There is a dangerous practice in our community that needs to be addressed. The practice of many parents letting small children stand in grocery carts. The risk of injury goes without saying. as a matter of fact, the pa system at Shoprite advises parents on this very subject.
Could we all get involved [as i have] by saying a [kind] word to parents when we see children not safely secured.
Finally, a neighbor’s son fell out of a cart and he ended up with several stitches.
Sincerely, someone’s bubby.
Its safer than running lose. Besides, kids fall all the time, stop blaming the carts, live and let live.
Dito that #1
LIVE and LET LIVE!!
Shopping carts were not designed to be like strollers. Yes its more convenient to put your toddler there, but teach him to SIT in it, NOT STAND! We are all busy and get distracted when we are shopping. PLEASE teach your child to sit!
And I am appalled by the first 2 comments! Just goes to show that we really don’t care about one another, but if something H”V happened to that child next to you, you’d be crying “it’s because of tznius that we are having these tzaros”!
When all the kids were very young, and I took them to the store – 3 in the cart at a time, inevitably one would keep trying to stand up. It’s almost impossible to stop them. The seats with the straps help, but many carts don’t have them.
I’d try to mostly shop in the smaller kosher stores, where I wouldn’t be afraid to let the 3 year old walk next to me – in case he ran off, he’d be close by, not in a huge store like Shoprite.
It is a Chilul Hashem when we go to a store with many kids who aren’t behaving and are crying. Not easy, but not impossible to try to do better.
I also have a friend whose child fell out of the cart (in the Co-op, I think) and was hospitalized. She was fine in the end, but it was apparently scary at first with a head injury that wasn’t “nothing.”
I was once in shoprite & saw a kid standing, I told the mother that this is dangerous ….. she ignored me. A few minutes later, the kid fell, the mother nearly fainted from the scene… I had the z’chus of holding the screeching bleeding child till hatzolah came moments later…
its true kids always can fall, as #1,2 stated so eloquently, however from 3-4 feet up, is way too dangerous.
i know one time a story …….. lets be normal
I applaud tls for posting this article, I
am appalled that tls posted the 1st 2 comments
Just last week we all looked for ways to strengthen child safety… & here people are minimizing the topic
It is dangerous to stand in the carts! What happens when your child falls out of the cart YOU blame the store and sue them for the injuries to your child. When you the parent should be held responsible for the childs injury.
thank you bubby for caring ..but as a parent of five small kids the juggling and responsibilities having to constantly be on top of my kids are not the same as the bubby who has elective responsibility.and besides as a bubby by now I’m sure you realize that you have to choose your battles and if my kids are standing it was my choice (and my responsibility)
children are meant to sit, not stand shopping carts are meant for food. so if your kid stands and falls, it’s not the store problem but the parent, the cart have signs on them not to stand. can’t blame the store.
There is nothing wrong with letting your kids stand in the cart. The supermarkets have a lot of money. For you to sue them for when your kid falls out.
#12 and you probably let you kids jump around in your car while your talking on the phone too right?
I don’t believe that you’re a Bubby who once had her own kids. My one-year-old doesn’t want to sit. If I try to strap him, he screams and then “Bubby” comes and tells me… Of course I’d rather he didn’t stand but that’s part of growing up. We daven that he be safe.
I am a Special Education teacher, believe me, you do not want a child with a head injury from falling out of a cart. And YES, it DOES happen, more than you realize.
to #12 are you kidding me, the shopping cart post signs not to let your child stand, and every so often the will make an annoucement do not let you child stand in the cart, so if your child falls it’s your fault not the store.
to #9 I couldn’t agree with you more, and to # 12 are you kidding me. i would never want you in my store
yes i am shopping with less pressure now that i am a bubby. but a liitle common sense is needed here. as a mother of 9 i never endangered my children while shopping. i either used babysitters,my husband or i went to the store very early or very late so the kids could stay home. also,now they have carts with seats. its scary that some of the comments are basically finding excuses for lax parenting. hashem entrusts us with these precious souls,it is our gift to protect them! i know it is hard managing a busy family,but the answer is to not take unsafe shortcuts to make it easier foadults!!!r us
i take back my post #2 u guys are right
I do try to keep my kids sitting in the back when that is necessary, but at times they do stand up for a minute. It is really no ones business to get involved while I am trying to deal with my very active and stubborn 3 year old and have her sit down. And if she walks next to me, she usually disappears down an aisle when i turn my head for a second. So please don’t stick your nose into things that don’t concern you.
Bubby was once a mother of small children too, but that was back in the Dark Ages when parents actually pro-actively parented their children and children learned at an early age to obey their parents. Laissez faire parenting is the norm these days…what a shame!
Looking at all the comments and I see a lot of defensiveness happening. No one likes to have the finger pointed at them particularly when it involves parenting. However, we need to be above all of this and look at the big picture and who will suffer for the oversight at what is as risk….our children. Yes, it is hard to be a parent and juggle the responsibilities of being a caregiver. Yes, statistically there is a small chance of our children getting hurt and most of all yes we have to pick our battles. However, if chas v’shalom we are on the other side with an injured child (and yes permanent damage has happened) there are no other choices left for us to make. How much would we then give to go back and change the past? The answer is, we have the ability now to do just that and what better time then the 3 weeks when tragedy seems to be everywhere to do what we do have the power to change.
To all those who feel inconvienced by watching their kids, it’s also hard to shlep them in and out of the car every time you go into a store. Would you leave them in the car “for just two minutes” and say “the window’s open”? Some things are just not smart and very dangerous. A head injury caused by a 4 foot drop onto a hard floor (not on carpet like falling off a bed) can cause long-term harm C”V. You “live and let live” and “choose your battles” when they dont clean up their toys or dont finish their dinner. Not when they’re doing something thats a real sakana. And btw, its also a real chillul hashem.
wow i dont think anyone understands sarcasm, i think #12 was stating that sarcastically. seeing that there are people who go around suing others when the things they are suing for where done b/c of thier own stupidity!
There will always be parents that are too lazy to disipline their kids. Its easier to”live and let live”. However when it comes to the safety of your child,lazy is not an option. Davening for their safety is wonderful but would you let your child ride in a car without a seatbelt, or play in the closet with all your cleaners. Safety is not relative physics and gravity apply to everyone.
what do u have to say about children standin up on the bus while it is moving, is that Ditto also, why can’t u see the harm or danger inthese things, or better yet common sense to teach ur children wht safety is and how we are best to teach or are we. who’s to say
I know it’s off the subject, but ladies, do not leave your purse in the cart either. It may be in front of you, but sometimes you must turn your back to it when searching for an item on a shelf.
yea live and let live c’mon evry stupid thing is a big deal in lakewood there are so many bigger issues that need to be said in lakewood
As for the too many bigger issues that have to be addressed I believe that safety is one of them. Whether it is the way we drive or let children roam around unattended, to hitchhiking. Its ALL about safety and standing in the cart is just another link on a long chain of things that fit in this catagory.