Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Protection built in.

Meet the Other Phone.
Protection built in.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Chat

Join the discussion and chat with other Mumsnetters about everyday life, relationships and parenting.

Original poster

Maximum of 2 people per household - no exceptions for small children at Dunelm - any other shops have this policy?

96 replies

JMAngel1 · 17/06/2020 19:27

So I tried to get into Dunelm today with DD10 and DD8 - I was told only max of 2 people per household. No exceptions made for small children - do they think we should leave them outside like dogs? I'm playing tag team with work with DH - we work on opposite shifts for NHS across the full 7 days so there isn't any day that I could leave them with him and vice versa. This seems like a crazy rule.
Are there any other shops with this rule just to avoid me making a wasted journey and also having to crawl away with my tail between my legs?

OP posts:
Greysparkles · 17/06/2020 21:58

Christ. Lots of empathy on here as usual.

You're not BU OP.
Remember this and don't give these businesses your money again.

And for those of you who would leave an 8&10yo in the car for, what an hour with all the queueing.
Really. You'd really do that and think your kids are safe and you're being a good parent.
Jog on

peppapigisscottish · 17/06/2020 22:02

No. I wouldn't leave them in the car but I wouldn't go and do unnecessary shopping, I'd order online if i absolutely needed it. I haven't been in any shop other than the petrol station on my way to work during lockdown.

BakewellGin1 · 17/06/2020 22:03

Suppose it depends on your children but I leave DS11 at home quite often. Obviously at the moment it's not ideal taking them to the shops anyway but if its essential I take baby with me and leave oldest at home/in car.. If its hot windows are down and I park near the entrance if possible.. DS has a mobile phone if he wants or needs anything.

Interested in this thread?

Then you might like threads about this subject:

General shopping
BIWI · 17/06/2020 22:16

@Greysparkles

Christ. Lots of empathy on here as usual.

You're not BU OP.
Remember this and don't give these businesses your money again.

And for those of you who would leave an 8&10yo in the car for, what an hour with all the queueing.
Really. You'd really do that and think your kids are safe and you're being a good parent.
Jog on

It's not about empathy. It's about a shop that a) wasn't essential and b) didn't require her to be there in person or take her children

Lest we forget, there's a pandemic ... !

Greysparkles · 17/06/2020 22:18

Lest we forget, there's a pandemic ... !

Which apparently only applies if you're shopping with your kids.
Everyone else welcome.

Reedshoes · 17/06/2020 22:24

@BIWI

But you could say that about any person in that shop. Why does anyone need to be there? They don’t really.

Also two adults don’t need to go together. Surely one could go in and chose something for the house.

BIWI · 17/06/2020 22:27

Nobody needs to be in any of these shops. That's the point. They're not deemed essential. Just because we are easing lockdown doesn't mean that the risk of the virus has really gone away.

And restricting the number of people who can to into a shop at any one time is all part of helping to control/restrict the spread of coronavirus.

It's not really difficult, is it?

Reedshoes · 17/06/2020 22:33

Well if that’s the argument, it seems equally ridiculous to allow two grown adults (husband and wife say) in the shop together and not to allow 1 adult with 2 children in..... there’s not much the mother could do short of leave them in the car in this heat for about an hour. I don’t think so!

The husband and wife are capable of one staying home!

Greysparkles · 17/06/2020 22:38

Ah I see, so they're not allowed in because of number.

Basically the other adults in the queue don't want to wait slightly longer to get in to the unessential shop.

It's not about safety at all, it's about discrimination towards children, more specifically, women with children. So the business can cram a few more ££ paying adults in

Reedshoes · 17/06/2020 22:40

@Greysparkles

I thunk you make a great point!

Sirzy · 17/06/2020 22:41

How dare businesses try to keep afloat after being shut for months by trying to make money!

Does anyone really think shop staff are enjoying this? They are doing the best they can in completely unprecedented circumstances

StillCounting123 · 17/06/2020 22:45

Local shop has a 2 customer policy, and the shop keeper got shitty with me when I was in with my baby in a baby carrier on my front! WTF did she think? Not like he was running around touching things!

I agree with PP that it isn't accomodating for parents or children. Not saying kids need to be the focus here, but their whole lives have have chucked upside down and a little bit of normality like going into a shop with mum is bound to be understood.

Also, how the feck can we as a society teach younger kids about social manners etc if they are to be kept at arms length now and not allowed in anywhere. Poor buggers can't even get to the playparks!

Greysparkles · 17/06/2020 22:48

I'm not begrudging them making money, but that doesn't mean it's OK to discriminate against a large group of people.
Its also very shortsighted as they're potentially alienating a large portion or their customer base

Pumpertrumper · 17/06/2020 22:50

I'm sorry but this thread isn't about my parenting preferences, it's about admittance policies of high street stores

As a mother and wife of NHS employee I get that it’s hard balancing shift work but this sounds a bit entitled tbh. It’s not really about admittance policies, It’s about you wanting to take 3 people into a non essential shop and being put out that you were told no. I don’t think it’s super relevant that you or DH are shift workers or NHS staff when it’s relating to non essential shopping and I think the ‘but I’m a key worker’ attitude in situations like this is really starting to grate on people.

