www.bigkidsmallcity.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11...

But there are tons of kinds out there. Some small, some huge. Yes we use them all, but I try to laugh when having difficulty maneuvering the huge ones (like at Home Depot).

I have used them a few times, but can't remember the last time. They are big and awkward to push. My kids don't even ask anymore.

I have used them once or twice, but I typically go to the store alone anyhow. I do not have anything against them except they are germ factories.

They are the worst things in the world to control and push along! Aisles are often not the right size for them. Good luck ever getting them into the clothes section of Target for instance and if a grocery store has any displays in the aisle itself it becomes hard to get past even if it's small. It was the rarest of treats that we'd use one when my boys were little. Probably no more than 5 times over several years.

I love them when my youngest was little and he conned up into letting him use one a few weeks ago and he's 9. Some stores have ones that are harder to push than others. They help keep them entertained and in the cart for the most part. So it made it much easier to shop.

Sometimes.

They ARE a pain to maneuver, so I choose not to use them when the store is busy or when we are in a rush.

Our rule is that if I say "No, not today", they are to let go of it immediately. No arguing, no whining.

If they are able to listen well and respect my decision, I am fine with indulging them when it's also convenient.

Occasionally, they are bulky and hard to turn but mine don't ask for them much but I wouldn't mind doing it if they ask since they usually want to get out and walk which is worse than car cart.

I believe they were created to deter moms from bringing kids to the grocery store! ha ha

We have the same conversation every time we go!

I can't stand driving those large, hard to drive boats! I only let them ride if I am not getting much and am not in a hurry!

The car cart isn't bad. It keeps my daughter quiet and happy the whole time I'm in the store.

I have tried it with both of my kids and they get bored. Then they insist on getting in and out constantly. So that makes the trip harder. So I avoid them with my daughter (my son is six and no longer has any interest in riding in the cart in any fashion). But I have back tracked a bit. A local grocery store recently got a car cart that plays cartoons (Handy Manny, Jake and the Pirates and Mickey Mouse Club). We don't have cable, so I can get all my shopping done uninterrupted if we can snag one of those carts and I bring her a snack.

my kids are 4 and 7 now, but yes, we used them everytime we went shopping! My 7 year old doesn't fit in them anymore but my 4 year old does. But mostly now, I go shopping when they are both at school or when my husband is home so he can stay with the kids.

I use them, well used too. My daughter is too big for them now. Here in Florida they sit up near you and are not that much longer than a regular cart (like what Home Depot and Lowes have).

As for germs the carts are stored outside (not contained in a climate controlled area like McD's play lands) so most germs will die off in the cold or extreme heat (like here in Florida). When I lived in PA they had the ones with the car in the front and the super market also offered wipes when you were walking in the door so you could wipe off the cart. For some parents it is easier to keep the kids occupied in one of these.

I HATE those things! We have used them a couple of times, but its not a regular occurence. The baskets are smaller and I usually am filled to the brim with a regular cart. They're also hard to push. The big draw at the grocery store for my kids is getting a free cookie at the bakery.

I used one this last summer for the first time...lol my oldest is 7....that puppy steared so beautifully...not sure if they are all like that...but I could stear the cart with one hand and three kids in it! LOL might be using it more often...summer time only though...kids never go in carts in the winter!

I had no qualms about using them until we did. Now they are only allowed to use the top-loading ones at Publix and Lowe's. The enclosed front-of-the-cart ones at Kroger are NIGHTMARES. They get in there and start at each other and it always ends in tears -theirs, not mine. They don't even ask anymore. They LOVE the front (near me) open top ones. I guess since they can't get away with aggravating each other in plain sight, and I'm right there, so they behave. They are unwieldy and hard to push around though.

I did once and ran into the candy rack at the checkout. I couldn't see the end of the cart. My son really wasn't in to those. He wanted to ride on the rack underneath the regular cart.

Never! The basket is so small on the ones I've seen, I wouldn't be able to fit much in that. I don't even want to try to manuever one of those things, I am a small person and have enough trouble pushing a regular cart when it's full!

My baby's too young, but I have not known my friends to use them or to have any trouble keeping their kids from them. They just teach their kids to stay with them while shopping, and the cars don't come into play.

I'm too much of a germaphobe to let them in one... I never really thought about how I'd have to do it every time once we started. I just keep picturing other kids wiping their snot on the steering wheels.

LOL- "They are for birthdays!!" That's too funny!! What a genius answer!! Wish I had thought of that.

They're not that bad though, in my experience anyway. It does keep my daughter entertained while we're shopping- enough so that she doesn't notice the cookies and stuff as much. I guess not hearing "Mooom, can I have this...puhleease..." 4 or 5 times makes it worth the hassle of maneuvering that thing through the aisles- unless it's crowded- then, no way!

Added: Yes, I am a little grossed out by the germs too, but I use the sanitizing wipes that the grocery store provides. Also, as soon as we get back to our car, she and I both use hand sanitizer. If you think about it, grocery cart handles are no less germy.

