How to Keep a Child Safe in a Shopping Cart

Thousands of children are injured in shopping cart accidents every year. Children that are 1 year to 5 years in age are at greatest risk for injury because of improper or damaged restraints, disregard for safety notices on the cart or poor supervision.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Diaper Bags
• Spill-proof Cups
• Candies
• Healthy Foods
• Infant/toddler Toys

1. Find a shopping cart with a seat belt. Not only do you need to buckle the seat belt but also tighten the seat belt so that it fits securely against your child's midsection.

2. Sit children in the spaces designated for sitting. Most carts have a seat in the actual basket, and some have two plastic seats attached to the front of the cart. Children should not stand in or hang onto the shopping cart.

3. Push the cart and hold your walking child's hand. Letting your child push the cart can result in your child running into other people or tipping the cart on herself or himself or other children.

4. Supervise your child at all times. If you have a toddler in the basket seat, make sure the child is not trying to wiggle out of the seat or seat belt. This may cause the cart to tip on the child. Make sure your children are not pulling on the cart or hanging on the cart.

Tips & Warnings

• Ask your grocery store to purchase a shopping cart with seat attachments to make shopping with more than one child safer.
• Notify your store manager if the majority of carts are missing or have unsafe restraints in them.
• Go shopping when you can leave your children at home.
• Bring toys, food and drink to keep your children occupied and happy during the shopping trip.
• Head and neck injuries are the most common injury associated with shopping cart accidents.