Tips to encourage independent walking?

[ssmjlm]

I usually bribe shopping cart sitting with snacks. I do cheerios a lot b/c they take her more time to get out of the snack trap and don't have a ton of empty calories. Distraction seems to work.

[chickens987]

Leash!

[bearbaby]

We have this predicament too.

Engaging him in "helping" shopping has tamed it some - putting things in the cart/holding or carrying things/etc.

I realize this is probably not particularly helpful.

[Deleted]

I do a lot of my shopping at the store that has carts with a car for the kids to ride in. Yes, I will pay a premium on groceries for that shopping experience. Car cart + free cookie = pleasant experience for me.

[halfpint]

Ben loves those stupid car carts. But he is happy to sit in most carts because of all the interesting things to look at, so not sure how helpful I am.
Snacks definitely help prolong the trip - Ella's Kitchen makes Nibbly Fingers that are awesome - they are chewy enough that they take a while to eat, but aren't terribly messy, so they make good shopping food.

[auntie]

Stupid car-cart or the grocery store with a drop off playroom.

[Deleted]

Car cart or banana.

[lilac05]

We have something similar to this: www.amazon.com/Hold-On-Handles-Single-Stroller-Accessory/dp/B0061N8CL4/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1419001663&sr=8-1&keywords=Child+handles+leash

DS1 was a little older when someone gave it to us. I thought there would be NO WAY he would ever hold onto it, but he did! He loves it! I love that he still gets freedom, but reminds him to stay close.

ETA:  I also go out of my way to hit the store with the car carts.  Such a love-hate relationship with those tanks!  Snacks are also helpful, as is involving the kids in finding things, counting, etc.

[dcn]

Car cart or snacks. Ds knows he gets something from Starbucks when we go to target and announces "cake!" In the parking lot.

If that doesn't work id use a leash.

[loreleigilmore]

We get a balloon with each major trip to the grocery store. It's $1 and I normally get it at the end as an incentive. However, with my younger I did get it about half way through and told him that if he was naughty that I would not buy it.

[mandapanda18]

Dec 19, 2014 7:20:27 GMT -5 swizz said:

In public mostly. She's fine ina stroller for a short period of time and fine in the tula but haaaates sitting in shipping carts. She just screams and throws herself head first towards the floor and wants down.

But the second you put her down she gets that wild look in her eye and takes off running and touching every thing she can get her hands on.

I'm sure this is partly age related, but are there ways I can make this not such a sought after activity so she's a little more well behaved? I try to get her to hold my hand around the house, but she listens about 25% of the time.

Lol, my kids is the same! I ordered a leach for Christmas

[Deleted]

Dec 19, 2014 9:49:48 GMT -5 @tokenhoser said:

I do a lot of my shopping at the store that has carts with a car for the kids to ride in. Yes, I will pay a premium on groceries for that shopping experience. Car cart + free cookie = pleasant experience for me.

Exactly. This is what I do too. I also bribe with my phone, his most treasured preeeeeshhhuuus.

[DarcyLongfellow]

Car cart
Bribery to keep her sitting (food or Let It Go playing on my phone)

Also, in general to teach her to stay with you in stores, start letting her walk holding your hand into stores where it's a quick errand. A grocery or Target trip is way too long, but running into a store where you're going to be buying just 1 or 2 things is the perfect time to just let her walk with you.

She may be a bit young -- I just started doing this with DD2 who just turned 18 months old. But I did it from fairly early on with DD1, and she was always pretty good about it. A lot of that is personality though. Plus, maybe I'm just full as shit because DD1 has always done great in other stores, but to this day DD1, who is FIVE and 40 some pounds, refuses to walk with me in the grocery store. I have to get the damn car cart that she can barely squeeze into so that both kids can both ride.