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?

For me the issue isn't about payment, it's about setting an example for my kids. How can I tell them off for grabbing something in the shop that I don't want them to have, opening it, and eating it, if I do it? To me it's just confusing. Sure, there are certain issues that a child needs to be told "That's ok for me, because I'm a grown up, but not for you because you're a child" but having an unpaid-for snack in grocery store is not a matter of life and death. And if it is, for heavens sake, do what everyone else has suggested, and buy it then go do the shopping or take it with you. If they're little you're going to have to be carrying a diaper bag anyway. If they're preschoolers, just keep a nutrigrain bar or two in your purse all the time, and replace it as it gets used. It's just as easy. And as a Mom to 2 year old twins and 2 teenage boys I know about trying to make life easy. :)

I wouldn't do it. I always try to have a snack for DD (18 months) in my bag. If I don't, I buy one at the kiosk before starting shopping. I don't really want her thinking if she shouts for something in shops she'll get it - it could work out very expensive!

Am I weird then because I just decant a load of raisins/biscuits/rice cake things etc. into a wee sandwich bag and take it in DS's change bag (he's 2) with a cup of water for him?

I don't go about with my face like this aghast at all the munching, but it does seem kind of wrong. I've never eaten/drunk anything before paying pre DS and i just can't imagine doing it.

I'd feel left out if I didn't post something on an eating in the supermarket thread

limitedperiodonly They let everyone go with trolleyfuls of unpaid stuff!!??

I would have cleared the shelves in the wine section

Dont like it myself just think its a bit wrong. I work in a food hall and people come to the till with a half eaten sandwhich in a packet and pass it to me to scan, I can't help but think (loudly) 'HAVE A BIT OF SELF CONTROL MAN!' its just a bit gross for me to handle somebody elses half eaten food when its just completely unnecessary!

sorry if im repeating anyone here...but consuming before paying is not that uncommon...restaurants, petrol, catalogue orders, loans, credit, cars, missed direct debits, the list goes on...
as long as you do pay and pay at the right time...i.e. the checkout noone is really going to care, noone has been robbed and noone harmed...
and i cant be too sure why it would bother anyone who happened to see it...surely it has no effect on them whatsoever...shop prices are not going to be put up by a bag of crisps being empty when its scanned...
and when it comes to being prepared before you leave with snacks for the kids...well i only go shopping when the cupboards are empty...and the reason i am going to the supermarket is so that i dont have to pay newsagent/garage prices for a pack of chocolate.

It's common. It's lazy. It demonstrates a lack of planning, a lack of self discipline and an inability to discipline your kids - without filling their faces.

When I see someone wandering around a supermarket stuffing their face I think LOSER

Well said, WetAugust.

I think taking a wee snack with you for small toddlers is quite reasonable, I don't 'stuff' my own face, but if my 2 year old is hungry, he's hungry.

It's hard to be shopping and avoid all meal times every time so sometimes he has a couple of rice cakes/biscuits and some water or something. I don't think he worries about being common and lazy though

Still wouldn't take stuff out of my trolley though.

No sweeping judgements there then, WetAugust! In a similarly judgemental tone, when I see people with little tupperwares full of organic carrot and cucumber sticks I sometimes think there goes someone with a) only one child and b) too much time on their hands..

I'm getting all defensive now! Never organised enough to carry fresh things It'll normally be biscuits from the bottom of the change bag....

I can enjoy my own life and be judgemental of others, as I can multi-task.

I'm also quite good at planning - it goes along the line of feed the kids then go shopping, Simple

I did used to feed my children in the supermarket like the person described by OP say a banana or a juice carton but I always made sure I pointed it out to the person at the checkout and paid for it.

sometimes i have bought mints now and eaten one going round the shop and paid at the checkout.

Uhhh? You only feed your kids at bedtime? I used to feed mine at regular intervals throughout the day - before I went shopping

I'm just waiting for the thread

Store banned me for stealing food when I had clearly brought it from home WWYD*

PS wetaugust, you would strongly disapprove of me, I am very common.

Why would shopping for six involve two trolleys? I have shopped for six for many years since our kids were tiny - doing two weeks' shopping at once - and only ever have one trolley. It's not that difficult to shop with children on your own. It doesn't take 2-3 hours either.

I don't see a problem with children being hungry for a bit. They don't have to eat the moment they feel hungry. If they had some medical situation which made it necessary to give them something, maybe fair enough. But shops are for shopping, not grazing.

Hey this thread is still going with the same things being said over and over. Does anyone know what the record number of posts are for the supermarket eating threads of which there are many. If we keep at it maybe we could beat the record for endlessly discussing such banal trivialities