Hey moms! Do you guys allow your two-year-olds to walk with you into places or while shopping? I saw a mom with her son, who just turned 2. He walked with her everywhere and did really well. My son is wild, and I feel like I would be running all over like crazy. Do you ladies keep them in the cart while shopping? Or a stroller? I carry my son into stores and such still as well
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My son is 18months and he rides in the buggy everywhere we go.
My son is almost 3 & HELL NO. he grabs everything. I use those blue carts like a caboose and I strap his bottom in there 
even then he pulls things off the shelf etc. Itās too much. Plus I have a 4 month old so I donāt have time to chase my toddler. If you only have that 1 kid, then you could try it but I wouldnāt lol
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Depends. Grabbing a few quick things, she walks with me. Grocery Shopping, shes in the cart.
My 5yro still goes in the cart lol easy for all of us that way 
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At that age my girls were in the cart. Even now (at almost 4) I donāt think I would let them walk next to the cart
Nope mine is wild too he sits in the cart
Depends where we goā¦ Went to the doctor and chemist yesterday with 4.5 month old in the pram, had mr 2 walk next to me and asked him to hold the hand strapā¦ He stopped and touched a couple of things but did wellā¦ Hes also a crazy full on kid so for him thatās a winā¦ If its a quick stop he can walk but longer stops like for groceries hes in the trolley
My son prefers ro walk. Hes almost 2 1/2 bt has been doing it since he started walking really well. He knows his boundaries but ahain. Heās two. He still wants to touch. We have gottwn into a habit where he knows he can only touch it when mama says it needs to go in the buggie
And then he knows hes helping and not making a mess.
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Mine walks along side of me most of the time. She doesnāt really bother anything. Sheās 2 and does really good either staying beside me or dad.
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I started letting him walk holding the cart around 2, but the second he let go of it and took off I would put him into the cart and he wouldnāt get another chance, heās almost 4 now and walks
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My eldest was cool with walking. The rule for my second was DO NOT LET HIS FEET TOUCH THE GROUND! My ex mother in law found this out the hard way when she didnāt listen and he ended up running across an entire Carpark and a road and just luckily was seen by a friend who knew what he was like and grabbed him. With my third she can go either way. I donāt mind walking with her to grab just 1 or 2 things but i do need to constantly hold her hand or she grabs at everything.
I think you should try it and begin to set boundaries and clear expectations. I mean they canāt ride in a cart forever.
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I recently let my wild one down to see how it would go. He never left my side. I think they understand more than we give them credit for
I donāt bring her shopping my daughter is 15 months and insane. She figured out how to get out of the belts on the carts. So yeah no more shopping with her for an eternity
If itās a life or death situation and we do go I put her in her stroller whenever possible and grab a basket but I know a lot of stores got rid of them Cuz of rona
Once he was old enough to walk and hold my hand he walked. While shopping he rode in the cart but into and out of the store and if it was somewhere a cart wasnāt required he was taught to hold my hand and stay with me and walk.
Yup, he holds my hand usually, or stays close by, if its busy I put him in the trolley, but it never is at the times we go, hes pretty good at listening, but has his defiant days where he thinks its a great time for a game of chase. 
to be expected from a 2 year old, hes won over the supermarket staff too which is a bonus.
It depends on the child honestlyā¦ When my daughter was the age she would walk next to me no problemā¦ I couldnāt do it with my wild boy!
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Itās not my kids itās other ppl I donāt trust! The only time they are out of the cart is if their father is with us and holding hands other then that if Iām by myself no they are in the cart 
my girls do very well walking and donāt bother anything but thatās the least of my concerns having my 3 and 4 yo out
I do! I just kind of had to. I had twins and when they were 3 months old, I found out I was pregnant again! They are 5, 5, 4. My boys started walking in the store around 1.5 and their sister was probably the same age when she started. The town we live in just barely started doing grocery pick up and I donāt have very much help with my kids, so Iāve taken them with me since they were born. If I put the three of them in the basket, I would have absolutely no room.
