To wonder if some people just pick at anything when you have little children?

You're allowed phones inside the shop just not outside on the forecourt

Interesting. At our Shell garage they actively encourage you to pay with your Shell app 🤷‍♀️

You're still not allowed to use phones on a forecourt ours has signs

Reminds me of the time I was told off by a petrol station attendant for carrying my phone in my hand whilst going from my car to the shop to pay for my fuel. As, according to him, I could drop it, it could then smash, which could then ignite fuel, which could then set off an explosion.
I was then informed that I must keep my phone in my pocket (didn't have one!) when walking back to my car. 😂
Oh and this was WELL into the smartphone days, not in the 90s where you weren't allowed to use phones on a forecourt.

If there's a major issue with splinters like the assistant made out, why on earth are they allowing dogs (with bare paws) to walk on it.

Surely the dogs paws should have been a bigger concern than a child with clothing, kneeling on their 'dangerous' flooring.

This is completely their issue OP, ignore in future or tell them that while you appreciate the advice, your children are you're responsibility and you will decide on what risks they should take.

The significance of the dog is that it explains why the children were kneeling on the floor

It sounds like you are more bothered about dogs being allowed in (and not being told about splinters) than you are about what she said to you.

What is made up?
It may well be the case - you all piling onto an unknown woman, on the say-so of OP who appears to have had hysterics over nothing at all.
Calm down everybody.
Nothing bad happened.

How bad is her flooring?!

Sorry what?? Nuts.

Why have you just made this up? 🧐

Possibly - if in her view it was causing other customers inconvience - blocking isle - or thought it wasn't shop appropriate behavior or just not keen on kids or she was trying to be helpful.

Who knows - no-one here was there.

There are many people out there who like to tell parents with young kids what to do. One of first walks out with just pfb and DH he came in fuming as he'd been stopped twice by strangers and told off for not having socks on her on a hot day - and I was like yea that happens smile and nodd.

🤣🤣🤣🤣

For goodness sake.
The poor girl had probably been told to warn people about the floor.

The poor asssistant was simply repeating what her bosses asked her to say.

Do you think it is possible that the sales assistant, was more concerned about the children's interaction with the dog? Maybe she knows something about the dog and was trying to protect the children. By mentioning splinters, the sales assistant was trying to move the children away from the dog? Just a thought!

I would ask if they have a risk assessment for a dangerous floor then....

I think sometimes the fear of the consequence and parents reaction to the consequences is a bit wild.

We recently went to a kite festival. It was in a field. DS was flying a kite, and walking backwards...as you often do when kite flying. One of the organisers came over and went to great lengths to explain to me that DS shouldn't walk backwards when flying a kite in case he falls off a cliff.

I appreciate it likely came from a place of kindness...but we were nowhere near a cliff!

I wonder if she knew something you didn't (not splinters, they could have rats, somebody could have vomited on that bit of floor earlier or the day before, all sorts of things)...

If it was rough bare floorboards in a vintagey sort of style then IDK maybe she got a splinter herself kneeling to do the stock and didn’t want the kids to get one too. Or maybe she’s a total loon. Hard to say without seeing the floor but I don’t see how she’s picking at you and the kids? Am I missing something? I’d just have said ‘thanks for letting us know, kids be careful the floor is a bit rough’ or something that effect. Then moved on with my day and forgotten all about it.

If she kept repeating herself over and over again about splinters I would say its highly likely she had some kind of learning disability. Other people may say it once but they wouldn't keep saying it especially while your leaving so basically speaking to herself at this point

A lot of people are just terrified of life and see risks and hazards everywhere. It must be exhausting.

If the floor is that bad they might get splinters then they need new floors! I would have just said “ok” and not thought about it again

I’d have just said “that’s ok their kids - they are use to have splinter removed!”

It’s not about judging parenting - people just see risk everywhere now and rather than realising we accept some basic risk they try and prevent it by not doing anything.