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

Don’t get me started on all the dogs too. Dogs still have their ancestors’ instincts and it must be hell for them to be dragged around a sweaty shopping centre with loads of people banging into them with their Christmas bags. Especially the poor creatures whose owners don’t realise they have coats of their own and insist on dressing them up in jumpers. Cheshire Oaks is bad enough at Christmas without all the toddlers and dogs.

You have to time it. Went just before midday and it was empty. Not one ankle biter in sight.

Have big order being delivered tomorrow but needed a few extra bits. Was dreading it!

She says they enjoy shopping like that so why would she change?

I have a 5yo and a baby under 1. Food shopping is hell, to put it nicely. I absolutely will not drag my children round a supermarket anything from the 18th-27th December and wait until their dad is home from work. It is an absolute horror in shops over Christmas and no one needs to hear me snapping or my (eldest) winging! Although the car park one I agree with, but I must admit there has been a time or two where I’ve took the wrong turn in a one way car park by mistake.

SOP XMAS FOOD SHOP

1. PPE
2. If you're playing Whamageddon, ear defenders
3. possibly a cheeky sedative half an hour prior
4. Plan your aisle order
5. Ruthlessly ignore distractions: No foil wrapped chocolate sprouts, glittery bathgel, comedy tat, or other such bastardry
6. No children, flappy partners or other assorted hangers-on
7. Get in, get out, get home, get drunk.

YANBU OP, it's there in rule six.

Sorry this is absolutely ridiculous. Everybody can shop and they don't have to leave their children at home if they don't want to. It's different if the child is actually disturbing you or being disrespectful but if they're just there in the shop, then let them be!

You mentioned if kids are old enough, let them stay at home. My teens love shopping with me and doing the Xmas food shop so yes they can come along if they want considering all they're doing is walking around and having fun as they deserve to. The world doesn't revolve around you

Ah, now it's definitely Christmas on Mumsnet. Gives you the feelz

That might have been us - just not inside shops. We’re away for Christmas and arrived before our cottage was available so we let our dogs stretch their legs after three hours traveling and picked up some odds and ends at the same time. So sorry we inconvenienced you.

Madness

Can't imagine the hell of taking two tots to a supermarket a few days before Xmas.

This! Most adults in supermarkets in the lead up to Christmas absolutely suck. Would rather be in a shop full of kids any day tbh 🤷‍♀️

Why doesn't one of you go alone?

And why no list?

It doesn't take 2 adults and a 1 year old to do the food shopping.

Or why not shop online? Not now cos all the slots have gone but in future?

The people that annoy me are the OAPs who stop and chat in the middle of the aisle meaning they block the entire thing. Just sod off and get a coffee together.

Everyone has the right to be there just as much as you, OP! Not sure why you think you're entitled to a quiet shopping experience 3 days before Christmas.

You'll be happy to know we took our two dc yesterday to do our food shop. My dh wanted to come to choose things he'd like and our dc loved choosing little treats and biscuits and mince pies for Santa.
Get a grip.

This seems to happen more and more.

I don't understand family outings for food shopping at any time of year - like weekends.

Dad's usually standing around looking oblivious to everything, Mums struggling with kids, buggies, family discussions over what to buy.

As does the habit of taking kids into the supermarket after school and letting then run wild. I avoid shopping from 3-4 for this very same reason.

FGS either do your shopping online if you have kids or go when they are in school or at home (if there is another parent around.)

I’ll put myself out here as a source of hate, but we are that family. We went today me, DH and my 1 year old.

The weather was miserable so going to the park was out of the question, it got us out of the house and my LO really enjoys looking at all the people and things 🤷‍♀️

DH and I go with no list and like to decide between us what looks good.

We enjoy food shopping and didn’t realise it should be treated like a military mission where you have to be in and out as quickly as possible.

Ultimately it doesn’t matter what anyone thinks. Children have just as much right to be in a supermarket or other public space as anyone else, no matter who likes it or not. It’s not a nightclub at 3am.

It might knock some Christmas spirit into you 😜

When my boys were younger I would rather have left them with a stranger than take them into busy shops at Xmas.😂

I know what you mean, especially if they're younger kids or misbehaving. They're just a nuisance and in the way.
However, once they are older it's good to use them as minions. I have 3 and a well -practised Christmas grocery shop routine. Each one is given a list. I then take the trolley and cruise slowly up and down each aisle in turn. They retrieve the items on the list and bring them to me. I scan and pack. We're in and out in a few minutes. Job done.

I felt like this yesterday in town — not kids, but dogs. Honestly, it must be one of the busiest shopping days of the year and it seemed as though every other person was there with their dog. Inside shops too. Now I LIKE dogs but not everyone does — DD’s best friend is really scared of them — and it just seemed ridiculous. It’s not as though it can be fun for them either, nearly getting trampled on the whole time.

😂

I agree that it's good for kids to experience going shopping. But there are many, many, MANY other weeks of the year where they can do this. Go on your own, get what you need as quickly as you can, and then get the hell out of there.

For one thing, there's so much illness around at the moment, the last thing you need as a family is the lot of you going to crowded places when it can be avoided.

Haha, we've just come back from a shopping trip as a family of five (no kids though, we range from 20 to 84). Doubtless there will have been a few grumpy lone shoppers eyeing us with catsbum faces. Our reason was that DH finally got a pay packet after six months of insecurity and being pissed about (long story) so we all wanted to choose a few extra luxuries for Christmas. We thoroughly enjoyed it and weren't hurting anyone 🤷🏻‍♀️

Lovely bit of ageism there.