They have boundaries though. They have to stay next to me and if they run off or get out of my line of sight, we have a consequence. We have also had very honest conversations with them about why itās important to stay near me.
Depends on the child for sure! I have 4 kids, 2 can and always have been able to be trusted outside of a cart, other 1 is an absolute hell no (heās 8 and I still make him climb into the cart ), littlest one is 10 months and doesnāt go into any stores.
My almost 3 year old is in the cart because she is a runner. But when I do let her walk we have a set of wrist cuffs with a coil.
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Depends on if my kids are in the mood to listen or not 
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My 2 year old pushes his own baby cart while shopping. Gives him purpose. But also I started allowing him to walk in public as soon as he could walk and taught him right from wrong. By 18 months my son knew that āhandā meant he needed to hold my hand. Donāt get me wrong I still get the toddler tantrums. Then I football carry his screaming and kicking butt outta the store where I wait for him to gather himself.
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Depends on how they are that day. I would let them try it but explain if they do not listen and mind they will be put in the cart and not get back out.
My son just turned 2 and sometimes the only way to prevent a meltdown is to let him walk.
Daughter is 2
Walks everywhere with us
Doesnāt like sitting in the pram or trolley
Sheās happy to just walk along side us
I let my son walk but if he tries to move away from me I have him help push the cart and remind him to touch the cart and always be mindful of whatās around him.
It depends on the child. My oldest son would run off and hide, so he was always in a cart or stroller. My youngest son didnāt run off, but walked with me and acted really well, so he was allowed to. It always depends on the childās behaviorā¦
My 2 and 3 year olds run and think itās funny to hide. They stay in the cart unless theyāre holding our hand.
My daughter when she was 2 yrs old she would remain by my side all the time if we are in a store or mall. I keep an eye on her though even if I know sheād be mostly sticking around my waist, lol. When she gets tired walking, sheāll ask to be in the cart. Told her if she gets lost she might not see me ever again and thatās what she kept in mind even until now.
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My son will be 2 in December and since he was a sturdy walker I had him walk everywhere with me. Definitely lots of hand holding but he loves the independence & loves cruising through the toy section at target
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It depends on the child and well behaved s/he is. If they are behaving, then they can walk along me, just have to keep a close eye on them. If theyāre misbehaving, then in the cart they go.
And it depends on how busy the store is, too.
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Depends on point of going to store. If Iām with someone I usually just let my 15 month walk around and I just follow her around.
I used to if I had the time and patience that day 
but during covid my toddler stays in the cart or strollerā¦ to many germs lurking aroundā¦
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Current situation, I wouldnāt. Iād baby wear if I had to take a small child into a store. Keep others away from them and keep them from touching everything.
Mine is 8 so this is a hypothetical answer for 2020/Covid. I still wore her a good bit especially in cold and flu season or tried to shop without her if I could. But current situation Iād be even not cautious.
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I let my son do that one time smh letās just say never again, he was shopping for his self and running wild. This little dude will be in the cart.
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My daughter walks, but sometimes she tends to lag behind and gets distracted, sometimes itās just easier to throw her in the cart, but she doesnāt like it.
I had my 2 1/2 year old walk with my husband and I for the first time in Kroger the other day. He did really well but was really curious about everything. He usually is pretty hyperactive too so I was really surprised. Maybe give him a chance and see how he does.
My eldest walked everywhere at an early age. Never ran off or anything silly. My youngest is 5 and if I let her, would still be in a pram. She hates walking. lol
My kiddo holds my hand or gets carried, sheās almost 3 and knows the drill lol. She HATES the cart, has ever since she could walk lmao
Hell no, I do not allow our kids to know that thereās another option besides being in the cart
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The sooner you teach them the better off youāll be hun
It depends on whether weāre talking about during a pandemic, or notā¦ because right now, my son doesnāt even go to a store with me. If for some reason I have to take him, heās in his stroller (Iām not even risking putting him in a sanitized cart). If we werenāt in a pandemic, I may let him walk around if it wasnāt busy.