GERMS.....if you don't mind your little ones getting sick after taking a drive then go for it. I have never allowed my kids to ride in them....I also never, ever take them to McDonald's playlands or Chuck E. Cheese. These places are sooo Nasty. Especially Chuck E. Cheese. It is mostly teens working at these places, and they cannot even clean their own bedrooms let alone disinfect a childs play place . If you even just google germs at McDonald's playlands or even these car carts you will most likely be disgusted. My kids do not even ask to go to these places....I am all about taking them to the park when it is nice out.

http://blogs.babble.com/strollerderby/2011/03/03/germs-an...

Germs can be on other parts of the cart people....

I despise those nasty, un-drivable things! I come up with every excuse under the sun to not use them, and most times it works. I have caved when I know I will be in with my kids for more than just a few things. But it is disgusting, and way too hard to steer. I've run into people and their normal carts and just about died of embarrassment. Hate, hate, hate them!

We use them. They are kind of bulky but you get used to it and ppl tend to get out of our way cause it is so big, so thats a plus. I really like the ones at Price Chopper and Lowes cause the car is close to you instead of out in front. My daughter loves these things. But the stores don't have alot of them and she gets pset when she can't have one.

Only on the rare occasion. They drive like a truck. These days DD likes to have one of the little kiddie carts (or we bring her own) or she helps me by finding all the codes for the scanner.

I prefer to use the shopping cart cover (Floppy Seat, I think it's called) and they don't fit in the "car cart". Our grocery store only has a few and they're usually out when we go, so the kids don't even ask.

Avoid them for as long as you can. I was able to avoid them for a long time and finally let my oldest son ride in one with a TV screen with a choice of Thomas, Handy Manny, etc. It was great and really occupied him so that I could shop. The next time we went to the store, all of the carts were in use and he had a major meltdown, even though I explained we weren't getting a cart at all because we were only picking up a few things. I used one when I had both boys, and it was horrible. They kept fighting because they both wanted to sit in the driver's seat. They're really unwieldy, just too difficult to steer, especially when you have to maneuver around other carts in the aisle. I just saw carts where the top part of the cart looks like the car with TWO steering wheels, so the basket for groceries is in front of the car (farther from you) instead of closer to you. That's not enough to convince me to ever use those carts again, though.

We used them. It kept the kids occupied. Grocery shopping is a nightmare as it is. It helped to have the kids think it was fun :)

No. I don't like to create more "drama". And they always look dirty to me. but I have one child. My friend had 2 Ds -18 months apart... and she loved using them.

Our twin grandsons ride in them because their mom is strong enough to push one, I'm not. Also I was checking out at a grocery store one day when I heard a loud noise and felt extreme pain. Some older child had taken the car cart and was running down the main isle where you are checking out and hit me full force. I had several workers run to see if I was okay and it hurt my neck, back and leg,, felt like a whip lash. The girl's mother said quickly for her to go say 'sorry' to me which she mumbled and they rushed out of the store. I think they are heavy and dangerous but to let a kid push one is out of the question and to run with it is really not an option. I thought the store should have said something to the mother,or I should say the manager, but I let it go and hobbled home. IF you use one please be careful with it and don't let kids push it.

Usually when we go they are not even available so it's not an option. I've let DD do it maybe twice, but she doesn't even ask or expect it, and she's fine just walking next to me as I am shopping. If you had 2 kids to contain I could see it but otherwise for me it's just more of a hassle trying to maneuver the thing around. And the first time I let DD sit in one, she kept getting out, then getting back in, then deciding she wanted to walk instead - argh! So the second time I told her flat out that once she got in she was staying in - if she chose to ride in the car cart, she had to stay put, and she was fine. But I like I said, they are usually not readily available so it's never been a regular thing and DD doesn't really ask for it. If DD happens to ask, I will say no, just because they can be a pain.

I am cracking up at the image of your kids wishing other kids in the car carts a Happy Birthday, BTW - that's so funny!

Yeah, my kid used to bug the heck out of me to use the car carts. Truth is, they are so heavy, then you add in the groceries and my 50 lb kid ... ain't happening. I'm petite.

To each his own, I say. I never used them b/c they looked ridiculously hard to steer. But some people swear by them and that's why they're offered. What is your total aversion to them?! I'm just curious.

Love the birthday idea! LoL

My kids occasionally ask for them but there aren't many and we usually can't get one. I like to put my youngest in an Ergo on my back but he is 2 and has never been on the cars. My older two have been in them here and there. I much prefer the carts with three seats since I have three kiddos and the baskets are bigger then in those car ones.

It seems like you've had pretty many responses on the subject & to be honest I didn't read them all but I thought I'd share my experience. I used to let my kids in them until once we were waiting for one at a store & the mom pulled her daughter out. Apparently while she was in there she had an accident in her pants (and all over the car). The mom just walked away & left the cart....very wet. So, no we don't use the car carts anymore.

I do not like those carts either. They are huge at Wegmans where we shop. My Mom had taken the kids to the grocery store once and let ride in it, so two other times when she was with me shopping I let the kids do it. Never again! They are hard to push and the kids ended up fighting in them. They are dirty and no matter how much I wiped them I couldn't really get them clean. I felt like I had to give the kids a bath afterward which is not always possible. I have told the kids no more and they stopped asking now. I find it easier to not use them. It is fine for people who like them, but I am not one of those people.