How do you protect your child from germs in the grocery store?
@beautyqueen26 (16030)
United States
August 19, 2007 2:50pm CST
Do you use a shopping cart buggy cover or just drape your sweater over the seat so that your baby or child isn't exposed to germs?
When I was a little kid, most parents didn't know about the potential germs that a little kid can pick up in a grocery store. I wish they had such things as shopping cart/buggy covers when I was a kid. Those things are life savers! Literally! So, like most little kids we sat in the grocery store cart without realizing that we were most likely picking up salmonella germs by the dozen. Could explain some of those mystery flu like viruses that me and my brothers often suffered from. I've heard that salmonella poisoning is often mistaken for flu or colds.
Fortunately lots of things have changed in the past thirty plus years since I was a baby. Parents know a lot more now, like how kids can pick up germs from shopping carts. So, I'm always surprised when I see little babies and kids stuck in the front of the shopping cart with no protection from germs. I just figured most moms used those shopping cart buggy covers. Or, at least sanitized those areas before putting their kids into them. Don't those moms know that other people are putting their chicken and beef in the same spot where they are sitting their baby?
What do you think when you see a little kid sitting in a shopping cart without a cover? Do you worry that they will get sick?
3 people like this
9 responses
@AmbiePam (121065)
• United States
19 Aug 07
Well, I know of a couple gropcery stores who actually send the carts through a washing process after they are used. But something my mom always did was bring a lot of small pack of disinfectant wipes. She'd wipe that area off, and then put me or my sister into it.
@beautyqueen26 (16030)
• United States
20 Aug 07
That's very reassuring. I am glad that they recognize that a germ problem exists!
1 person likes this
@Calais (10893)
• Australia
20 Aug 07
I know that its time consuming, but I dont care if it protects my child. But I get disinfectant wipes and clean everywhere that the litle hands can reach...There is too many diseases and I really dont want to take any risks if I can help it..I also put a blanket on the seat..It upsets me to see when parents just plonk their kids in and go, they touch everything and then their faces and mouths...Who knows what on earth has been on the trolleys..I have seen some distubing things...
1 person likes this
@carlaabt (3504)
• United States
20 Aug 07
We have one of those shopping cart seat covers, but we rarely use it. Usually I just wipe it down really fast. I'm not really overly concerned about him picking up germs. I know there are germs everywhere, and he needs to be exposed to some to help his immune system. He is 18 months old, and he has NEVER even had a small cold.
Plus kids pick up the same germs that they can get from the shopping cart, by touching some of the toys or other products on shelves, too.
1 person likes this
@maddysmommy (16230)
• United States
24 Aug 07
You know, I have not really thought of that beautyqueen. It never worried me at all. Now when you have mentioned it I never covered the seat or anything when I use to put my son in the shopping cart, mind you we lived in Samoa most of the time while my son was growing up and they never had shopping carts and only shopping baskets. I did most of the grocery shopping on my own.
Nowadays he rides in the shopping trucks or cars and I have not thought to sanitise it. Hmmm I might just ask the grocery store where we go to whether they sanitise them.
@CatsandDogs (13963)
• United States
20 Aug 07
My best friend and I were talking about that and about how she tries her best to keep her little girl from sitting on the toilet seat and wondered what to do. I suggested taking some hand sanitizer with her and use it on the toilet seat before her daughter sits on it and she loved the idea. So I would say use the same stuff on the carts as well.
1 person likes this
@cloud_kicker_32 (4635)
• United States
20 Aug 07
Ughh.,i had no idea of the germs around on carts when i was a first time mom and my son would always..ALWAYS..get sick shortly after our grocery trip..then i started reading up on things on one of my million parenting mags lol..and then i found it..pics of them and all..i was so grossed out..i went out and bought GermX..Lysol the smaller can that fits in ur purse..and wipes with germ free stuff in them..so ever since them and now,..,and my sons 5 now lol..i spary the cart with lysol..get the wipes and wipe dopwn the seat and handle bar..and germX just in case..every now and again threw the store..now im not overduing it..all over..just places like that with germs from hell lol..
@Daelin (683)
• Brazil
20 Aug 07
I think that if we protect the children too much they will not be able to fight simple infections in the future.
At my school, years ago, there was a little girl whose mother was overprotective. She used to bring her water to school and was not allowed to eat anything there.
She had to wash her hands all the time.
One day she missed school because she was in hospital. She got an infection because she drank regular water.
No other student got that infection because they were used to drink the water.
@Malyck (3425)
• Australia
20 Aug 07
I have never heard of these covers and personally think it is absolutely ridiculous!
The children of past generations were generally so much healthier than the current generation because they were exposed to germs and had the chance to build up immunities!
I think as long as you practice good general health and hygiene yourself and with your children, there is no need to worry.
People are allowed to get sick, and it's much better to expose them as children than keep them in a sterile environment!
My parents let me eat mud, play in the garden, crawl on the floor and touch whatever I wanted and I'm all the better for it.
I rarely ever get a cold or flu, and I find the same thing with other people in my age bracket.
