Toddler in shops stories thread to make me feel better?

[Sorryfellowshoppers]

Feel like worst mum and shopper ever. DD happy and had a lovely morning so thought we'd nip in to Next on way back to pick up a parcel preordered online as it's often quiet about now and can't really go alone at the moment as DH at work late evenings and weekends. In hindsight I should have rethought as while happy we are just trialling dropping daytime nap and I think she's in between stages and maybe still needs it (she's only 2 but doesn't seem ready for sleep until 9.30 if she naps and I thought trying without might be better for her) and in hindsight likely was tired

We got in and joined queue at wrong end, I knew it was usually the other end of the counters but as there were three ahead already queuing it felt appropriate to join them rather than start a new queue on other side. Except unfortunately some people did so it meant our queue had to join their's and got longer. All started out well but by now six in queue and one check out person and it was just one of those days where each person's purchases/returns took a while and DD got progressively more upset, kept trying to bolt for it, lay on floor, crawled about and eventually screamed and all I could do really was clutch on to prevent her running. It's so unlike her so I think she was knackered and bored.

Everyone was looking at me as wondering why I'd bring a child to shops and I was wondering why I did too! Person behind had a baby who started crying and I was worried we'd woken them up. I'm pregnant too and felt like everyone thinking why would I have another when I'm hopeless with the first! Then when we got to till I said hello and blurted out my parcel number mid running after escapee DD and assistant seemed cross and said hang on her machine was loading but I'd have to wait a second longer, I hope she didn't think I was rude but was just managing logistics! I said thank you etc and was smiling but of course being masked didn't come across. Anyway parcel retrieved and everyone seemed relieved we were on our way out

No actual harm done just a lot of noise but I felt dreadful and rude

I know it's been done before but if anyone has any recent stories perhaps of toddlers getting up to worse I'll feel less of a terrible mum and citizen in general!

Normally we have a lovely shop experience if we go but it's the first time since pandemic so probably all a bit strange for DD.

2 stories for you...............

My brother, when he was 2, was a real escape artist who hated being dragged round the shops in town. he was always made to wear walking reins to keep him close, as he had a tendency to suddenly bolt off with no warning, which was obviously dangerous with traffic etc.
One day, we were in a clothes shop, waiting in the queue to pay, when my Dad was swapping hands with the reins ( so didn't have a firm hold), when my brother shot away, running straight for the exit door..............which was clear glass................and closed ! Fortunately he did not break the glass, but he DID knock himself out.
Funnily enough, it cured him of trying to run off

When my DS was 18 mths or so, he had a habit of helping himself to whatever was in his reach from the buggy when we were shopping, and I wouldn't know about it until I took him out of the buggy as he used to put things under his legs or behind his back !

I was terrified that I would get arrested for theft, so I used to block the aisles with his buggy by putting it in the middle of the aisles so he couldn't reach anything ! Even so, I used to have to take him out of the buggy before I left shops to check he hadn't gotten anything !

Not really bad behaviour but in Boots a couple of years ago a woman was buying some anti wrinkle cream. Toddler shouted “Grandma what’s that for?” woman said it was to get rid of the lines on her face. Toddler said “It doesn’t work Grandma does it?”

My now grown up, sophisticated, perfectly functional members of society DDs were little shits in shops.

One used to shout ‘No, Mummy, NO! Don’t hit me!’ with the most dramatic performance of fear she could muster (they were never, ever smacked).

The other used to take herself off to do her own shopping. I once found her, age 4, with her own basket, happily choosing sweeties.

It passes, and every parent has been there

Not in the shop, but I did the weekly food shopping this morning and when we got home 2yo DS decided he wanted to go for a walk 🙄 I had to carry him under one arm like a rugby ball while I brought 6 big bags of shopping in to stop him from legging it down the street.

Honestly OP it's normal, and your story doesn't even sound too bad. Don't get worked up about it, some of the other people in next were probably parents themselves so been there done that and just relieved it wasn't them this time. Everyone else will most certainly have forgotten about it by now, if they even noticed at the time.

Oh op don’t worry! That’s not that bad. I used to eat other people food from their trolleys when food shopping, or strip myself off totally naked. My poor mother!

Dd is either a smiling angel, or having to be stuffed, red-faced and shrieking into a trolley, and I then have to hold at arms length so she can’t kick me. Good times!

Thank you. These are reassuring though I'm sorry you've all been there

I just felt so ineffective and it seemed such a long time! It wasn't really especially bad just very loud and despite possibly being parents everyone appeared to be looking rather disapproving (maybe masks don't help?). The lady fifth in queue was telling off person sixth (one before us) for standing just ahead of the two metre markers too and it was just one of those atmospheres! Oh and as we'd been out DD's top was stained and she looked a bit feral which I think added to the whole picture! No dirty shoes or anything though

Took my daughter aged 3 into shoe shop. lady fitted her and got her to try on some shoes. i told her to walk around in them. she refused several times and just stayed on the bench. i eventually used my sternest voice and said please get down and walk in the shoes so the lady can see if they fit. she got up and ran straight out of the shop. i had my youngest in a buggy and had to run after her. I still think they thought it was some kind of attempt to steal the shoes!

