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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Naked boy in the supermarket...

130 replies

pookamoo · 31/05/2011 09:01

On the way in to our local supermarket, a mum was with her two DS and one of them was having a wee in the flower bed. No problem with this, DD often has to do this.

However, a little bit later I saw them come into the shop. The DS who was about 3 was naked from the waist down. His mum put him, and his brother, into the food basket part of a trolley, and her DP proceeded to push them round the shop. They didn't put any food in there, the mum was shopping with another trolley.

I am a bit Hmm about children in the trolley anyway but I know that is a whole other thread. But a bare bum and willy going around in the trolley? He wasn't sitting on anything, and he wasn't sitting still either.

I paid for my shopping and was waiting for DH and DD who had popped to the loo, and while I was there I was thinking "do I say something" and in the end I mentioned it to the checkout supervisor.

Was I being unreasonable to do so? I felt a bit bad, because after all, most DCs have accidents, but the supermarket does sell pants so if nothing else they could have got him a pair of pants to put on first...

OP posts:
diddl · 31/05/2011 13:39

Perhaps the woman did buy some pants?

But what was she supposed to do-leave the poor thing in wet clothes?

Poor boy-sounds uncomfortable for him.

Do many people put unpackaged food directly into a shopping trolley?

AmazingBouncingFerret · 31/05/2011 13:41

SDTG Grin took someone two minutes... not bad!

StayingDavidTennantsGirl · 31/05/2011 13:42
Grin
megagusset · 31/05/2011 13:42

ABFerret, thank you , that link has made my day!! Computer screen is now splattered with coffee and biscuit crumbs, but well worth the laugh!

For the record I wouldn't be bothered about the bum/trolley/poo crumb dilemma (rats most likely run along the outside trolleys at night anyway). Would does concern me is bare little bum and cold hard wire grill. I have some empathy for the woman though, my 3yo ds took great delight in performing al fresco, and the more public the arena the better as far as he was concerned Blush, can recall a few Poo Emergency moments that resulted in a naked-from-the-waist-down shocker. Having said that I always had spare pants and a towel in the car...

GoingLoopyLou · 31/05/2011 13:56

Forgetting the whole naked boy in a trolley for a second, I am confused as to why anyone would be a bit Hmm about children being in a trolley? In what sense exactly?

DirtyMartini · 31/05/2011 14:08

Oh gawd Loopy, it's a MN classic debate. Not as . I can't even remember the details. Hygiene/safety or something like that, probably.

We have been known to contain DS by sticking him in a trolley now and then, and I refuse to lose sleep over it.

DirtyMartini · 31/05/2011 14:09

Sorry. Was going to say, not quite as controversial as bf/ff, but approx the same level as the "big buggies on the bus" debate.

mynameis · 31/05/2011 14:17

YABU my ds2 now 5 had major clothing issues at that age due to his SN. Any spot of water or stain would cause him to strip off no matter where we were. Thankfully he is better with this now although not always.

A naked 3 year old is unoffensive anyway. Hope his mother wiped his bottom after sitting in the germ ridden trolley though!

GoingLoopyLou · 31/05/2011 20:04

Oh. Must have somehow missed that one. How ridiculous! My ds loves it as he can see and help more when in the seat.

choirmum · 31/05/2011 20:10

Loopy, I don't think anyone would have a problem with an appropriately aged child sitting in the child seat of a trolley. OP is talking about a child sitting in the main part of the trolley which is inappropriate at the best of times but even more so when half-naked. Trollies are designed for your shopping, not to transport your child in. They could at least have put a shopping bag or tissues under the child from a hygiene point of view.

DirtyMartini · 31/05/2011 20:14

Sorry yes, should have said, the debate rages re the main trolley compartment rather than the designated child seat.

GooGooMuck · 31/05/2011 20:15

loopy they mean in the big bit, not in the trolley seat... I have been known to stick the troll in there for safekeeping but it makes me a wrong'un. Blush

YANBU. I love a nudey kid as much as the next person, but its about context. I just don't think its appropriate in a supermarket. Equally I was very Angry when someone asked me to put pants on my 2 yr old at a water park.

UrsulaBuffay · 31/05/2011 20:17

I wouldn't want my celery tasting of anyone's arsecrack so yanbu.

GoingLoopyLou · 31/05/2011 20:21

Ahhhhhhhhh understood. I thought you meant seats in trolleys were a no no as per the mumsnet jury. Lol.
Choirmum - I understand the op, was on about the other part of the post.

There is no way a nude child should be in a supermarket trolley, additionally I would have to add I don't agree with them being in main compartment of a trolley clothed or unclothed but that stems from my days working at Tesco and dealing with lots of trapped fingers, trollies overturned etc.

choirmum · 31/05/2011 20:24

Sorry Loopy, didn't catch all the posts inbetween!!

theinet · 31/05/2011 20:25

I think this is disgusting, to be honest and very selfish.
Our local sainsbury's has notices saying children cant' ride in trolleys, despite this people still do it. You put your food in your trolley, i don't want your toddler's dog-shit covered shoes all over my food.

5Foot5 · 31/05/2011 20:44

Our local Sainsbury's regularly has announcements asking parents not to allow children in the main part of the trolley for their health and safety.

WRT the OP - I have no issue at all with a naked 3 year old but definitley not sitting in a supermarket trolley. That is just gross. If they had nothing else to put on him why could he just not have walked round the shop FGS!

ChippingIn · 31/05/2011 20:58

It is hysterical how many people are worried about a bare bum in a trolley being unhygenic (from a shopping point of view) - they are FILTHY... a childs bare bum is truely the least of your worries. If you want to worry - then worry about the chicken/meat blood, rats poo/wee, flies, dogs weeing on them, other peoples unwashed hands, snot, grime....

My only concern would be that he'd hurt his bits 'n' bobs or bum sitting in a filthy metal trolley.

fit2drop · 31/05/2011 21:23

"bare bum and willy going around in the trolly" at three!!!! Shock

My goodness theres a son to be proud of!!!

LucyGoose · 31/05/2011 21:54

Oh yuck! And some people may not be using separate plastic bags for fruit etc (to save on the environment) and just place it into the trolley - double yuck!!
Now we have to worry about dirty kid butt on our food??

ChippingIn · 31/05/2011 21:55

Lucy - do you really think, that other than one small childs bum your trolley is clean?? mwhahhhhh mwahhhh mwahhhh - wise up.

nappyaddict · 31/05/2011 21:58

I don't get what the problem is. Trollies live outside with all sorts of germs and animal wee/poo. You would wash unpackaged food like fruit and veg before eating it anyway.

bleedingstill · 31/05/2011 22:11

yanbu
yuk

Original poster
pookamoo · 31/05/2011 23:07

I've been away all day and just got back to this.

I wasn't offended in any way by the nakedness, it was the in-trolley location that got to me. He seemed perfectly comfortable, wiggling his bum and his willy around, singing a little song as they went round the shop.

I know trolleys aren't sterile, but quint hits the nail on the spot (laughed out loud at that one!)

Yes, he'd had an accident, yes the supermarket sold pants, no they didn't seem to be getting any for him, and I doubt very much they would have appreciated DD's pink flowery emergency leggings in a size 12-18 months! He was totally unperterbed by the whole thing.

OP posts:
BitOfFun · 31/05/2011 23:23

I don't think it has much to do with hygiene, IMO. Trollies are not exactly clean, after all. But it is to do with basic social norms, and naked children are not generally The Done Thing in a supermarket. It's just a bit, well, rude of the parents.