Eating in the supermarket

Anyway look at it this way, better the children eat the grapes than drink the alcoholic byproduct.

beetroot, your mantra 'grape, grape grape, eat eat eat' made me laugh!

Also for the record, when my ds is eating crisps, he will quite happily hand the bad over to be scanned then get given them back. I will continue doing this (anything for a quiet shop) and do not believe for one moment that he will turn into a thief because of it.

I can see what you're saying rosie and sort of agree with you about emphasising the small rules to make the big one stick. But I think confusion is arising because everyone is talking about different ages of children. I mean, an under 2 year old won't have much of an idea about paying for things - you're lucky if they are understanding the concept of sharing. If the odd grape helps them through the aisles, and you pay for it at the end, then what's the problem? Lots of the pro grape eating people have very young children so are probalby looking at things from this angle.

I would not encourage my 9 year old eat grapes before we had paid for them, just for the reasons you state and also the fact that he is not likely to throw a tantrum because he is hungry. My 3 year old I would give grapes to, if he really wanted them, though I would be beginning to tell him about paying for things first and getting him to wait till we get to the cash desk. As it happens neither of my sons ask for food in the supermarket - too many other distractions there for them.

As a parent I believe I have a moral obligation to teach my children right from wrong. It does worry me how many parents over look this view, and think oh well we can get away with a few grapes.

As a business woman, I can only add my humble viewpoint which is that the supermarkets do of course pass this loss onto us, in the form of inflated prices.

But I also know that children get bored, and the supermarket is no place for them, it is dull and boring. So I understand why parents will do anything to keep them quiet, and happy.

My DH doesnt mind either and he should know. he says that even if he didn't like someone eating (which he doesn't) then he would be powerless to do anything until then walked out the door.

Thanks for that explanation, Pie, and lol at the Anthea Turner comment, Whymummy. I'm obviously missing an awful lot of important news while I'm out of the country. The Jakarta Post didn't mention the CZJ episode once!!

I LOVE this thread! Who needs Gina Ford when you've got eating in supermarkets?

IMHO in a shop the goods don't belong to you until you've paid for them - and I believe this is the legal status of items in your supermarket trolley - therefore if they don't belong to you, you, or your kids, shouldn't be consuming them.

This legality is how supermarkets cope with minors and alcohol and certain drugs - the point of sale, and point of transfer of ownership is the till.

I agree we all have the right to an opinion - and others have the right to parent their children as they see fit. And I'm not asserting that a child allowed to eat from a trolley will become a teacher-mugger! Just that unless you instill in your kids the idea that they can't always have what they want, when they want it, and that certain boundries must not be crossed, how do you expect them to cope when a teacher asks for quiet in the classroom so s/he can teach? Or abide by a 'no eating, drinking or gum' rule in a lab, which is there for health and safety reasons?

the opposite to anthea turner then

sue, one of the reasons that CZJ sued Hello! for unauthourized pictures is that there was one of her eating her wedding cake, which she claimed was one of the most unflattering things that you can show a bride doing and caused grande distress.

well said aloha
can`t wait for thursday
HEADS WILL ROLL!!
WAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!!

Doormat, lol at your spit-n-wipe memories. What's with the CZJ reference? I didn't get that one, sorry!

Aloha, it's good to see you back!!

Rosiemum, do you eat in restaurants and then pay the bill afterwards or is that morally wrong too? Or is it theft, or rude, or immoral or any other of the very loaded words people are using here. You see, we do have rules with our kids. Just different rules to yours. I actually happen to think your rules are daft, but hey, that's totally your choice. And frankly, I doubt very, very much that your kids are nicer/more moral/more polite and less likely to mug their teachers than mine. As for the idea that eating french sticks in the supermarket is just one step away from hotwiring cars and mugging old ladies... how utterly bizarre.

Oh, God, a controversial mumsnet debate. Why do I let myself be sucked in....whirlpool....vortex...black hole...

oh m2t i`m sure is a plot from mumsnet to keep us troublemakers apart

Sorry - I don't get it, why is it morally wrong to eat something and then pay for it. I've never been told off by anyone working in the supermarket if they have to scan an empty bag from the deli which one contained an item of food, (which I rarely do to be honest) or a drink which I've opened to take the much needed headache tablets (which would be more common with me).
And why is it rude to eat when you're out and about. I don't get that at all. Rude to eat just when you're in a supermarket or out in public, other than a restaurant, in general?

Roseiemum

You are very brave to post such unpopular opinions. I salute you!

think we need to change our nicknames in case we get tracked down and arrested!

Always pay for all my food - have not stolen anything and have very rarely done the croissant immoral thing. Anyway they don't finish it so it always gets put back in the bag and scanned through. Hands up though - feel bad when I do do it but life's too short to worry about what other people think.

No worse than usual northernlass!

rosiemum

bad day?

I know I shouldn't - but I'm going to add my thoughts to this one.

I cannot believe the number of people who allow their children to eat food from the trolley before it is paid for!

If it is a weighed item, then I'm sorry but it is THEFT, no matter how seemingly meaningless - and it's not the supermarket who pay for it but those of us who don't indulge in this stealing, as we have to pay higher prices to cover the losses - and before you go on about it only being a grape, have you seen the price of them recently?!

If it is an item that can be scanned after consumption and it is subsequently paid for then I agree you are not stealing, but I still feel it's morally wrong - you should pay for goods before consuming them.

I have two daughters, 2 1/4 years between them. I never took them shopping when they were hungry. They were always allowed a treat - but only after it had been paid for. This was the rule, no exceptions, and I never had any problem with either of them, as they knew exactly where I stood. So I'm sorry, I just can't understand why people would have a problem with enforcing this!

As a teacher I see far too many pupils who don't have a firm grasp of what is acceptable and what's not, and although it may seem a trivial thing to get worked up about, to me it's the thin end of the wedge. Establishing groundrules and then sticking to them is an important part of parenting. Many pupils I see who cannot accept discipline and rules at school have not been brought up to respect other people's property or groundrules at home.

I know these views are unpopular, but before you count me out as aged - I'm 37.

Whymummy - I've still never received your email..... maybe youjust don't want to reveal your true ID to me......... >sniff

lol m2t