Baby and toddler filled the buggy with things off the shelves in our local shop while I was talking to the owner right beside them. He was amazed and laughed as neither of us had spotted them doing it, i was mortified!
One of my children also got into a shop window once, which was quite funny afterwards but not at the time.

Mine knocked down one of those display stands of creme eggs and they went everywhere!

The only bad behaviour in my story is mine! My 3 year old and I were in a Fine Wine shop where her Dad worked, waiting on him to finish up a conversation and leave. My daughter was being playful and we were engaging in done mild tickly-chase-threat game ... honest to God I have no idea what possessed me! She was just by my side when I turned with tickly hands raised as tho I was going to chase her ..she ran off looking back over her shoulder and crashed straight into a ground level wine display similar to the pic 🙈🙈🙈 Red wine went everywhere! She was absolutely fine ...I couldn't believe I'd made such a bad decision..mortified exit as they swept up wine 😳😳😳😳 Grim looks from DP

Buying my eldest DD her school uniform. Was concentrating on her... So DD2 took the opportunity for a game of hide &seek. I could hear the giggling but couldn't find her anywhere. Another customer found her under a clothes rail, completely surrounded by dresses.
All the other children in the uniform section of M&S were of course being angelic.

Whenever I see a toddler having a tantrum or being mischievous I always think... It's your turn today, it will be someone else's tomorrow, and we all get our turn.

My 5 year old son and me in the Co Op back in the eighties. Well known local lady only had one leg and was on wooden crutches. Son was looking at toys (it was nearly Christmas). I turned around to look at something on shelf. When I turned back he had his head up her skirt and asked her "where's your other leg lady?". I was mortified and couldn't apologise enough! She was very nice about it though.

I thought I’d pop out with my DTs to get their feet measured and buy them some new shoes and then pop in to M&S to get something nice for dinner. It was without a shadow of a doubt the darkest, most awful trip ever.

They’d been walking beautifully for months, so I’d left the reins behind. DS bolted out of the shop, they both had full on throw yourself on the floor tantrums, DS hid and disappeared, he bolted into the lift as the doors were shutting, DD helped herself to packets of biscuits as I was chasing her brother, DS bolted in one direction, DD refused to move so I had to make a choice over which kid was in more immediate danger - it was complete and utter HELL. They were totally out of control, I didn’t have any change for a trolley, as I chased one the other misbehaved and it took forever for me to get both children in one spot to get us out of the shop.

DH (at work and completely unaware) was texting me asking to pick up a few bits, how were we, were we having fun that sort of thing, and I remember texting him back saying that my only aim was to make it home with the same amount of children that I left with.

I looked and felt like the worst mother ever. Luckily nobody commented in a negative way, because all the rage I felt over their behaviour probably would’ve erupted in their direction!

On other trips they’ve shoplifted in the buggy, a few screaming sessions, and a meltdown in a toy shop but I’ve been able to pick them up and get us out.

That day in M&S will be one I’ll never forget. I can only assume that they were possessed by something, as they’ve never been so badly behaved before or since!

Ds1 was about 2 and somehow managed to slip out of my tightly clutched hand in b and q (no really I still can't figure out how he managed I was under no illusions that it needed to be borderline death grip) pelted (and I do mean pelted I seriously considered he might be a running savant after this) down the wide middle aisle of b and q. I of course gave chase (I did not know at the time I was pregnant with ds2 so it may have slowed me down a bit ) .....the little bugger was really fast so I was sprinting .

May I take this moment to remind the thread that if you've ever noticed the floors at b and q are very very polished.

Nearly caught him so increased my speed to grab him....and he stopped.....dead.

To avoid colliding with him and risking hurting him I effectively pirrohetted with a wierd sort of grace that involved matrices bending my top half over the top of him whilst the bottom half skated around him.

I managed to stay upright (miracle in itself) bit my tongue so I didn't tell every word I wanted to (second miracle) picked him up put him under my arm rugby ball style as I left the shop.

During which he started yelling " help help she's hurting me" (I really really wasn't I absolutely swear he was going through a phase which was thankfully shortlived).

It gets better , having made my escape, the next day I returned alone as exdh had ds1 to get what I had originally attempted to go for to bump into an old colleague , who spritely chatted about the fact she was there as she did something now related to HR for b and q (something regionally and had happened to be in the store ) during which conversation the penny still does not drop.....right until I make my goodbyes with vague promises that neither of us really meant to meet up soon when she said....
" oh yes it would be lovely I was going to catch you when you were in yesterday but you seemed uhhhhm ...cough....busy "

I’m an old enough to remember supermarkets before multiple checkouts. You queued at open counters. My brother climbed into the cheese counter and had a full on tantrum because there was no red cheese (Edam). In the counter, with the cheese!