Should you be able to skip the supermarket queue to buy food after a 13 hour ward shift ... yes
Should you be allowed to trot 3 people into dunelm to redecorate a child’s bedroom (and no doubt spend ages blocking aisles trying to make decisions)...no, dunelm is a business, not a recreational facility, and they need to get as many customers as possible through the door.

*Also our local B&Q is FULL of kids!!

Bringonspring · 17/06/2020 22:51

I don’t agree with the rule, if non essential shops are opening it is a relaxation of the rules. Their opening to make money etc.

I wouldn’t leave an I phone unattended in a car let alone my children

BogRollBOGOF · 17/06/2020 22:54

It's not really ideal leaving juniors age children in a car for a shop like Dunelm, especially in current weather. As a PP said, the sun can make the temperature in the car soar and most cars don't have manual windows anymore, so if a thunderstorm comes rolling in dumping an inch of rain in minutes, they'll either get drenched or roasted.

Go back to 2019 and post an AIBU about leaving the kids in the car while you spend 45 mins around Dunelm and it would have been a thorough "you are being unreasonable" and plenty of calls of neglect, police, social services.

There is no decent justification to prohibit children from being supervised with their parents around the shop

1stMrsF · 17/06/2020 23:11

I have 2 11yos and I would not leave them in the car alone for more than a few minutes (e.g. pay for fuel) and the main reason for that is that they are not comfortable with it, particularly not at the moment as lock down has made them very anxious. And after 14 weeks of being stuck at home with each other there's a good probability that they'd kill each other before I got back. So everyone saying leave them outside, it's not that simple (it's not just SEN children that may not want to be left alone in a strange situation) however, I also made the decision this week not to take them to the garden centre because I didn't know whether it would work. Maybe the queue would be long and they'd be bored or there would be rules I wasn't familiar with so best not to go just yet.

YinuCeatleAyru · 17/06/2020 23:16

shame that you had a wasted journey but I do understand the rule.

if you have a friend who is childless or who has only teens who can be left alone - could that person do a distanced outdoor walk with your kids for an hour while you pop to a shop solo? or just with the 10yo and you take the 8yo with you?

Clymene · 17/06/2020 23:28

You really should be able to leave neurotypical 10 and 11 year olds in the car.

11 year olds should be making their own way to school.

Bringonspring · 17/06/2020 23:34

I don’t understand why you would want to leave them in a car even if you could’ve

Legoandloldolls · 17/06/2020 23:41

It's a massive PITA OP. Can you try another shop like a Asda who do homeware? TBH I dont feel comfortable out with my kids any more and have a 16 year old to leave them with so it's a non issue for me.

I dont know what the answer is. I personally wouldnt feel comfortable leaving mine in the car either at that age. It's not for dogs with a window open so why little kids. In 2019 people would be saying this idea is bad parenting but in April people on my local FB page was telling mums to leave babies in the car.

Right now at this point in time from what I can see SOME people would prefer a baby in a car on a hot day than have a child in the same shop as them.

It's totally shit. There isnt any answers. FX Corona does one ASAP. For every person that sympathies with you, there will be three more ready to pitch fork you. For that reason alone, the kids arent safe in shops.

user49er · 17/06/2020 23:47

I'm amazed how many posters on mumsnet appear to dislike children so much. What's wrong with a mum wanting to take her kids into a shop after they've effectively been in isolation for 13 weeks? You have my sympathy OP, the situation is shit, and posters rolling their eyes at you and telling you to leave them at home is even worse. just to get out and do something different other than schoolwork/walk/play in bedroom would give my DC a boost to their mental health and a bit of normality.. I couldn't believe the garden centre thread the other day for this reason...

saraclara · 18/06/2020 00:05

My local supermarket can only allow 33 people in at once, If families of three were usual, then that's only 11 customers. And if they're all doing a big shop, then that queue outside is going to go on forever. So I think it's percectly reasonable for them to ask that people shop alone where possible, and under no circumstances (except possibly not counting babies in a sling) allow more than two people to shop together.

blahblahblahetcetc · 18/06/2020 00:14

You don't have small children.

IwishIhadaMargarita · 18/06/2020 02:18

If your kids ate anything like the two I encountered in Hone Bargains I’d be happier if they weren’t there. They looked about 8-10 and were running around touching things, play fighting with things, not keeping their distance as they ran into me twice, I had to say to their dad could he maybe keep them under some control? He just shrugged 🤷🏻‍♀️ This is why kids going shopping should be discouraged where possible.