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

Absolutely not no never you pay then eat feed your children before you go shopping

I did this loads when they were kids. My children are incredibly well behaved, never get into trouble and would not shop lift because I opened a snack packet that I then paid for at the til!

I would only really do it in our Sainsburys that I was a regular at and was never given the impression by any of the staff that this was unacceptable. In fact they would open tills if it was busy etc. It is far better to give them a snack walking round than have them screaming. Bringing something from home can confuse things more as to whether you have paid or not and sometimes you have nothing in the cupboards to give them.

I did ask once and they said it's fine if it's paid for when you leave. It massively reduces stress, so I would say go for it.

@toddlingabout

I did this loads when they were kids. My children are incredibly well behaved, never get into trouble and would not shop lift because I opened a snack packet that I then paid for at the til!

I would only really do it in our Sainsburys that I was a regular at and was never given the impression by any of the staff that this was unacceptable. In fact they would open tills if it was busy etc. It is far better to give them a snack walking round than have them screaming. Bringing something from home can confuse things more as to whether you have paid or not and sometimes you have nothing in the cupboards to give them.

I did ask once and they said it's fine if it's paid for when you leave. It massively reduces stress, so I would say go for it.

But surely if they'd had enough to eat at home before setting off, none of this would have been necessary?

It's also a bit weird to claim this is a good way to stop kids shoplifting imo.

Would it be ok for me, an adult to take a packet of biscuits off a shelf and start eating it as I went round? Technically if you haven’t paid for it it doesn’t belong to you.

I was making a comment on a post further up suggesting doing this meant a life of crime for your kids.

Used to often go on the way back from preschool. It was more a distraction and to give them something to do. A treat as they ate very healthily at home (when I say treat I mean organix gingerbread men, that kind of thing)

Undiagnosed ASD which didn't help, but honestly life was so hard then I really don't think it was a big deal to stop being screamed at and would do it again.

@CounsellorTroi

Would it be ok for me, an adult to take a packet of biscuits off a shelf and start eating it as I went round? Technically if you haven’t paid for it it doesn’t belong to you.

Do you eat food in a restaurant and then pay as you leave? I don't really see much difference. So long as you pay for everything you've eaten it's fine.

Do you eat food in a restaurant and then pay as you leave? I don't really see much difference. So long as you pay for everything you've eaten it's fine.

Not the same at all. A restaurant is not the same as a supermarket. You go to a restaurant to eat. You go to a supermarket to buy food and other things.

@CounsellorTroi You said "Technically if you haven’t paid for it it doesn’t belong to you.". I was equating that to the fact that in a restaurant you haven't paid for it but you would still eat and pay later.

I do get that this is a contentious point, but morally I don't see anything wrong with it, provided you are paying before you leave.

Some kids are easier than others and wouldn't need this, others aren't. It is not necessarily down to parenting as my kids are very different and are the opposite of entitled as others have suggested.

Awful. Those poor shop staff who no doubt have to clean up disgusting spit soaked wotsits or whatever that your child has no doubt drooled over and dropped on the floor since you clearly don't believe in teaching them basic manners or respect for others. The next thing you know you'll be telling them when they go around to friends houses they should just help themselves to the contents of the cupboards because the world revolves around their greed and there's no need to learn even the smidgen of basic self control to only eat food which is actually theirs not just immediately stuff themselves with whatever is in reach.

@nosyupnorth well said

@CounsellorTroi

Would it be ok for me, an adult to take a packet of biscuits off a shelf and start eating it as I went round? Technically if you haven’t paid for it it doesn’t belong to you.

Why not?

I used to work in a supermarket and saw adults doing this all the time. As long as the item isn't payable by weight, it's really no big deal.

Have missed some of this thread but people stuffing their faces and giving junk to children is definitely on the rise.

I only had just under a year in a supermarket but it really was crisps and sweets and you were handed the packet covered in toddlers/kids dribble and god knows what else. The PP who said what is wrong in eating an apple - well what are you going to hand over (an apple core!) and believe me - it is NEVER fruit, an apple, bananas etc.

