Like any experience with twins, grocery shopping with twins can either be heaven or the opposite.  Here are some ideas and options for your next grocery shopping trip.

  1. Order groceries online and have them delivered.  Not that many years ago, online grocery shopping was so limited, it wasn’t worth the effort. But now that the kinks have been worked out, online shopping has huge benefits for fatigued busy parents of twins. Once you get past the initial couple of orders, placing orders is quick and easy. Since your previous orders are in the system, you just need to tweak your order and you’re good to go.
  2. Wear a Baby. Using a single child seat shopping cart and wearing a baby (in a front pack, backpack, or sling), is a great option for a successful trip to the grocery store with twins.
  3. Shop at stores with double carts. Many stores now have large carts with two child seats. And, some have ”car carts” as my kids call them. These shopping carts are encased in little plastic cars (or they are attached to the front of the cart) and are loved by toddler and preschool aged twins. The cars often have more than one driver’s seat and steering wheel.
  4. Divide and Conquer. Take two adults, split up the shopping list and the babies and meet back at the checkout.
  5. Bring a large stroller. Hang reusable shopping bags from the handle of the stroller and fill ‘em up.  Some strollers also have a large storage area underneath. It was amazing how much I could load up on my double jogging stroller.  This system is great for a quick stop at the store, but doesn’t work as well for a full grocery visit.
  6. Put both babies in one seat. This technique uses a single child seat shopping cart. Put one baby on the left side with her left leg out the leg hole, and tuck her right foot under her — like a 1/2 criss-cross applesauce. Put the other baby on the right side with the opposite leg positioning. Two sharing one seat.
  7. Use two shopping carts. When at a store with single child seat shopping carts, sometimes your only option is to use two carts. Push one in front of you, while you pull one along behind you.
  8. Push the cart, pull a stroller.  Or push the stroller along next to you by holding onto the side of the stroller. Easy enough… you’ve been working on those arm muscles with all that baby lifting anyway — right?
  9. Leave babies at home. Ahhh… the grocery store, alone!  I TOLD you grocery shopping can be heaven! This option requires an accomplice, but Oh, so worth it sometimes!

I know there are many more ingenious ideas for grocery shopping, and many more tips and tricks. For one, I do recommend a shopping cart cover — but that’s a subject for another day.  Please leave a comment to let me know what else I missed.

Copyright 2010 Kathryn Whiteley — TwinParenthood.com