NJ Parents: Thoughts On Dangerous Grocery Cart Hack?

Let me start by making a confession: I am not a parent. I have no idea what it’s like to be a parent, and don’t/won’t pretend to understand.

I am, however, a fairly intelligent individual with (at the very least) a satisfactory level of common sense. Therefore, I believe I have every right to make my opinions known about this particular reel that has parents in an absolute tizzy all over Facebook.

New Grocery Cart Parenting Hack Gone Viral

Have you seen the reel currently breaking the internet that features a mom using a carabiner as an extra layer of protection for her child while the baby is strapped in a shopping cart? The baby is fastened with the shopping cart’s attached seatbelt, but also attached at the belt loop to the seat with the carabiner as the fastener.

Seems like a great idea at first look, right? Plenty of parents disagree and, honestly… after reading the comments, I’m right there them.

What happens if an emergency situation arises and the mom has to rapidly scoop the kid out of the cart? Don’t get me wrong, I love the idea of an added layer of protection for babies, but practicality is important, too.

Like I admitted earlier, I’m not a parent. It’s 2025, though, and one thing the 2020s have taught me is that anything can happen at any given time. I’d want to be able to grab my kid and get the heck out of dodge as fast as possible if I had to.

The majority of my friends with children agree. While they do like the idea of the added protection, the idea of having to wrestle with the carabiner in the event of an emergency isn’t something they’re willing to take a chance on. Something that plenty of parents aren't afraid to take a chance on these days... unique baby names.