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grocery store no when my sn was that ageā¦ the mall yes because I could hold his hand. I am more afraid of strangers than my son running away to be honest.
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Iāve let my daughter walk with me since she was probably 2 1/2. Sometimes she just strolls but wants to walk sometimes too. Sheās extremely well behaved though. She does at times want to play when walking but never ever goes to where she canāt see me or is farther than 4 feet max. Weāve also talked about strangers, etc. However with the pandemic I havenāt taken her anywhere and let her walk or be without a mask and sheās 3 now
I taught my kids to hold onto the shopping cart, it also helped asking for help pushing the cart ;). If they were good I would surprise them with letting them pick out dessert for the family (giving them a limited choice, āA, B, or Cā)
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For the first three years, they where either in the cart or on my back in a carrier. There where a few times when my youngest was a baby, that I would have him in a carrier on my front and my 3 year old in a carrier on my back.
One time I was walking through the store with both of them asleep in the carriers on me and my older two walking beside me, someone made a comment āyou sure do have your hands full.ā I looked at my hands, held them up and said ānope, they look empty to me.ā
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Mine walks. She either will hold on to my one finger or she likes to help me push the cart
Normal times yeah but not during a pandemic
With covid and weirdos and being pregnant we arent entertaining that one lol
This is such a debatable topic, some kids can do it some kids canāt some are a little more rambunctious than others.
I think the main goal is to teach your children responsibility, self-discipline and Independence. Start off by having your child hold your hand and walking into a store and then put them in a cart. If they can do that well a few times let them walk with you alongside of the cart if they start to get out of hand put them in the cart. You donāt even have to start with a store start by walking down the sidewalk.
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My 2 year old son is wild also. Got to set some rules and boundaries. It took a while for him to actually hold my hand. But once he started doing that it became much easier. I just tell him hold my hand so you dont get hit by a car or so a stranger doesnt try to take you. Then i put him in the shopping cart after entering the store and we are good from there. Try to practice walking up and down the side walk with him and holding his hand. Practice, practice, practice! He will get the hang of it eventually. Good luck!
My 2 year old granddaughter rarely sits in cart. Since she starting walking we have let her walk. She has to hold hands or hold/push cart with me. She is my shopping helper! She learned quick if she lets go of my hand or walks away from me she has to sit in cart.
Meh. Sometimes my 6 year old sits in the cart If he fits, he sits 
Sometimes its easier too. Majority of the time he just holds the cart lol
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I let my one year old the other day in target and the grocery store , she did try to grab but wasnāt toocbad
I let my daughter walk with me anytime i have the time to do so! I usually avoid letting her walk on larger grocery trips like meijer but anytime we go anywhere else she walks. She loves it, I love and we both enjoy the praise from the workers on how good she is being 
That being said we have also had a couple mini meltdowns but we worked through it together and now she knows not to try to pull the sassy card because she wonāt get her way.
Also Iām a one kid mom so that definitely makes it easier then a mom of multiples
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Depends on the child, my daughter did really well with staying with me by the time she turned two and my son on the other hand will run wildā¦
It honestly just depends how busy said place is. If its a madhouse then all my kids go into the cart and ill put my things in around d them. If its not busy then they get two warnings before going into the cart.
My daughter is 2 and absolutely wild as they come. Sheās never liked to be held or ride in a buggy. She walks. Always holding my hand while also attached to a dinosaur leash
My 5 year old walks but pushes the buggy and stays right by my side and my 3 year old has to go in the buggy, he has autism and takes off and Iām scared heāll get snatched. You never know.
I have 5 kids. We have good days and bad days lol some days at the store my 3yr old acts better then the 9yr old. But yes I let the kids walk if they want too or sit in the cart if they want to. Whatever gets us in and out the quickest.
