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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to think Waitrose customers are the least child-friendly on earth?

166 replies

adelaofblois · 23/08/2011 19:30

Over the last few months I've been reprimanded there for 'peddling filth' (telling DS that not everyone had a Mummy and a Daddy, some people had just one of two of both); 'letting kids get under people's feet' (someone stood on DS2 and didn't even say sorry), and for 'treating the supermarket like a playground' (DS was entering my PIN, which he can do on his own, the queue was 1 person long). Tonight DS1 (3) had a tantrum about wanting a bacon bun and some old bat got up, grabbed him and told him he was ruining her cup of tea. Why she thought that would help is totally beyond me, just making my partner (who was with him at the time) feel shite by proxy. Evil bint.

Look, I know some of that sounds over indulgent, and that people always feel strongly about what goes on with kids when out-and-about, but why Waitrose only? Am I just unlucky, or are Lidl, Asda, Tesco, Sainsbury's, Booth's, Morrison's folk just much sodding nicer?

OP posts:
TheMagnificentBathykolpian · 23/08/2011 19:34

"Mind your own business."

Works well, I find, when people feel driven to comment on things that have got sod all to do with them.

CMOTdibbler · 23/08/2011 19:35

Just unlucky I think. DS always gets lots of people giving him their charity token to put in when he is discussing whch charity to support when we are in Waitrose

BeerTricksPotter · 23/08/2011 19:36

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Bloodymary · 23/08/2011 19:36

Erm, someone in Waitrose grabbed your child Shock

Have I read this correctly?

FluffyMummy123 · 23/08/2011 19:37

i wonder if its YOUR kids.
no one has ever said this to me in any supermarket

DirtyStopout · 23/08/2011 19:37

I find this inability for complete strangers to mind their own fucking business and stop judging quite prevalent not only in Waitrose, not only in all supermarkets, but pretty much everywhere.

I just have a couple of withering put downs or looks at the ready, and they generally shut up.

Honestly, you'd think that the majority of people out there had never been kids themselves, or raised any for all the empathy you get nowadays.

TillyIpswitch · 23/08/2011 19:38

Not in the UK anymore, but the staff always used to make a fuss of my two when in there, and never had a single run-in with other customers.

Are your chidren perhaps slightly more annoying than your OP is letting on? Wink

MrsMellowDrummer · 23/08/2011 19:38

You let your son key in your PIN number for you?
Surely that's not a good idea...!

MadameCastafiore · 23/08/2011 19:38

I wsas verbally abused in Morrisons for not smiling at a kid - why the feck should I smile at a kid who walks in front of me - I was straight back to Waitrose where I have to say have never seen or heard any sort of behaviour like you describe.

Maybe the old bint usually shopped in Asda but had saved up for a decent cup of tea in Waitrose.

discrete · 23/08/2011 19:39

We had one of the best ones ever in Waitrose - some old bint said to dh 'I don't know why you people don't just leave your prams at home' in a snooty voice. Dh just looked at her, said 'excuse me?' and when she repeated it he burst out laughing in her face.

Bloodymary · 23/08/2011 19:40

If anyone were to grab my child it would be a police matter.

ChristinedePizan · 23/08/2011 19:41

My DS got told by several people how lovely he was in Waitrose today. Either you're unlucky or your children are badly behaved.

I have no idea which it is from your OP - could go either way :)

summertimeblews · 23/08/2011 19:43

if you have been told off all those times, i would imagine there was some substance in it

thisisyesterday · 23/08/2011 19:44

you're just unlucky i think, our local waitrose is no different to any other supermarket. that is to say, the patrons don't seem to care either way! unless it's to coo over a little baby

hermionestranger · 23/08/2011 19:44

Some old man stuck his nose in when I was in Morrisons yesterday, I was telling DS1 that he would not be getting moshi monster stickers because of his general behaviour and this old man starts telling him off too. WTF?

summertimeblews · 23/08/2011 19:44

i wonder if its YOUR kids. no one has ever said this to me in any supermarket

me neither, i tend to think i wouldnt like to meet OP and family mid shopping either Grin

theyoungvisiter · 23/08/2011 19:45

ooo that's so weird - I had a horrible experience being shouted at by a man in Waitrose because DS2 (who is 2) was walking very quietly and slowly along a display while I shopped. He was about 3 foot from me and he went to walk around this man who was in his way. The man grabbed him by the top of his head, twisted him bodily around and pushed him back at me!

When he saw my face he hissed "It'll be your fault if he gets hit on the head by a basket!"

I mean - WTAF?!

I had no words (which is very unusual for me). Just gaped at him while he stalked off.

I normally love shopping at Waitrose but I think some people there are massively over entitled. What - now it's too much to have children walking in their vicinity in case they - I don't know - spew child juice at them or something?

Whereas in Sainsbos (which is my usual local) I've never had anything but indulgent smiles and chucks under the chin for both kids.

Horopu · 23/08/2011 19:46

I read the title as Waitrose cucumbers , I am very disappointed now.

Takitezee · 23/08/2011 19:48

I've never had anything like that happen in Waitrose or any other supermarket. Perhaps you are unlucky or perhaps your kids are more badly behaved.

pollyblue · 23/08/2011 19:48

I take my twins (2 and a half) to my local waitrose about once a week and I've never had any nasty comments/looks from anyone - in fact (IME) it's the most child-friendly shop I go to, staff and other customers generally very friendly. The only white-knuckle shopping trips I've had have been in Asda and Tesco, much busier places than Waitrose so customers a bit more "grrrrr" and less tolerant.......

summertimeblews · 23/08/2011 19:48

indulgent smiles and chucks under the chin for both kids.

omg!! how very dare they

TillyIpswitch · 23/08/2011 19:49

The thought of letting my 2.4 year old walk free in a supermarket...

He's either in the pushchair or in the trolley, out of harms way and where he can't reach and pull things off shelves, examining every little thing along the way. In other words where he can't make a total pain of himself!

theyoungvisiter · 23/08/2011 19:50

to be fair my one bad experience in Waitrose was a one off. Unlike the OP.

Just a funny co-incidence seeing the thread title!

I hope evil head-grabber man is on mumsnet but somehow I doubt it. If he is: GRRRRRR you mean old man.

theyoungvisiter · 23/08/2011 19:52

my 2 yo is normally in a trolley but in this particular Waitrose they had mainly those little trolleys that don't have a child-seat - you know, the kind of half sized ones? And there were no big ones left.

But he was being absolutely immaculately behaved - that was what annoyed me! If they'd seen him on a bad day I would have nodded along Grin

catgirl1976 · 23/08/2011 19:52

ooh beertricks - i love Booths. I wouldn't shop anywhere else and the staff are so sweet! You can't knock the Booths :) It's heresy