Do you allow things to be eaten before paying?

[georgousbold]

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

What message does a restaurant send to children then?

What message does a restaurant send to children then?
That different places have different rules for one.

I didn’t, but mostly because I am paranoid about my bank card not working and me somehow not having enough cash to pay for whatever item it was, and being carted away in handcuff by the police for the price of a bag of crisps….

I never ever see it done where I live now though…. I don’t know why, maybe it’s against some unwritten social rule I’m not aware of!!

@FrenchFancie

I didn’t, but mostly because I am paranoid about my bank card not working and me somehow not having enough cash to pay for whatever item it was, and being carted away in handcuff by the police for the price of a bag of crisps….

I never ever see it done where I live now though…. I don’t know why, maybe it’s against some unwritten social rule I’m not aware of!!

Why do people say this? This wouldn't happen.

In the event of a mistake, you'd give all your details to customer services and pay later or come back with it, like when you'd go through a toll and not have change, they gave a form to fill out and you had to transfer the money by a certain time.

Apply some common sense ffs.

Absolutely no way. Not in a month of Sundays and, while I would never say anything to anyone who does, you can rest assured my pearls are clutched and my judgy pants are well and truly hoiked up...

I have done over the years, only when my children were very little. Of course I always paid. Better than a little one screaming the place down.

@notacooldad

What message does a restaurant send to children then? That different places have different rules for one.

Exactly!

In the same way, different aged children might need different rules.

I don’t actually feed my children in the supermarket but this thread is just so nostalgic. All these rehashed arguments!

I'm quite interested in how you tell the difference between a snack that's been brought from home, or taken out of a multipack bag.

From the perspective of a toddler, a snack appears, they don't give a shit where it's come from. Then past about age 4 and they understand "no, not now, we will have something when we get home." So no dreadful lessons learned about burglary from Sainsbury's being ok.

But also from the perspective of the disgusted, how do you know, unless you see the parent open the packet in an aisle? Or is it just all supermarket snacking that's frowned upon?

I don’t actually feed my children in the supermarket but this thread is just so nostalgic. All these rehashed arguments
🤣🤣
I know! I dgaf what other people do and said it wasnt a particular thing when my kids were small in my area and got called out on it! 🙄🤣

No

This was never a thing when I was young. It’s not the end of the world for a child not to have a snack when they say they want one

@HRTQueen

No

This was never a thing when I was young. It’s not the end of the world for a child not to have a snack when they say they want one

Mine didn't ask for one, I just used to shop over lunch hour when they were small and did two birds one stone for ease. They had a sausage roll and a fruit shoot while I shopped and then napped on the way home. Sorted. I don't know why people assume it's because the child is shrieking for a snack!

@HRTQueen

No

This was never a thing when I was young. It’s not the end of the world for a child not to have a snack when they say they want one

But it is the end of the world to small children, who don’t have context, nuance, perspective or control of their emotions. It’s such a weird adult viewpoint to expect little kids to understand arbitrary grown-up rules or wait as long as an adult might for meals, despite different stomach sizes.

Toddler + snack in public = everyone happy
Toddler refused snack for etiquette reasons = everyone unhappy

I have to admit I have done this for myself rather than with the children. I went into the supermarket for a weekly shop and halfway round felt so uncomfortable as I was so thirsty (I had been in hospital the day before for a minor procedure and was NIL and quite dehydrated).. I got a six pack of small waters and opened the packet and drained a bottle. The cashier didn't mind, but I apologised and said I really needed it. Did feel a bit guilty but was feeling really odd and headachy.

@HRTQueen

No

This was never a thing when I was young. It’s not the end of the world for a child not to have a snack when they say they want one

You say that but I bet it was. Maybe not for you, but people did it

@HRTQueen

No

This was never a thing when I was young. It’s not the end of the world for a child not to have a snack when they say they want one

It was never a thing in your experience. But it was definitely a thing.

Besides, it's all the fun of judgement bingo! Will the mum get tutted at for having the audacity of letting her toddler grouch and grouse near other people?! Or will she get judged for giving them a packet of quavers?! Double sneer points if it's chocolate buttons!

Ok it’s wasn’t a thing in my experience

We simply didn’t constantly snack like children do now. Some children may have but most didn’t

I don’t see children constantly snacking now either tbh

Why is a such a thriving market of children’s snacks and a problem with obesity. We were not eating super healthy foods in the 70/80’s we just were not stuffing our faces constantly as we are now

But it is the end of the world to small children, who don’t have context, nuance, perspective or control of their emotions. It’s such a weird adult viewpoint to expect little kids to understand arbitrary grown-up rules or wait as long as an adult might for meals, despite different stomach sizes.

Yep this, especially when you read the “horrible things about your childhood” threads which always say that posters’ parents withheld food, drink, even water until mealtimes. It seems very mean.

Absolutely not.

It is not the end of the world for a child to have to wait a short while to snack

As it’s not the end of the world for a child to not have the big bag of sweets that they will want that are conveniently placed for them to see (or where until recently) or the toy that they see and so on

It gives parents a headache at times to have to deal with a toddler who is demanding but that’s what they do

@SilverHairedCat

No and I hate to see it. But that's my opinion.

Me too. Theft. Drives me mad seeing parents handing over an empty packet to be scanned.

I used to get 50g of cheese in Waitrose to distract toddler dd while we were going around the shop. Idd look from deli staff for getting such a small amount, odd look from till staff for putting empty bag on conveyor belt to be scanned. Easier life for me.

I don't think I've done this with my children but I would if I felt the need. I have popped open a pack of dummies and given DS one before paying when he was a baby because he was screaming the shop down and his was lost. Not ideal but I was trying to do everyone's ears a favour. I've also let him snack on the free fruit they used to give out when he was sitting in the trolley.

@stuntbubbles

The only thing I’ll judge, and purely out of fear of choking, is giving grapes while going round the supermarket without tearing them into pieces first. Maybe use a knife from the homewares aisle first, as long as you also intend to pay for the knife.

Handing the cashier a knife that you have used to slice grapes for your child in the supermarket is the most Mumsnetty thing I can imagine