Just how many kids can you cram into a grocery cart?

The answer is 4 young children or babies.

But first you need to find a good store that has the proper carts. Not the tiny little pretend cars, what you need is one with the extra big honking plastic seat (or bench) attached to the front. 2 go there (usually my twins). The next child goes in the child seat. And finally the baby in her infant seat is placed in the cart itself and buried under food. (Not really buried, just artfully covered by light items.) No carts like that available? Then put two in the bin (any mush-able groceries, put below), another in the child seat, and the 4th (the lightest) goes in a baby carrier/backpack. Safety wise, you should be okay with a child in the bin as long as they aren't climbers. I really don't like kids standing on the outsides of carts, I've had an empty one tip when my oldest jumped on for fun.

I've learned over the years the tricks are to plan only 3 stops and always have an exit plan. Sometimes you can get away with a 4th or 5th errand but by that point even I was tired of loading and unloading everyone into strollers and the van. It's important to know the exits, restrooms, and be ready to leave your purchases at a moment's notice when everything goes to hell in a hand basket (let an employee know if you are leaving a cart of frozen/refrigerated items though). I'm not above a good bribe if it's going to be a long errand running day, plan your last stop at a location with snack food or small toys/books. Along that same line, it's best to run errands after a meal but not near nap time. Cranky hungry tired children are not going to behave for all the ice cream at Baskin Robbins.

Best of luck and you could always do what I did. Move somewhere with grocery delivery!


Katie Fleck is a stay at home mom of five, Zach (9 years), Emily and Ally (8 year old identical twins), Kyle (5 years), and Kelly (4 years old). On a quest for a self cleaning house and 27 hour days, she writes at Ramblings of a SAHM