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Original poster

Do you allow things to be eaten before paying?

532 replies

georgousbold · 21/03/2022 11:54

In a supermarket etc

When I walk around, I do open something to keep DS quiet. Works a treat.

Nobody has ever told me off or questioned me on it

Is this the done thing in the UK? Can think of a few countries it would be allowed in and nobody would say anything

But you could never do that in Japan for example, South Korea either

OP posts:
LizBennet · 22/03/2022 10:25

I'm 42 and I don't ever remember supermarkets not being a thing when I was small Confused
I can certainly remember my mum giving me and my siblings something when we were shopping, that was in the 80s.

VampireMoney · 22/03/2022 10:25

@berlinbabylon and we live in a large city. My mum worked at the morrisons I'm talking about and even in 1982 it was (and still is) a superstore.

VampireMoney · 22/03/2022 10:29

@LizBennet yes of course supermarkets were a thing. Our Morrisons had a Lifestyle section with clothes and toys etc back when I was small. I was 5 in 1982 and my siblings younger. Going to the supermarket was a major family outing for us!

TypicaIMe · 22/03/2022 11:03

@berlinbabylon

Again with the 'these days' rubbish!! My eldest ones are 19 and 22 and they always had a snack in the supermarket! As did me and my siblings 40 years ago

Hmm it is vanishingly unlikely that you had snacks going round the supermarket 40 years ago. I know there are regional variations but the nearest large supermarket to where I lived opened in 1983. They were just small town centre ones before that and you would be round them in 20 minutes.

This is getting weirdly into alternative reality territory now. No supermarkets prior to 1983? Wtf?!
LizBennet · 22/03/2022 11:04

For us too VampireMoney, and I know my mum would definitely have added it to her list of complaints about how life was "harder back then" if there wasn't a supermarket 😬

TypicaIMe · 22/03/2022 11:06

Oh and my mum worked in Asda from the early 70s. Proper big one with an in-store bakery and all sorts.

MRex · 22/03/2022 11:41

Just for info; Sainsbury's, Tesco, Morrison's and Waitrose are all over 100 years old.

MonkeyPuddle · 22/03/2022 11:49

This thread is a wild ride.

Who knew it would go from snacks to whether or not supermarkets existed in the 80’s.

Amazing.

Somethingsnappy · 22/03/2022 11:55

If there is one thing this thread demonstrates, it's that as a parent, you literally cannot win. You'll get judged for EVERYTHING you do, no matter how trivial. If the posters on here judge someone for giving their child a snack in the supermarket, you can bet your life that they will judge everything else too. Particularly a noisy, 'unruly', upset or tantruming baby/toddler, disrupting their peace. I can just see them tutting and raising their eyebrows.

VampireMoney · 22/03/2022 12:05

Our local Morrisons opened its first supermarket in 1961. So...

So.. as I said earlier, around 1982 our weekly trip to the supermarket was a family outing, and we most definitely did have a carton of juice and a bag of crisps in the trolley on the way round.

I just told my mum about this thread and she's had a right chuckle. Said her dad used to give her and her siblings an apple from the outside of the greengrocers and then they'd be munching it on their way round while he got some fruit and veg and then he'd say .. Oh and 3 apples please, and the kids would dangle the apple conk at the greengrocer to prove they'd eaten them. And that is over 70 years ago. Granted it obviously wasn't a supermarket back then but the thought that's it's only kids 'these days' who get a snack from the shelf while their parents are still shopping is just laughable 😂

FourLittleStars · 22/03/2022 12:32

I did actually steal a bag of crisps accidentally by doing this!

To set the scene, it was lockdown one, DC was just turned 3. GPs couldn't mind him, not a home delivery slot in sight, DH got called into work unexpectedly and we had very little food in. It was when we were still in the only leave the house once a fortnight phase. And we'd queued for ages outside.
DC was getting gripey and loud, I needed to concentrate so I shoved him a bag of crisps, from marks and Spencers no less, so basically high end robbery!

