I hesitate to write this post because I know it will annoy some people, but I have a serious pet peeve. You know those race car carts at Whole Foods? The only ones in the store that have seating for 2 children? When I see you put your 1 child in the double cart, it enrages me and makes me think that you are selfish. I have three children who range in age from 5 to 7 months. I have many days where I have to take them all of them to Whole Foods for groceries alone. Most times, there is a double cart available, which makes my shopping trip just a tad bit easier. There are days, though, when there is 1 double cart left, and as I am hustling all 3 kids to grab it, a person with a single child casually walks over and takes it despite seeing me struggle towards it. Situations like that make me see red.
When there are no double carts, it means that I have to put two kids in the basket of a regular cart and somehow find room to put the groceries in as well without the bananas getting squished. It also means I have to constantly police the kids from opening up all the food and eating it since it’s literally in their laps. And because the kids are in close quarters in a regular cart, it means the likelihood of a fight increases 435%.
I understand the argument that you don’t want to “deprive” your precious child of the “fun” double race car cart. Here is what I say, though: “This is not a ride at Disney World.” The race car grocery cart has a function, and that function is to hold TWO children while the parent shops. Furthermore, have you ever pushed that gigantic cart through Whole Foods? If I only had one child with me, there is no way we would be using that beast of a cart for logistics and bulkiness alone.
Shopping with three kids is hard; I basically look like a traveling circus, and I’m okay with that. But the double cart is one of the things that makes my shopping trip just a little more manageable. I wish the double carts at Whole Foods were like the ones at Costco – no frills with a focus on functionality – but they are not.
Um… Who’s selfish? So bc you chose to have multiple children you are the only one allowed to use the car cart? When you take those three children to the restroom do you stay out of the handicap stall because it was only intended for handicap individuals? Those items have multiple intended uses and though very useful for multichildren families or handicap individuals, they also have additional uses! Such as occupying small children when in a store! Maybe those times when there is no car carts is a good time to teach children about how to walk & behave in a grocery store and lessons in life about how we don’t always get what you want & to roll with the punches! After all isn’t that what we ALL do when there are no car carts for our kids when we get to the store?
This blog is idiotic. Grow up.
1. Really? 2. REALLY????!!! 3. REALLY???????!!!!!!!!!!!
I am a mom of two and I could care less if one, two thee or a chihuahua was riding in the cart. Ok I’d be upset about the dog. There are RARELY stores with “single” car carts. You shouldn’t expect a mom who got to the store before you to give up her cart for you. Give me a break. Get over it.
To all the mom’s leaving posts about how this mom needs to get a life please take a quarter and purchase a mirror. SHE’s being too critical? SHE needs to get a life?
As a mother of four I’ve been on both ends of this. Little inconsiderations get to you when you’re swamped in life. Now that my youngest is four it’s easier to forget than parents with younger kids need extra consideration such as this cart thing going on here.
Thanks for this post. I take it as a reminder to be aware of extending an extra hand to moms who were me 3 years ago.
I also want to say that going from one to two kids was so challenging, and two to three kids was nothing short of a circus that tested my sanity. (After that nothing phases you)
Good luck take care and forget these other posts…coming from a mom who TOTALLY gets the need to rant every once in a while.
Instacart.com
it will solve your first world problem
I never comment on these things, but seriously?? This is the most selfish and self entitled article I’ve read on here. The fact that you even spent the time to write and complain to other mothers about something like this makes me feel sorry for your kids.
I was going to tell you to get over it because my only child deserves the fun cart as much as anyone, but I see so many others have beat me to it.
If you want double carts like Costco, then you need to take it up with Whole Foods. The single kid has every right to a fun time playing in those car carts. First come, first served. Make your eldest or two eldest walk and train them to behave themselves. There’s no rule saying your kids have to be in carts.
Just bring along some extra small distraction toys, like a stuffed animal… or hand them an old paper towel tube, put on your chipper-mom-voice and tell them it is a “special detachable airplane steering wheel!” they get to use on the “fun occasions of sitting in the single cart!”
Sometimes it is best to teach your kids: When life hands you lemons, make lemonade. (Though, debatedly, this is such a 1st world problem it hardly qualifies as a overcoming-hardship lesson).
Kids don’t have to have toys/entertainment ALL of the time. Let them not be distracted and look around at what the world has to offer. If they melt down over a cart, take the moment to discipline appropriately and turn it into a lesson of non-being-entitled. You aren’t doing them any favors by acting like the world owes them a special shopping cart.
I am sorry to be so harsh. I apologize if I inadvertently overstepped. I don’t know you, always like to err on the side of caution, b/c you never know what battles a soul is facing.
This article was shared on a girls group of amazing women and mothers of all ages, stages, and number of children. The overwhelming response is WTF! One of them made an excellent point about the mom’s in support stating that their kids have meltdowns over the carts not being available. The only thing that supports is the entitlement problem which seems to be sweeping the nation. You don’t always get what you want, and blaming someone else for that disappointment is not a lesson our kids need to be learning. To that end I’m pasting my comment from the group. It’s absolutely snarky because I’m pissed at the moment. The good news is I’m not writing a blog so I don’t have to be PC….or is this possibly an excellent example of entitlement??
“That’s all I can really say in response to this blog. I’m sorry you chose to have that many kids, and in that close an age range. If you’re going to blame others, then perhaps you should look to yourself. Did you think that when you went to the grocery store it would be with Stepford kids? There are plenty of blogs out there offering advice on how to make grocery shopping as pleasant as possible with children in tow. Should my son have to sit in a regular cart just because of my choice, while yours don’t because of your choice? Doesn’t that hint of just a little discrimination? The choices you make affect the outcome of your life, thus you will be that traveling circus until your kids are much older. I and my child should not have to have our lives affected by how many kids you choose to have. If it bothers you that much, ask WholeFoods to bring in more, or to have kid-size carts for your older ones. My (((three))) year old often uses those carts and (((helps))) me shop. There have also been plenty of times when the car-carts are all taken, but I don’t go giving the stink eye to those using them with only one kid.”
Here a better solution: don’t go shopping with your kids. Problem solved.