to think that things in your supermarket trolley aren't yours until you have paid for them

[jandymaccomesback]

This morning in Tesco we kept passing a womanwith a child in a trolley. We first saw her in fruit and veg, as she peeled a banana and handed it to the child. Next time we saw her the child was eating from a packet of cheese strings. Finally we saw her opening a carton of juice. All of these things came off the shelf. DH was so enraged he wanted to tell the staff, but I persuaded him not to. To me this is wrong, even if you intend to pay,and definitely gives a message to the child that she can help herslf. AIBU?

I don't think that ripping off the supermarkets back is the answer, most of us have got pensions invested in them and they would just get harder with us, their staff and their suppliers if their profits were not on target.

All of our family help ourselves to things that we will pay for, ds knows that I have to weigh his apple/nectarine/plum before he eats it so I can pay for it.

Supermarkets spend a lot of money making their shops and produce look appealing, so that we feel hungry and spend more, a lot of adults fall for the fake freshly baked aroma, can you blame a toddler?

Also I really think when we have our next entitled generation will we look back and blame supermarket snacking on this?

This thread has genuinely shaken my world. I never imagined that the sight of me recklessly, dangerously, wantonly allowing my toddler the knobbly end of the bread would strike such fear in the hearts of right-doing people everywhere.

Lots of adults can't wait until they leave the store to eat: they go to the cafe!

I see single adults indulging themselves there, with croissants caviar!

Jessie - don't tell me these disgusting, shameful things!

Isn't it interesting that children have to snack so much? Being of a certain age, we were taught that it was extremely bad form to eat when walking along, and that it was totally wrong to be seen eating in public other than in a restaurant. How times have changed.

A bit excessive to open that many things but I'd let DS2 (18 months) have an apple or an ella's pouch or crisps etc. I would always have enough cash to cover his food should my cards not work.

No person on the till has ever commented when they seen that he's eaten something.

As others have said, let him eat for a peaceful shop, can't stand whingey kids in supermarket

not sure how she could pay for an eaten banana

Because bananas often come in pre-priced bags now.

So when you go to a restaurant/cafe you always pay up before eating do you?
It's exactly the same thing IMO. Get a fcking grip

penguinarmy you so know I have seen you in Asda letting your child eat a raw pork chop on the way round

It's exactly the same thing IMO. Get a fcking grip

Is it fuck.

ASDA!!!!

I don't use any excuses, I pay for what we leave the shop with whether it is in our bags or our stomachs.

I am not obsessed with snacks but if I am in a shop that has been designed to make me hungry and thirsty, I may well have a drink or eat something. If there is a pile of beautiful apples it makes my ds feel like having one. He also likes plums and nectarines, whatever is seasonal and local.

The only time I have eaten something something in a supermarket and not paid afterwards was when I fainted in Sainsbos in Wood Green and they took me upstairs and made me a sandwich whilst I waited for dh to pick me up.

Morrisons? PA

Gosh, I thought I was far too boring to shock people with my behaviour, but it appears not. I'll feel a certain frisson of excitement when I next open a packet of organix in Tescos.

i think grapes are the exception

Where do you buy the snacks that you take with you? Have you never been to the supermarket with empty cupboards? Do you have regimented lives where supermarkets visits are scheduled set times after/before meals?

If DD was hungry and I had no snacks and was not in the supermarket I would go in a small shop and buy something which takes a few minutes. I would also do this if I was hungry.

Am I strange because meals are not at exact times every day but dependent on what I'm doing or when I'm hungry? I eat 3/4 meals and 4 snacks on an average day. I doubt I go 2 hours without eating and I'm an adult so why would I expect my toddler to go a long time.

It all seems completely bizarre to me.

No one would ever have given things to their DCs straight from the supermarket shelves when I was a child.

Then again, we didn't need mummy&PFB parking either, so I guess I'm just stuck in the past.

Small children do tend to point to the things on prominent display. Sweets by the till, Thomas the Tank engine colouring books, yummy looking plums on Buy-Two-for-£4?

soverylucky research has shown that eating little and often is actually a much healthier way to eat than having 3 large meals a day, especially for young children who have small stomachs and burn energy very quickly, but I'm going a bit off topic here so will shut up.

I've seen people do it a bit and assumed that the supermarket has a policy of allowing it - it's their business, not mine.

technically, packaged things like crisps and juice are fine because they can be paid for in full, but fruit is usually paid for by weight so it would be wrong (in my eyes) to eat grapes before getting to the checkout since you will never pay for them

Depends on your supermarket, I guess?

Local veg aisles around here seem to be bristling with "Seasonal Veg" displays that are very in-your-face. I thought that was what she meant.

I can't go into the supermarket without inadvertently learning about Seasonal British Produce. Give me my food miles back!