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Original poster

To think that children should not be allowed in Ann Summers shops?

143 replies

JM31 · 19/03/2011 17:49

I was in the East Kilbride Ann Summers shop today and there were two children in there with their parents - ages between 12 and 14 I reckon. I had no idea kids were allowed in. I asked the shop assistant and she said they were allowed but only in the front part of the shop. As she was telling me this we could both clearly see the kids standing in the back of the shop, right next to the vibrators and fetish gear.
As for the front of the shop - it had a manniquin wearing a PVC rubber bra and pants, and the peephole bras and crotchless pants were the featured display right next to the door.

Ann Summers thinks it is ok for kids to see this, what do you think?

OP posts:
allsquareknickersnofurcoat · 20/03/2011 15:16

I dunno PA4PM I kept mine at my boyfriends house at 16 cause I shared a bedroom with my sister at home Wink

allsquareknickersnofurcoat · 20/03/2011 15:19

PS
on "Children are hitting puberty and becoming sexual from around 10" , I started my periods at 10, so started puberty at about 9. The whole point of puberty is biologically becoming ready to be sexual. I dont understand why this point is questionable? "becoming sexual" doesnt necessarily mean "having sex"

TotorosOcarina · 20/03/2011 15:20

Sorry, I'm not telling you to check under your daughters bed Blush I just meant I am 100% sure my mum wouldn't dream I had one!

I'm not 100% sure, I was thinking about that recently, was over 10 years ago now. it was a silver one, i think i got it out of the back of a magaine!!! I honestly cant remember but had it at 15 because I'd had it long before DH and I just turned 16 when I slept with him.

nurseblade · 20/03/2011 15:26

'out of interest, where did you keep your sex toy ?

I shall make sure I check there'

snooping for your daughter's sex toys is probably as disturbing as a parent taking their kids to Ann Summers.

TotorosOcarina · 20/03/2011 15:27

why would you look for it?? Confused

my sister found mine, but she was a nosy little sister and she only told me a few years ago!

Rowan49 · 20/03/2011 15:30

I would say no - this shouldn't happen, I remember going into the one in Bristol at uni with my friend. I was twenty and I was HORRIFIED! I think that while I wouldn't want my child growing up thinking sex is "bad" I do feel that some things should be introduced gently and at an appropriate age x

beesimo · 20/03/2011 15:30

I no I am coming (sorry) from a different place and time to most of you, but do you not realises a bit of sexual frustration can be a good thing for you and your real partner especially if your not getting on, you turn to each other in the night and the next morning you are waking up arms round each other. I never had the option of waiting til he went out to plug in me rampant rabbit. Yes I have been on the website I was so shocked I had to stay on for an hour just for reasearch purposes you understand.

TotorosOcarina · 20/03/2011 15:33

but bee they aren't just for alone time, you use them WITH your husband/partner too.

SardineQueen · 20/03/2011 15:40

I suppose my take on this really is that children should in an ideal world be free to discover and explore their own emergent sexualities without external and often consumerist prompts.

eg a girl discovering for herself that she likes to use things as dildos, rather than girls knowing age 10 that that's what you're "supposed" to "use" when you have sex/masturbate. That they don't think that sex and wanking are things that you have to have all this equipment for and spend money on to do it IYSWIM. It takes a certain amount of the joy of discovery out of it all, and it's all, I don't know, "mcfucking" with everyone doing it the same way with the same paraphernalia IYSWIM.

beesimo · 20/03/2011 15:43

Totorous are you mad he is like a bull in spring as it is, Even after nearly 30 years I only need to bend over to put something in the dishwasher and hes wanting a cuddle up. Its how to calm them down not how to get them going I need to know.

PeterAndreForPM · 20/03/2011 15:45

NB, how dare you suggest I snoop on my dd

see the Smile after my comment about checking ?

it means it was tongue in cheek...is that too difficult for you to understand ?

I don't need to "snoop" to know my teenage dd does not possess a sex toy

tbh, what I find more disturbing is your inference that I am naive to think I don't know my own dd

just because some of you were in the market for sex toys at an early age, doesn't mean everyone else was, or is

PeterAndreForPM · 20/03/2011 15:47

how funny that you missed the Smile off when you quoted me, nb Hmm

TotorosOcarina · 20/03/2011 15:48

Haha bees!!

and FWIW my eldest is 6 now and I wouldn't take him in ann summers, probably not even the underwear bit causes hes getting to that giggly 'boobiesssss' age!