My son is 3 and very wild. If I donāt put him in the cart ASAP he bolts
My son is a wild child. Super hyper for an almost 2 year old. He does great with holding my hand and walking with me or pushing the buggy. During this pandemic he hasnāt been to the store to do that
My daughter walked everywhere with me from age 1, she was a delight
My son is 3.5 and 90% of the time he starts off walking and ends up
In the trolley
It really depends on the child. Some kids can walk and be fine, some canāt. Some may be fine one day and not fine another day. My daughter just turned two and sometimes she can do it fine, others she canāt. I typically keep her in my buggy unless weāre just quickly grabbing one or two things.
Get him his own cart. A little one so he can push it too.
My almost two year old walks with me. I get her to push the trolley to keep her with me. Once she starts running away she goes into the trolley for a while. But sheās most good.
My one year old stays in the buggy. But my 2 year old Iāll let her walk around with me, the grocery store I go to has baby buggies and she will push her own and put her little snacks in there.
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My son is 2 and wild lol but when we go shopping he walks into the store from the car holding hands gets his hand sanitizer and then he goes in a cart. He shops so well but I think having him walking around the store at this age would just be to over stimulating. Not to mention the pandemic. It limits our touch points by having him in a cart.
My son was a wild man who would run, push, grab everything he could reach, unstrap himself & jump up & down in the seat, rock the big part of the cart until it tipped over with him in it, take a bite of all the produce, and be very noisy.
Add his little sister & it was even more stressful. I finally gave up & left them w their dad or shopped at the 24-hour store after they went to sleep.
Let them walk, my son trys to abit hes 10 months, how else they going to learn? Know one want5to be the mum with a kicking and screaming toodler in a trolley getting evil looks from grannyās lol. Just allow more time to shop and go at theyāre pace, itās all exciting for them why ruin it by upsetting them?
I put mine in cart. We are avoiding going into stores right now. But he is wild and I donāt want to chase. Or buy everything in store. He is 21 months so not quite 2 where it will be dollar store walk and build up to it. But I will also have a leash. I donāt care what ppl think of leashes they work. I have one that is a puppy backpack. So the tail is the leash. No shame here. Do what is best for you.
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Nope lol I put my daughter in cart while I shopped and Iām doing it still sometimes cuz Iām pregnant
It depends where I am and how long Iām shopping for. If Iām at the grocery store then my son walks. If Iām at a shopping centre it depends on how long Iām going to be, how busy it is, my sons mood and what I am getting. I would grab the pram or a shopping trolley.
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It depends on the child gor me, but all my baboes knoq if they dont bejave theyll get ācartedā
Good days and bad days but overall my 2.5 year old does super well walking with me i even let him get low, light, non breakables from the shelves and put them in the trolley
My two year old walks around the store with meā¦ We try to go when itās quieter so if she wants to run uo the aisle she can. Sheās pretty good generally though.
Sometimes if he shows that he wants to
My almost 2 year old likes to āhelpā. Heāll help push the cart, or if we have a hand basket he wants to carry it around if itās not too heavy. He gets restless in the cart so itās actually more of a struggle pushing him around Because heāll throw shoes/socks/hat on the ground or try grabbing things in the cart and throwing them. I think it depends on what your son is motivated by and how much direction he can take and how much time you have to spend at the grocery store.
At that age, always in the shopping cart
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Depends. If we are going in for 3 or 4 things and not in rush yes. If Iām doing full shop no way lol
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My poor some hasnāt been into a store since March because of covid.