DS2 got grabbed at the exit of Costco when bolting. He didn't do it again.

DS1 was a regular floor polisher while melting down. His finest hour was when I was 38 weeks pg and using crutches for SPD. I couldn't bend or pick him up. A delightful older couple helped out by picking him up and putting him on a ride-on until he was calm enough to walk to the car.

I had to use a reins harness on DS1 to attach his back to the trolley seat so that he wouldn't dive out head first.

I once turned round after loading the belt to find that DS2 had nicked a yoghurt, had shoved his hand through the foil and was merrily scooping the contents into his mouth.

I'd still rather go into town with the DCs than DH because I can bribe them with 10 minutes looking at toys

He's a teenager now but when DS1 was very little we were shopping and as another shopper walked past, shouted "help me, help me". It elicited such a fabulous response that it became his favourite pastime every time we were near other people for a while.

DS2 walked quite early on and never wanted to go in his pushchair. I once took him shopping and he had one of those little backpacks shaped like bees with a rein attached; he lay face-down on the floor from the moment we left the car to the moment we returned, waiting to be dragged about and shouting "my legs just don't work".

We've all been there.

The one I remember most was when DD had a major tiredness induced tantrum in a shop and I had to pick her up and carry her out screaming and wriggling.

Only trouble was this happened in the town where I worked for Social Services offering support and advice to parents of young children (on behaviour management, parenting skills etc) and I just knew that I was bound to be spotted by some of the families I'd worked with

I did a click n collect the other day but they substituted skimmed milk for whole milk...decided i'd just go and get a different size of the one i actually needed.
My toddler (2) was rather taken with a Peppa t-shirt she saw so i decided she could have it and she insisted on holding it...made my way to the milk and all of a sudden here "Stuck mummy"...she'd attempted to put the t-shirt on but was stuck with the hanger out the head whole.
I was a bit proud of her dressing ability but also a bit WTF must people think!

Same shopping trip she also ate the proof of postage receipt from the post office!

DS was two and we went to big Asda to do the weekly shop.
He downright refused to sit in the trolley. DS is a big lad, he’s off the centiles height wise and when he’s flailing his arms and legs about there’s not a cat in hells chance can I get him in the trolley. It’s like trying to wrestle a lubed up octopus.
Anyway, I asked him to get in and he utterly lost his shit, right in the middle of the entranceway to the shop. On the floor, screaming and screaming and screaming. We were blocking the way into and out of the shop. So I got him by his arms and pulled him out of the main walkway, didn’t hurt him, he just slid across the lino flooring. He kept it up for 30 mins. Then he got in the trolley. I very nearly lost my mind that day.

I was shopping with DS, aged 4, and DD aged 2.

We were in Boots, which was in an indoor shopping centre. I needed condoms, amongst other things. DD, usually perfectly behaved in shops unlike her brother, grabbed the packet of condoms out of my hands, bolted out of the door and raced around the shopping centre screeching "Pretty things!! Pretty things!!' at the top of her massive lungs the little shit

DS followed her and they started playing catch with the condoms. (The Durex ones that come in a red box, and I'd bought a BIG box ...)

I finally ran them to ground outside the shopping centre open-plan cafe and we recovered with gin tea and cake.

Gah.

They are teenagers now. I have't told them this story, as they will react with utter horror if I mention buying condoms for their dad and me

Oh and @Sorryfellowshoppers - I work in Next. Don't worry, we've seen far worse as this thread clearly shows! Most mums who work in retail will be quietly thanking their lucky stars that it's you and not them this time

@CompleteBarstool

We've all been there.

The one I remember most was when DD had a major tiredness induced tantrum in a shop and I had to pick her up and carry her out screaming and wriggling.

Only trouble was this happened in the town where I worked for Social Services offering support and advice to parents of young children (on behaviour management, parenting skills etc) and I just knew that I was bound to be spotted by some of the families I'd worked with

Hehe! This one is my fave so far....

Op I can't remember plenty of times when my own children misbehaved in shops. But I can't remember any occasions of other people's children doing it.
I think when it's your own child you are hyper aware. When it's someone else child it doesn't register for long. I'm sure the people in the shop haven't given it a second thought

Ooh I have one. Not me but someone I knew!
Her son was maybe 3 or so. There used to be a lady who worked in the Iceland on our high street with the worst teeth I've ever seen - they stuck out at nearly a right angle.
So she got to the checkout with her son and saw the teeth lady, and realised there was no way he wouldn't say anything embarassing. So she pre-emptively said to the child "if you don't say anything about the lady's teeth, I'll give you a sweet".
They get to the checkout, go through, child says nothing, all good. As she's packing the shopping he says loudly "mummy I didn't say anything about the lady's teeth, can I have my sweet now?".
She was of course mortified.