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

[adelaofblois]

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?

Laughing at 'Victor Value' - are you making that up?

LOL im prob old enough to be a Gran around here anyway!

I don't get a lot of time with my kids cos I'm employed. I also have to shop. So we shop and spend time together. And I did that as a SAHP because, frankly, the choice was either spend my evening adult time shopping or combine the two. Is that really so fucking awful?

He isn't playing shops (he did, with a broken chip machine a friend gave us, that's how he learned to do it so well) he's doing what I would do in the same time. And IT TAKES THE SAME TIME.

And in Tesco people joke and smile, in Lidl people ask him to do theirs. Only in Waitrose (and MN) is he an evil indulged sod.

Getorrf- I shit you not! My mother had a bizzare obsession with supermarkets and this was on of her favourites in the 80's
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Victor_Value

Are you comparing a trip to Venice to shopping in Waitrose?

I go to Waitrose precisely because they are so friendly - likewise if I want a fight in the carpark over a reduced box of poptarts i go to Asda

theinet - I bet it weren't like that during the wo-ar

hey theinet - I've got to pop down to Sainsbo's tomorrow for a pint of milk and some bread. Fancy taking my kids for half an hour?

Nah? Didn't think so.

"Victor Value was a London-based value supermarket group operating at the lower end of the grocery trade."

Hahahah - lower end.

My kids are no angels but ive never experienced ANY negative comments. In Sainsbos the other week they were doing some kids activity, you had to find an item of food for each letter of the alphabet. DD was sat crossed legged in the middle of the aisle doing her worksheet and nobody batted an eyelid. Suppose its not as classy as it used to be though!

Frankly I find pushing a trolley round the nappies aisle quite similar to punting a gondola beneath the bridge of sighs.

NOT.

There are some fab trolls on this thread.

Not just Venice, the Grand Canal, you philistine bastards.

I refuse to let dd use the self scanner now and she is 15.

I want to bloody well play shops, thanks.

Yep Victor Value was a budget shop, but they did awesome bon bons (again showing my gran-esque age)

Look seriously - we have a Tesco and a Waitrose. the cheapest tesco delivery charge is around 3.50, Waitrose only delivers if you're buying more than £50 worth (over budget) I'd have to have a delivery at least once a week for perishables to avoid supermarkets.

That's £182 a year!! And I'd still probably end up having to pop in every so often when something wasn't in stock/something unexpected happens. We have no car. I walk to the supermarket

I either do the shopping with DD (I'm a SAHM, where she goes I go) in 3 small trips per week, or DH comes with us at the weekend (can't leave a toddler home alone) so we can do a bigger shop and carry it all between us/on pushchair.

I apologise that we're not rich enough for your satisfaction theinet.

Ahhh, I remember Victor Value and his pink toilet rolls fondly from my student days. Oh God, it was sub-Netto, sub-poundland, sub-Spar in its dreadfulness.

I'm trying to think of some loud parenting topics I can do tomorrow.

Unfortunately I don't think anyone in our Sainburys would care about people having two daddies. I'll have to think of something more annoying.

BeerTricksPotter

My thoughts exactly. You have to do it. You can try and involve the kids, in which case they are more likely not to have to be whizzed round screaming, or you can wait for some mystical moment when they'll like being stuck still and told not to talk. Basically theinet is the only one some will want-just don't take kids into any 'adult' zone. perhaps she could fit Mosquitos to all places excpet my house, schools and SureStart centres?

And generally, in contrast to many of this thread, I think folk are alright about it and say nice things. But not in Waitrose.

I would pay £182 a year not to have to shop with a child in tow, But then I am a supremely lazy git.

If you let your child enter your PIN in front of me though, I would feel murderous RAGE.

But, seriously, why? What has it done to inconvenience you any more than if I did it?

Order online or go shopping when the kid is in bed.

I hear the tooth fairy is a good baby-sitter. Or maybe the Easter Bunny.

I am probably biased about liking Waitrose though. When I fainted they gave me Divine chocolate orange to revive me...

GetOrf (I probably would as well! DD likes it there though, mad child)

I wouldn't mind at all if someone let their child enter the PIN in front of me.

If they truly cannot spare the extra few seconds it might take for the child to do it, perhaps they should have gone shopping when they had more time.