So, you’re having twins… grocery shopping.

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Once your twins are born you will see grocery shopping in a whole new light. (And I do not mean the light at the end of your quickly growing shopping list.) Just getting two babies into the store can be such a hurdle when you are doing your grocery shopping without help. The life of grabbing your purse and just running out the door is no more. Unless you have a sitter…. and that is something I rarely have (or had).

So here is reality, honey.

‘Hi, can you watch the twins while I run to the store?’. Suddenly there is silence on the other end.

Strategy is your new best friend.

Here is how you shop with twins who are old enough to sit up.

You’re thinking… how hard could going to the grocery store possibly be? Just get in the car and go. Use your double stroller when you get there.

Oh Sherlock, you can be so naive. Not so simple.

As you will soon find out, strollers do not have a very large place to pile in the groceries- for quick trips they are fine. Underneath the stroller is a basket, shall we call it, but your diaper bag will likely take up most of that space. If you have the luxury of being able to hang your diaper bag on your stroller, you’re still not going to fit more than a bag of diapers (and usually you’ll need a box) in that little basket under there. With that bag of diapers, you might fit a package of baby wipes, a box of cereal and a few canned goods, then you’ll find you’re soon out of room.

You could push the double stroller and pull a shopping cart behind you. Sounds easy reading it, right? Try it and give me a call. You’ll do it once- out of desperation.

Double strollers are long like Corvettes and drive very differently from the single strollers you are used to. Maybe you have a side by side, which is as wide as a shopping aisle and does not turn so easily. It is a lot to juggle- pulling and pushing a stroller and the shopping cart. Babies are soon fussy and you are exhausted.

But, if you do not take the double stroller into the store with you, where in the world will you put two babies while you shop? The answer starts in the parking lot.

Today is the day you learn that the best parking spot at the shopping center is NOT the one closest to the door. In fact, the best parking spot IS one that is close to the outside shopping cart return spot.
Your solution:

1) Find a parking spot right next to the outside shopping cart holder. Park, get out and grab a cart.

2) Wear one baby on you- Baby Bjorn was my favorite, but there are many wraps, slings and body carriers on the market.

3) Place the second baby in the seated area inside the shopping cart.

*FYI- The double seated shopping carts, like this one from Target, usually will not hold a baby who sits up. My guys did not fit securely in these carts until they were almost 2 years old- and my twins were standard size babies. But they are lifesavers, if you can find one, once they reach the age of 2! (Yes, I loaded up my kids and took them to Target so I could get a picture of this cart. I could not find a picture online. Garrett said, ‘What’s next Mom? Are we driving to California to take a picture of the perfect leaf?’. He said it with love.

Are both of your babies still in infant carriers? That is a post all of it’s own…. stay tuned.

So, You’re Having Twins…. is a series here at Crystal & Co. I am not a doctor, I am not a counselor, I am not a person who studies childhood behaviors. I am something bigger than that…. I AM a mom of TWINS (who are child 3 and 4 on the food chain at our house) and I can share what works (and has worked) for us as well as pointers on how to survive. I would have loved to find this information all in one place in the summer of 2005 when I was given the life changing news…. so, you’re having twins! If you are having twins, or know someone who is, share the So, You’re Having Twins…. series with them.

8 Comments

  1. great advice! My cousin just had twins, I will be sharing your posts with her!

  2. Goldylocks aka Erin says:

    Ah yes, grocery shopping with twins. For the first 2 years I used their double stroller. I was able to shove a lot of stuff in that basket. Of course not diapers and other large items, those I would pick up on my lunch hour from work when I could enjoy by myself. I had a Mommy Hook too which was my savior for all of the bags after because you know, they never fit back in the basket the way the groceries did the first time.

    Now my boys are 2 and we use a double shopping cart. This past weekend we got to the store though, and there were none to be found so I had to do the dreaded let one sit in the basket thing…which I was not happy about. Oh…and I saw THREE moms with their ONE child using those double carts. I may or may not have made a comment when I walked by them 🙂

  3. gringationcancun says:

    Love these posts! Don't have kids yet, but I'll keep this in mind 🙂

  4. Keli- thanks for sharing with your cousin! I would love to know any questions she might have that I could help her through via this series!

    Erin- they are two! What a fun age… altough sometimes that span of time is a blur to me. Thank you so much for reading!

    Cancun- thank you so much for always reading! These tips could really be applied to anyone who has multiples OR little ones close in age. Thanks for taking notes!

  5. Hello! I'm Kate. says:

    Crystal! I have stopped by your blog many times & I could have sworn I was a follower…I am now though! I've also grabbed your button & put it on my site!

  6. I became a single mom when my daughter was 5 years old and my boy/girl twins were 3 months old. I would pull one cart and push one. But the key to shopping with any kids is have a plan! I would have a list and have a route planned (to avoid candy) before I even got to the store. My kids are now 18 and 13 and sometimes I think it is worse shopping with them today than it was back then. 🙂

  7. TOLIVER FAMILY says:

    ohmygosh i finally nearly impossible. great post.

  8. Kate- thank you so much for following!

    Michele- I hear ya! I avoid candy and toys… otherwise it is meltdown city! I have left the store many times with 2 little boys kicking and screaming for a toy.

    Toliver- soon your little ones will be big enough that the double seated cart will work for you… and save your sanity. Just hang in there.

    If you know a twin mom or a mom pregnant with twins send them this way! I love the networking!

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