I agree that its a part of growing up that needs to be discovered, not 'taught' (obviously ot in a literal sense!) everyone does it / doesn't do it in a different way, at a different age so its not really something a child needs to learn about or be exposed to until they find it themselves when they are ready.

4madboys · 20/03/2011 15:51

i have taken my young children into a sex shop, when ds1 was little, in a pushchair still, dp and i when in london for a day visited a sex shop in soho, ds1 got given a little teddy bear by the shop owner, sounds innocuous enough........ said teddy bear was dressed in bondage gear Grin ds1 had no clue and happily played with it whilst dp and i browsed, tho when we went back to mil house who we were visiting at the time, we were made sure to put said teddy bear out of sight! Grin

he is now 11 and i wouldnt take him in ann summers now, well i would the front bit, but not the back of the store, not because i think its innappropriate, but because HE would be embarrased, i am sure once he is 14/15 he will probably be having a look around the back of an anne summers store himself, thats what teens do!

i think taking babies/toddlers in pushchairs is fine and most sex shops will allow you to take in that age child, however once they are say 4-5 and upwards most sex shops wont let you take them in? and i think there would be the potential for too many awkward questions/comments so i probably wouldnt do it. but i dont think it would hurt them to see it, just that they wouldnt understand it and its not necessary for them, sex toys etc are something that you learn about as a teen in a Shock Blush way and quite quickly (or it was in my case) realise that they are fun Grin

tho i do remember being shocked to find a vibrator/dildo in my parents bedside cabinate, but then i shouldnt have been snooping their room anyway, so serves me right!

allsquareknickersnofurcoat · 20/03/2011 15:54

bees maybe you could buy him a plastic fanjo? [joking!]

nurseblade · 20/03/2011 17:14

'NB, how dare you suggest I snoop on my dd

see the after my comment about checking ?

it means it was tongue in cheek...is that too difficult for you to understand ?

I don't need to "snoop" to know my teenage dd does not possess a sex toy

tbh, what I find more disturbing is your inference that I am naive to think I don't know my own dd

just because some of you were in the market for sex toys at an early age, doesn't mean everyone else was, or is'

Wow no need to get so touchy. I haven't inferred that you are naive or don't know your own DD at all.

PeterAndreForPM · 20/03/2011 17:19

nb, yes you have

Gemsy83 · 20/03/2011 17:22

No doubt those who think kids wandering round handling the totem poles are the ones who also felt having a shag whilst breastfeeding is also fine! What a bizzare world we live in at times

sweetgilly · 20/03/2011 17:23

nurseblade

I wouldn't bother about PAFPM. She /he? doesn't come across as too bright.

sweetgilly · 20/03/2011 17:25

Gemsy83 Sun 20-Mar-11 17:22:55
No doubt those who think kids wandering round handling the totem poles are the ones who also felt having a shag whilst breastfeeding is also fine! What a bizzare world we live in at times

Quite!!

Gemsy83 · 20/03/2011 17:25

She comes across as a lot brighter and normal than many of the 'free lurvvve lets all get in onnn' brigade who seem to have no boundaries whatsoever. No wonder some people grow into such pervy doolallytapped individuals with parents who think like some people on here!

PeterAndreForPM · 20/03/2011 17:26
Grin

Didn't get your rise on the other thread, sweetgilly ?

What a pity your trollery is being ignored, so you have to seek somewhere else to wind people up.

NB and I may not agree on this, but I feel sure we would on other threads (and probably have), at least.

VivaLeBeaver · 20/03/2011 17:29

My mum who is a Mary Whitehouse wannabe went in AS once and complaiend very loudly because they had a poster in their window saying "smile if you had an orgasm last night".

I hate to say it but I kind of see her point.

beesimo · 20/03/2011 17:32

allsquare No need for drastic measures my dear, I am more than happy most of the time with the old lad and his beastly ways but I am a bit shocked to realise that we must of done the wild thing at least 6000 times. Beat that ha capped the lot of you!

nurseblade · 20/03/2011 17:33

I really didn't infer that you are naive. I've read all my posts back to double check. I still maintain my belief that young women exploring their own bodies is far healthier than them having sex underage. I didn't say that all girls develop at the same rate/should have dildos forced upon them before they are ready or any of the other crazy things people have somehow inferred from my posts.