To think that Xmas food shopping isn't a sodding family day out?

Plus if they are elderly, shop on Saturdays and moan how busy it is!

Anyway Happy Christmas to everyone and enjoy yourselves

Superiorr beings, sorry. That moan about a busy shop, at Christmas time.

Well I shop for most of it online, and I choose my shopping times wisely after many years of experience.

It's still annoying when entire families take the place over, with zero consideration for anyone else!

What's "superior beens"?

Ok, you are superior beens. Know how to respect others boundaries, be polite, mot get on the way of others...
But you do not seem to have mastered the art of doing the Christmas shopping yet, as you do need to moan about it.
I go in, I get my stuff, smile to the people I find on my way, get out, go home and never think about it again. Busy or not busy. Why are you lot that concerned with your experience in a busy shop?

They might be but most often they're not - and they don't know how to behave either, plus their parents ignore them!

Funnily enough I learned to shop pretty damn successfully, and if it was busy in the runup to Christmas, she would have left us with my dad and got on with it herself.

How remarkably bonkers!

Don’t be so bah humbug. Kids might be getting chocolates or a card for their mom, teens might not have remembered to do that sooner. Everyone loves picking out the favourite foods for the holiday season. One of my fondest childhood memories was of going Christmas food shopping on Xmas eve as that was the day dad got paid, and we went in at 3pm in daylight and came outside to a magical snowy wonderland in the dark with a group of Carol singers outside the church opposite. It was like Christmas magic occurred while we were shopping.

Talking them to the park dosnt feed them. When my kids where young they had to come to the shops as I had no one to look after them. Now as teenagers they help carry shopping and have a say in what we buy. And shock horror when they where little we managed to shop and go to the park, it is possible to do both

Kids do not need to spend years learning to "shop". When they want to buy something, they will go into a shop and buy it.

And we're not saying never go into shops with kids, just don't make the major pre-Christmas shop a family outing. They just scream, give everyone a headache and generally get in the way. Much better to take them to the park!

20 years ago, I worked at a mobile network. Volunteered to work CD as customers got mobiles for presents and if any issues, could ring us.

Work paid for taxis both ways and got triple pay.

Unsure if any mobile networks have call centre staff on tomorrow. Obviously have those who fix masts, some will be on call JIC there is an issue with any on the network or gets damaged by an idiot driving into one.

Much better doing this than would be planning to spend a few hours with 6 under 10 - my ex's nieces and nephew and their cousins.

I think you should stop worrying about this. Most of us cannot afford to do a whole Christmas shop in M&S - Aldi is more likely. And yes, there were people with children when I nipped in this morning to buy some beer - all very well behaved, too.
Anyway, why not Ocado instead?

Most on MN don't seem aware that some people work over Christmas, don't have all day off on Christmas Eve off etc. Thank you for being at work so that the rest of us know we are safe.

If they are well behave and not bothering anybody whats the problem i had no choice when mine were little i had to take them everywhere with me gp appointments even intimate ones, dentists optician shopping etc i didn't have family close buy etc hubby was a hgv driver so worked during the week. Fortunately my kids were well behaved

This ^^.

Probably needs two people at the most.

Wish kids stop mucking around. Jump from bagging area scales onto the floor- this damages them, swing on the barriers etc.

This, I said multiple times yesterday if you want me to help you, your going to actually have to move. By the end of my shift I was "accidentally" stepping on people's feet that also makes them move 🤣

I work in a supermarket, a lot of the time on on the self service tills. It’s not the children that bother me it’s when you get four adults standing around a till and you’re trying to authorise a transaction. Especially when it only takes one person to actually do anything and the other 3 are just standing there🤦‍♀️

Frozen lettuce, cucumber,tomatoes, beans, broccoli! Really?🤔

Because it is a normal part of life. You need to walk by your adult in charge, close to the trolley, mind others, be quiet, focus on something for 30 min, instead of being restless and shouting around.
From the beginning of humankind till the end, children are part of normal everyday life. And they need to learn to be bored, doing something serious. Instead of flopping around. Also, once they grow up enough, you send them to get items you forgot or are in other aisle, so you finish your shopping faster.

If you were bending down to get something from a low shelf, it's feasible....or of the child is in a trolley they are likely to reach head height?

Weird that it's never been as bad as thus year. Wonder why.
Our M&S was like a kids & Dad day out too. All just getting in the way and not actually helping the mums. One dad was asked what cheese they should get and he just shrugged whilst on his phone. Kids grabbing and asking how about this one for about a dozen. I usually go past and come back, but on third attempt, had to budge through.
Annoying indeed.

"Round the head"? How big was this child?

Yep! Buy whatever you like, don't throw stones in your glass foodhall when you've chosen to be there at that time and are taking up space buying inessentials yourself.

The other option is to just get on with it when it's busy, and accept that other people are doing the same.

Ok one DC was annoying and don’t enjoy supermarkets and taking DC - but still think YABU not to expect a crowd and families in Christmas holidays shopping.