The penny only dropped when I got home. I phoned and offered to pay and the lady on the phone told me not to be so daft and that she hoped he'd enjoyed them!

I'll just nip outside and wait on the kirb for the MN firing squad to do a drive by. Grin

RichTeaRichTea · 22/03/2022 12:35

@Somethingsnappy

If there is one thing this thread demonstrates, it's that as a parent, you literally cannot win. You'll get judged for EVERYTHING you do, no matter how trivial. If the posters on here judge someone for giving their child a snack in the supermarket, you can bet your life that they will judge everything else too. Particularly a noisy, 'unruly', upset or tantruming baby/toddler, disrupting their peace. I can just see them tutting and raising their eyebrows.
Oh definitely. And we have the “get online shopping instead of boring your toddler by taking them shopping” vs “shopping is a learning opportunity for babies and toddlers, you should be including them in normal everyday activities” too
stuntbubbles · 22/03/2022 13:24

@MonkeyPuddle

This thread is a wild ride.

Who knew it would go from snacks to whether or not supermarkets existed in the 80’s.

Amazing.

I thought “eating Morrisons sausage rolls out of the bag is virtue signalling” couldn’t be topped, but here we are. I’ve got popcorn (haven’t paid for it yet, I’m in the snacks aisle).
LizBennet · 22/03/2022 13:28

Virtue signalling is my absolute favourite.

Favourodds · 22/03/2022 13:28

Bloody hell @FourLittleStars, crisps, unruly toddler, outside during lockdown.

It's shocking stuff, it really is Grin

user1477391263 · 22/03/2022 13:34

No, in the country where I live this would be absolutely unthinkable.

If I had timed a supermarket trip badly and my toddler was HUNGRY, I would buy something from the small shop on the way to the supermarket and give her that.

Once, during a trip to the UK. the end of a baguette BROKE OFF as I was walking around the supermarket (must have bashed against something). I apologized to the cashier and she gave me a weird look and obviously thought I'd broken it off myself, it was embarrassing!

VampireMoney · 22/03/2022 13:37

@FourLittleStars oh the horror 😂

JoAnnewithanE · 22/03/2022 13:54

Lots of supermarkets encourage it but I'm
Not going to go with it because then I'll have to re teach when they are above a certain age, I don't want her growing up thinking it's ok.

PinkFluffyUnicornSlippers · 22/03/2022 14:05

@Babadook76

@icedancerlenny
No. What sort of example does this set? It’s disgusting and it’s disrespectful to the supermarket staff

Oh get a grip 😂

Haha, I was thinking that! People need to chill out on this thread and stop getting their knickers in a twist. Yeah, I’ve done it when DS was small. Sue me 🤷‍♀️

VampireMoney · 22/03/2022 14:11

@JoAnnewithanE

Lots of supermarkets encourage it but I'm Not going to go with it because then I'll have to re teach when they are above a certain age, I don't want her growing up thinking it's ok.
No you won't 😂
sillysmiles · 22/03/2022 15:59

@MonkeyPuddle

This thread is a wild ride.

Who knew it would go from snacks to whether or not supermarkets existed in the 80’s.

Amazing.

My DH started talking this week about taking a big trip for my 50th and I felt ancient and now this thread is trying to tell me I predate supermarkets (even though I remember them as a small child in the 80's) more Gin please.
LizBennet · 22/03/2022 16:02

sillysmiles 😂😂

user1471538283 · 22/03/2022 16:10

I used to feed my DS when he was very small before going for groceries but he always wanted more so I used to let him have fruit or part of a baguette. I always paid for it. As he got older we didnt.

Dannicalifornia · 22/03/2022 16:16

I clicked on this thread because I thought it said, 'Do you allow things to be eaten before praying'. I thought it was going to about saying Grace before meals! Blush

Bonbon21 · 22/03/2022 16:26

No.. if you havent paid for it..its not yours..
Sends the wrong message to kids..