To ask why any sane person would take their dc's to do the food shop?

[TENDTOprocrastinate]

The kids hate it, it's more difficult to do it with them (for many reasons varying with age). Why not do it online (unless they don't deliver to your area- does this happen?) it's quicker to do it online once you've set it up. It's cheaper- as you don't tend to browse and buy crap so easily. And there is no crying/moaning/complaining children to drag along. You don't even have to load stuff excess times. Ie from shelf to cashier belt to bags to car to driveway to kitchen. No brainer really?

I've taken 4 kids on my own before. Twins in the baby seats, 2yo in the trolley and 4yo walking. Ds(2) hates the shopping experience. He's too little for me to expect him to walk nicely without reins in that situation, plus ignorant people bump into him with trolleys if he walks.

I'm a big fan of online shopping for the 'big' stuff that's hard to get wrong. But I do like to go get fresh produce when I can.

However I have noticed a great money saver with Tesco. I'll often select a smaller cut of meat. But they'll send a bigger one and charge me for it. So i ring up and tell them i wasn't told the size had been substituted. Every time they have refunded the difference. Once I ordered their finest gammon as it was half price. I ordered a £5 size cut. They sent me one twice the size and charged me £10 (should have been £20). They refunded me the £5 so I only paid for the size I'd requested. my argument was that I hadn't been told it had been substituted so didn't have an option to not accept it. Bloody bargain that was. Did 4 of us 3 days of meals plus sandwiches. They've done it with beef, pork and chicken too.

It's quicker and cheaper to do it in person. Here's why:

Tesco online shop -
Log on.
Book delivery slot for a time we are going to be in anyway.
Add things to list. So far so good.
Wait in for shopping to arrive.

After the booked time has elapsed, call Tesco.
Hold for ten minutes while they find out what's going on.
They can't find out, they'll call back.
Wait in for a further 45 minutes.
Answer phone, discover they will be 'about half an hour'.
Wait in for 45 more minutes (or stay up, depending on what delivery slot we booked).
Answer door and unpack shopping.
Give back all the ridiculous substitutions. Re-plan entire week's meals.
Spend time despairing that in the absence of a 4 pint milk container the person picking the order could not work out that 2 x 2 pint or 4 x 1 pint would have been just the same and much better than having no milk for breakfast.
Pay far too much.
Time elapsed - hours. And hours.

Aldi -
Chuck kids in car.
Go to shop.
Buy food.
Pay not very much.
Go home and unpack.
Time elapsed - under 45 minutes including unpacking and travelling time.

Maybe some people don't have the Internet at home to do an online shop. Or anyone to have to have the kids to do the shopping.

YABU

obviously

When you take dcs shopping they can learn a lot too. My dcs love looking at the fish counter and asking what the fish are called. They learnt at a very early age that fish don't have fingers or grow in batter. They also know the names off every fruit and veg going and have tried most. Whilst i try to buy different foods to try it would be impossible and expensive to buy such a variety regularly. I think it's helped make them more inquisitive and improved their vocab.

let them weigh the vegetables, read the list and find the things, engage with them calm down and enjoy it.

My DS is very well behaved and he loves going round the supermarket. I also prefer going round to ordering online. So ner.

The reason the op is being treated harshly is because while those of us who take our children shopping have no interest how someone else does their shopping, the op and others have questioned the sanity of us and one even referred to us as being 'entitled' because we take them shopping. Well yes I am 'entitled' to take my children, it is called freedom of choice, just as anyone else is 'entitled' to shop on line, shop in store and even choose which store you shop in. The wonderful world of choice hey!

Shopping is awesome! I fucking hate doing it on line.

I like to pick my own food, plus I've heard that many stories about substitutions and shit deliveries I have no inclination to even try internet food shopping.

DH works away all week, I don't drive, he is rubbish at shopping (willing to do it but buys too much crap we don't need) so we all pile in and go together.

The kids help, they don't exactly find it fascinating but they don't hate it either. Plus they need to learn that the foof fairy doesn't magically fill the cupboards!

The FOOD fairy, FOOD! Not foof fairy

I would never shop online. I prefer to choose my own stuff that isnt too near the use by date.

I take my kids shopping with me as I dont drive, only DP does. We have no one to leave them with while we go and NO WAY am I leaving DP in charge of the food shop! A sure way to end up on the road to financial ruin, letting him loose in Asda with the debit card!

FWIW my 2 are not badly behaved going round the shops certainly not enough to let someone else do the food shop for me, whether they be employed by the supermarket or DP, the man who's common sense appears to have lessened with age

"Are you perhaps confusing grocery shopping with a night at the theatre or a michelin starred restaurant?"

I brought my baby to a "michelin starred restaurant" for my dh birthday and all was absolutely fine. It is not the babies who should be banned, but some parents more aware of noise they cause and other people being a bit more tolerant to others. But then we are all foreigners and do not get this victorian attitude OP displays.

Holy Fuck. Only on Mumsnet are you considered ENTITLED to want take your child to a supermarket. It's a supermarket. It's not an 18 rated film, or a 5* restaurant at 9pm on a Saturday. Get a fucking grip.

And no, my DS does not need to learn how to shop. But he does need to learn that not every activity we do is purely for his amusement, and that there are chores in life (like shopping) that we all have to do at times.

Children need to learn how to behave when you shop (not necessarily how to shop) and I agree with easily bored they need to learn not everything is about them. If we don't install this in them as small children what are they going to be like as adults growing up with iPads smart phones Internet convenience etc.

And we are definitely still working on the behaving part

HeadfirstForHalos Rofl@ 'the Foof Fairy'

'The foof fairy' is officially my favourite typo ever

Another lone parent here. There's no-one else to have dd while I shop. I have a really busy life with 2 jobs, all sorts of events/activities/friends and a bf. I fly by the seat of my pants most of the time and don't really have a routine by choice. I'd rather do something impromptu or fit in doing more/seeing more people than spend time doing shopping online, which I find slow and really boring. And when I have tried to do it I can't fit in the time to receive a delivery, or will need the food/items sooner than they can be delivered.

It's much quicker and easier just to pop to the supermarket as and when I need things/have time. I use the smaller, local stores mostly and I find it a lot cheaper as what I can choose from is limited, and I only tend to buy what I actually need.

YaBU.

The other shoppers would miss out greatly and their health may suffer if I did not take the kids shopping.

It is like allergies. If you do not get exposed to an irritant often enough, you may develop an auto-immune response when suddenly in presence of said irritant.

All my dc love food shopping, and if I am going ask to go. I'll only take 1-2 at a time if I have someone one can stay with.

Dd1 always has, and dd2 and ds did from when they were about 3yo and stopped being in the trolley.

I don't love the bill at the end though

I'm with goldenlula on this one.

I'm not bothered by other people's choices in how they shop, so please don't question my sanity, or deem me 'entitled' because I don't conform to the way you think it should be.

I bring my DD with me to teach her about food, get her to do maths and reading, learn about budgeting and choice (we can't get choccie biccies if we are getting ice-cream this week), help me (a bit). Sometimes I have no option but to bring her, sometimes I do it alone, often she can stay at home if she wants.

But the food shopping is a part of everyday life, she needs to learn it anyway and the earlier she learns it, the better she'll be able to cope when she is independent.

I'm still arf'ing at being classed entitled!

Best not admit to taking baby to cinema