@Somethingsnappy

You know in the olden days, way, way, way back before covid, they used to put little samples of bread and cheese etc on the deli counters to try? Were we OK to let our children nibble these or was that type of light snacking strictly adults only?

Yes, I know I've missed the payment point side of things, but a lot of the objections that posters have raised have nothing to do with the payment, and more to do with snacking in the supermarket...

Am a bit surprised some people can't tell the difference between a free sample and goods that need to be paid for, I must say.

@nosyupnorth

Awful. Those poor shop staff who no doubt have to clean up disgusting spit soaked wotsits or whatever that your child has no doubt drooled over and dropped on the floor since you clearly don't believe in teaching them basic manners or respect for others. The next thing you know you'll be telling them when they go around to friends houses they should just help themselves to the contents of the cupboards because the world revolves around their greed and there's no need to learn even the smidgen of basic self control to only eat food which is actually theirs not just immediately stuff themselves with whatever is in reach.

As someone who used to work in a supermarket, spare me your pity. It's absolutely no big deal for the most part. Never blinked an eye when someone handed me an empty packet of Wotsits. And they weren't all soggy either

@Franklin12 my 16mo always has an apple. From a multipack. Specifically buy multipacks so that I can just scan the bar code. And I put the core in the bin in the trolley shelter. That ok hun?

My husband is a type 1 diabetic and on occasion, his blood sugars will drop and he will become very ill quite quickly; it's happened before in a supermarket, so whilst I don't agree with casually munching away on unbought food, in these kind of scenarios, doing so has been essential.

@insertcleverusername if someone has your husband's condition and will become very ill quite quickly without having something to eat, I can't for the life of me understand why they wouldn't keep a protein bar or similar in their pocket every time they go out?

Are you suggesting he should consider just falling into a coma rather than committing the crime of eating something in a shop before he pays for it, @SushiShopSearch?

Am a bit surprised some people can't tell the difference between a free sample and goods that need to be paid for, I must say.

Everybody pays for the free samples. Maybe not much, but there is no such thing as a free lunch. Everybody pays a tiny little fraction more to cover the cost of those slices of cheese.

I wouldn't do that. You haven't paid for it

mathanxiety

Are you suggesting he should consider just falling into a coma rather than committing the crime of eating something in a shop before he pays for it, @SushiShopSearch?

To me it reads why on earth doesnt he have something on him if his diabetes isnt stable*

What if he needs something urgently and he is no where near a shop?
The scenario about the diabetic husband doent make sense.

@SushiShopSearch
His diabetes is well managed, but sometimes, on a very rare occasion, he will test his blood sugars and he will be fine before he leaves the house and for some unknown reason, his sugar levels will drop. I never said this was something that happened regularly, I was making a point that tried to justify maybe why someone had to eat something as an emergency in a supermarket. It's not that deep, FFS

And also, a protein bar is going to do very little to help; he would need sugar.

@insertcleverusername. I'm not a medical person and I have no idea about the sugar situation with diabetics but it's plain common sense if someone MIGHT need to have something to eat with them for medical reasons, they should.
Same as we take cash or keys or phone with us every time we go out.
It's not rocket science "FFS"

[quote SushiShopSearch]@insertcleverusername. I'm not a medical person and I have no idea about the sugar situation with diabetics but it's plain common sense if someone MIGHT need to have something to eat with them for medical reasons, they should.
Same as we take cash or keys or phone with us every time we go out.
It's not rocket science "FFS"[/quote]
Well yes this. If you’re a diabetic you should always carry emergency food, just lime if you have a peanut allergy or anything else likely to cause anaphylactic shock you should carry an epi pen. Or an inhaler if you are asthmatic.

@SushiShopSearch
@CounsellorTroi

Absolutely agree, He usually carries something in the car when we go out, or he keeps a can of Coke in his bag when commuting, but I was making a particular point about a very rare occasion he has gone out without something. It's happened once in 10 years. I imagine it's a situation other diabetics/people with chronic health conditions have been in, whether or not you agree with what I said.

Sorry everyone; I've inadvertently derailed this thread!
I won't be contributing or responding anymore.