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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:
MayBeeMee · 21/03/2022 12:05

Never, and I judge people who do. How hard is it to either feed your child before you go if they’re hungry, or take a toy to play with if they’re bored? Lazy parenting and a bad example to children imo, sorry.

Donra · 21/03/2022 12:05

No I would never give my child something that doesn’t belong to me. It isn’t my property until we’ve paid. But we’d never walk around eating something in public anyway, it’s trashy.

ronjobbins · 21/03/2022 12:05

@SilverHairedCat

No and I hate to see it. But that's my opinion.
Crikey overreaction Hmm
Original poster
georgousbold · 21/03/2022 12:06

@MayBeeMee

Never, and I judge people who do. How hard is it to either feed your child before you go if they’re hungry, or take a toy to play with if they’re bored? Lazy parenting and a bad example to children imo, sorry.

It's a treat, not something to fill hunger. And my DS doesn't play with toys either so there's that, or a tablet

OP posts:
ginghamstarfish · 21/03/2022 12:07

I don't like to see this, seems cheeky and unneccessary and I'd wonder how much of it is actually paid for. If your kids can't last the supermarket outing without eating, take something with you.

MissMaple82 · 21/03/2022 12:08

Shame on you

Glowinglights · 21/03/2022 12:08

No, i think it’s only yours once you’ve paid for it.
I find it odd to open a package you’ve not paid for yet and start eating or feeding it to your kids/dog/guinnea pig.
Totally get pp who said as check out staff she’d find it gross.

And I judge people who do it 😁

Jellycatrabbit · 21/03/2022 12:10

If I did this once my memory-of-an-elephant ds would want it every time, hungry or not, and there'd be an almighty fuss - even if we were just popping in for milk.

I understand why it's done but it's not a precedent I'd want to set.

Original poster
georgousbold · 21/03/2022 12:10

@Glowinglights

No, i think it’s only yours once you’ve paid for it. I find it odd to open a package you’ve not paid for yet and start eating or feeding it to your kids/dog/guinnea pig. Totally get pp who said as check out staff she’d find it gross.

And I judge people who do it 😁

Why does it matter, so long as they aren't leaving the shop with unpaid items? It all goes through the till just the same

OP posts:
Favourodds · 21/03/2022 12:14

I sometimes give my toddler a pack of blueberries to eat. I buy a second packet and just ask the checkout person to scan it twice, thus negating them needing to touch something that's also been touched by my, apparently, disgusting child.

I believe she will grow up to be an upstanding member of society in spite of my clear failings as a parent, a shopper and, indeed, a member of society Grin

extractorfactor · 21/03/2022 12:16

This reminds me of a story my friend told me, she had a Saturday job in a large supermarket. The customer handed her an empty pick and mix cup, kid had munched all the sweets on they way round!

ClariceQuiff · 21/03/2022 12:18

No - the food isn't yours until you have paid. Suppose there was an issue at the till and your payment was declined or you discovered you'd forgotten your wallet?

AHungryCaterpillar · 21/03/2022 12:18

No I wouldn’t do this.

Ilikecheeseontoast · 21/03/2022 12:19

Yes I always do it! Needs must and all that!

sillysmiles · 21/03/2022 12:19

This is not something I would even notice and I would assume that at some point nearly all parents have done this.
So long as it is paid for - why stress over it?

I don't understand all these pp who judge people who do!

As for teaching children they have to pay for it - I'm sure my parents would have allowed us to eat in the supermarket while shopping - but as an adult I don't thin I ever had. I guess I learnt the lesson anyway!

Dobbysgotthesocks · 21/03/2022 12:19

I've done it once with my friends kids years ago. We had walked to the supermarket about 3 miles away because I didn't have a car. Kids were quite small but old enough to walk not need a buggy.
But I misjudged it badly. The supermarket was heaving and the lines for the till were crazy. I think we had been out well over 2hrs and the kids were tired, hungry and thirsty. So yes I did give them some of the stuff we were buying before we had paid. Better to have content kids than crying miserable ones in that situation.

Hugasauras · 21/03/2022 12:19

I haven't but I remember my gran used to do this when we went round the supermarket! Must have been late 80s/early 90s.

Reminds me of when I took DD(2 at the time) raspberry picking and she ate so much on the way round I asked them to double the cost at the end to cover it Grin

Pixiedust1234 · 21/03/2022 12:19

No, never. Until you have paid for it, its technically stealing. If you or your child cannot wait 30 minutes until you have paid for your shopping then you have bigger problems regarding entitlement and selfishness (me, me, me and my needs are more important). Feed them first or make them wait, they aren't going to keel over dead in aisle 43

ComDummings · 21/03/2022 12:20

No I don’t, I just think it’s not a habit I want to teach them. If I have a snack on me they can have it but once of twice if I have known they’re going to be hungry during a large shop I’ll buy something, pay for it then start my shop.

riotlady · 21/03/2022 12:20

I wouldn’t judge anyone but I’ve never done it- if you give my DD an inch she’ll take a mile so if she ever got a whiff that that was an option she’d be trying to open everything in the trolley

Ilikecheeseontoast · 21/03/2022 12:21

Some of the horrified comments on this thread are a bit weird. I bet most are from people who’ve never had to shop with a stroppy bored toddler or those too old to remember how hard it is!

RandomQuest · 21/03/2022 12:22

When I lived in the US, our local whole foods used to have a stand where kids could help themselves to a snack. The choices were typically things like puffs, raisins, apple sauce pouches. Which I thought was a really great idea. I haven’t ever done it in the U.K. though as living in London I can’t do big trolley shops as there’s no parking. I’ve worked on a checkout when I was a student though and never had a problem with it or found it gross. It’s was typically an empty packet of puffs or something, no big deal.

Malariahilaria · 21/03/2022 12:24

I judged people who did this before I had DC. Then I judged when I had the first calm DC. Then I had my bonkers second and decided that a screaming toddler wasn't helping anyone shop in peace and a packet of raisins was a price worth paying. Don't need to now he's old enough to have the rationale of stealing explained.

Staryflight445 · 21/03/2022 12:25

Mother to 2, never done this.

Staryflight445 · 21/03/2022 12:26

I did used to always carry snacks though, but I wouldn’t dream of opening something that I’d not paid for yet.

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