My daughter sometimes walks beside me and behaves lol other times she could be running wild around the shops and I end up forgetting what I went in to buy lol just depends on what mood she is in , but if she is walking I get her to help put things in the basket for me so that helps sometimes lol x
My 10 month old gets restless in the cart so i let her wonder a little bit to give her a break. Sometimes she actually follows where I want her to go but for the most part we stay in one isle while she gets her energy out then she goes back in the cart
Personally not yet, my son is 17 months though
I put him in the cart and he does well if I let him hold something
My son is also very wild but I find when we go into stores ( I have no choice but to bring him ) he holds my hand or walks nicely beside me, he will touch things here and there but I remind him not to touch things. Sometimes I do carry him if I want to be really fast in the store but hes 2 also and walks beside me.
I carry him into the store and put him in the shopping cart a good portion of the time. If he walks into the store he doesnt want to get in and sometimes throws a fit when I make him. I let him walk with me a couple times when grocery shopping and it went ok but not great. He was more interested in pushing the cart which was all fine and dandy but has no sense of direction and doesnt know to watch out for people. Trying to steer the cart with him was a little difficult because he wanted to go where he wanted to go not where I needed to go. If Iām only grabbing one thing that I can carry while I hold his hand, he walks with me so he can learn how to behave in the store. Teaching him in small doses on how to act in a store and out in public has been beneficial with everywhere we go. He doesnt take off and grabs my hand on his own when I put him down from getting him out of the car. It will take a little time as all kids are different. I have 4 kids 2 boys 2 girls. My girls were wild and were never able to walk in the store that young. Just do what you feel is right and causes the least amount of stress shopping. Best of luck
If we werenāt in a pandemic I would still keep him in a cart. He is to hyper to stay in one place
I use the use leash and if Iām in the store just for a few things I wouldnāt if I have to be in there a long time mostly cause heās a pain in the butt wanting to go where he wants
Mine loves going shopping in her stroller.
I canāt because I donāt want her getting hit by a shopping cart because some can be impatient when it comes to kids and my 3 year old may occasionally be in the way and Iāve actually seen a small child get ānudgedā out of the way with a cart so I just canāt risk it especially since I have a 5 month old I have to keep an eye on as wellā¦
We use a backpack leashā¦ He loves it
I couldnāt let my daughter walk around without her backpack leash when she was that age because she was an independent free spirit and thought she could go anywhere she wanted to without her momma hahaha She thought it was fun to take off and hide from me. Gave me a few heart attacks and is probably why I have grey hair and Iām not even 30 yet I didnāt want to take away her independence but wanted to keep her safe. People judged me big time but I didnāt care because it worked for us. You canāt be to safe these days. She is 7 now and has ADHD. So if we go somewhere I know its going to be crowded I now have one of those cords that has velcro bracelets that goes around our wrists. There has been kids popping up disappearing in our area a lot recently and it freaks me the fuck out.
With everything going on i do not allow my 2 year old to walk around. She is in the cart so I can keep close eyw
I usually let my daughter bounce back & forth from the cart to walking. She knows she must ALWAYS hold my hand or the cart, if she doesnāt listen to that then she goes back in the cart with the buckle!!
I think that was about the age I started letting my kid walk in the store. Mainly just because he got to big to lift into the cart. I always have him keep is hand on the cart then I keep my hand on his hand
Sometimes mt daughter walks with me sometimes she in the cart its really a matter of how she is acting
I guess it just depends on the child. My eleven-year-old would walk beside you at 2 years old because she was scared of everything. she technically still is. She wonāt talk to strangers so Iām thankful on that part. but then again the daughter that my mom adopted from me she is very much out there weāll go up to anybody and be like hi my name is Charlotte my address is blah blah blah my phone number is blah blah blah what is yours I mean she is not scared to tell people and like I said I guess it just depends on the child. Iāve seen some parents have those child leashes because their kids canāt stay beside them. technically your toddler does need to learn to stay by Mom and Dad you know what I mean but then again with some kids thatās really hard to do. I have a girlfriend and when her kid was little she would disappear in a heartbeat and then you would be looking for her so like I said I guess it just depends on the child.
We donāt let our 4 yr old walkā¦ She strays to much