Eating in the supermarket

I'll tell you what's worse, Soupdragon, and that's those little child size trollies for kiddies to push round Asda. They have a flag with a witty slogan like "trainee shopper" on. 3 year olds with their own trollies are lethal.

happyspider did she get it changed????

Still on supermarkets but off track from the eating... does anyone else hate those car shaped trolleys in Tescos? The worst tantrums I ever got from DS2 were because he had to get out of them at the end. (and he still needed his wholemeal bread roll from pre-packed pre-priced pack of 4 to keep him quiet)

I have heard of somebody taking back staff to a well known shop after 6 years! It was an umbrella they had received as a present and she decided she did not really like it afterwards...

oh what would I give for children who would eat and shut up! Mine love supermarket shopping, love food full stop, love throwing the wrong sorts of goodies into my trolly, love climbing in and out of the trolly while it is moving (youngest one), love (like scummy's sons) debating loudly about the relative merits of breakfast cereals, love running all over the place to hunt out the pancake mix, bananas and chocolate sauce (current favourite meal) love interrogating the assistants. Eating food while on their adventure is the last thing on their minds.

I know some people who go clothes shopping and try on loads of dresses without ever meaning to buy a thing!!

Actually, eating in the supermarket is probably safer than what I do which is to eat in the car (after I've taken the ticket out of my mouth, of course). I'm always starving after shopping so I'm always scoffing something at the wheel. Could distract me from my otherwise perfect driving. Also means car gets full of crumbs.

I frequently used to get to the checkout with some of the shopping wrecked, eg, loaves of bread squashed, boxes of cornflakes torn, due to ds "helping" me. The checkout operators always offered to replace the damaged items but I was always too honest to accept. One time I had some prepacked cheese with huge teethmarks in. They didn't offer to replace that for some reason.

I always find that my mouth starts to water uncontrollably, either because I'm paranoid about getting the ticket soggy or because I've not eaten enough food in the supermarket.

Sorry our posts crossed XAusted. I'm so slow tonight.

Soupdragon, the secret is to keep it between your teeth, not actually in your mouth, so you end up driving round the car park with a really silly wide grin on your face. Something like this !

You just kinda hold it between your lips/teeth. Don't put the whole thing in your mouth though as this will probably dissolve all the ink on it. If the theory of evolution was true we'd all have an extra pair of hands then we wouldn't have a problem with where to put tickets.

Lol @ tomps, snickers and oxocube! This thread is hilarious. OK, get this then, a friend of mine used to take her kids to the local Toys R Us just so they could take all the toys off the shelves and play with them She had no intention of buying anything in there, ever, it just killed a couple of hours on a dull afternoon...Now, where do you put the shopping list if you've had to take it out of your mouth to neck a few grapes?

Xausted I had this when Iceland delivered some groceries. They gave me an extra 3 bags of shopping.They were full of meat and ice-cream. I phoned the store to tell them what had happened and that the bags were in my freezer ready for collection. (I felt very guilty that someone was missing out on there shopping)They thanked me for my honesty and told me to keep it.

How do you stop the carpark ticket going soggy??

Our local ASDA and Sainsburys have no problems with children having something from a pre-paid or barcoded product. So long as you pay obviously. I wouldn't wat mysef. As I said I generally take snacks anyway but if shopping on way home from nursery it can be hard.

If you don't take your kids shopping, where are you going to hide all the small stuff when you go through the checkout ?

I think that it is a conspiracy. All the healthy items in the shops (bananas/grapes/bread rolls) are weighable, and all the cr*p is scannable. Not sure who is head of this conspiracy, but hey, I'm paranoid!

Furball, I agree with you in principle, I would just give ds something that could be accurately paid for (i.e. something in a wrapper), so that I felt more 'honest'. I do not understand why, maybe I'm just mad...actually that is a very big possibility

I had a colleague who used to take her step-children into supermarkets and open all the multi-packets of crisps, to get the Tazzos from the bottom, without having to pay for the crisps. I think that is awful, and would feel as bad if I had given ds something without paying for it, even a grape.

Berlimey, we can't half talk about supermarkets, can't we!!!
Gosh2, I have to take the car park ticket out of my mouth in order to put my shopping list in my mouth instead. Perhaps if I put the ticket in one child's mouth and the list in the other child's mouth it would stop them getting hungry.
I like shopping online. They don't always deliver exactly what you order so sometimes it's a nice surprise!! Also, sometimes they deliver something completely out of the blue and you get to keep it cos it's not worth them coming back for it. I got 12 free yoghurts that way recently and 18 choc mini rolls before that.

OK I wasn't going to say anything because I have already expressed my views on this subject in the past but hey I'm bored so here goes!

I have a DS1 (aged 4) and a DS2 (aged 11 months) and I in all honesty can say that they have never been given anything to eat on the way round the supermarket that hasn't been paid for. I take a snack and a drink from home for them, usually get DS1 to eat this on the way to the supermarket and DS2's is kept in case he is grizzly on the way round. All the supermarkets in my area have cafes that provide childrens meals and snacks at reasonable prices and usually offer free jars of baby food and I find this useful to fall back on if shopping time coincides with dinner.

All the nicked grapes (I'm not talking about trying one to see if they are any good) and bananas etc add up. I understand what others are saying about giving them something to eat that you are going to pay for (something in a barcoded packet) but I have taken the personal decision to teach my children not to eat or use something until it is paid for. Example being a couple of weeks ago my DS2 took a fancy to a teddy in the George dept of ASDA, I thought it was cute and he might like to play with it on the way round the shop, I could have paid with it along with my shopping but decided to pay for it in the George dept before my DS2 got it to play with. I'm not necessarily saying I am right as I can understand what others are saying that it makes no difference as long as the goods are paid for it is just the way I feel and the example I want to give my children.

BTW I put the parking ticket between my teeth when in a multi-story car park. Where else do you put it without causing an accident?

Well its partly YOUR fault that DS (21 months) gets fed on the way round, starting with bananas, biscuits then crips, I know! - All paid for at the end, I hasten to add. I always said I'd never do that, but you guys on another thread said it was fine, so now I do.

I think the point is, in a clothes shop they cannot see things to eat. Toy shops are different, again, it is all there to tempt them! and yes I have also unwrapped a 'Harold the Helicopter' then buying an empty box.

Which is worse a screaming child or one eating a banana? As I am the one six inches away from said child - I prefer the banana.

oxocube - don't forget to leave the window open a crack though - it'd be cruel otherwise...

Oh I'm enjoying this thread very much! Thanks Tallulah.

The trick with online shopping is to get them to deliver all the dull stuff like tinned goods, and washing powders, cleaning stuff, catfood, nappies etc etc all of which you know is the same stuff time after time. THEN you can go and support your local shops, and get your meat from the butchers, veggies from the grocers etc etc. The kids benefit more from this probably - it's much more personal!

(Then you can shout across to the friendly grocer "Oi - is it OK if my kids have a coupla grapes to try? - don't suppose you'd be a dear and run them under the tap for me" LOL )

Aaahhhhhh, Have you no lives, people who stress about 3 grapes! And I must add that I feel COMPLETELY pissed off with the argument that you should leave your kids elsewhere whilst you shop.(Sure, on their own in the car maybe) My kids are 7, 5 and 19 months, I shop most days, they come with me, I spend a fortune at my local supermarket and, IMO, they welcome me and my constantly hungry children. My dh is often away, I live with no family nearby, friends are min 10 kms away, and why the hell should my I have to internet shop Who exactly am I offending?