to let my 16mo old walk around sainsburys with me?

[Ozfrazror]

Only needed 2 things and ds recently loves walking everywhere so thought he'd enjoy wandering about with me in the veg aisle. He was indeed overjoyed at getting freedom from the trolley, but by the horrified looks more than one person gave me you'd have thought I was giving him knives to carry around!

Even though he was at the top of the aisle while I was in the middle at one point, of course I had a constant eye on him. However one particular older lady just kept looking between him and me with an obvious disapproval. So WIBU?

"BUT hey guess what people?we both made it home unscathed and no unsuspecting trolley pushers took the side off a head/mangled a leg or squashed a toddler today"

No thanks to you though, was it?

It was thanks to all the other people who were forced to take precautions regards to your child, because you didnt.

But hey guess, what, who cares? As long as one silly parent thinks she can behave like this, then the rest of us will just have to bow to it and be considerate, because entitled people like you, arent going to.

Coraltoes could you also give liver to kids who are allowed to play chasing up and down the aisles while their parents ponder which brand of biscuits to buy.

the best i saw a few weeks back was a child being allowed to push a toy car up and down an aisle whilst the mother stood chatting on her phone paying no attention.

I always let my 17 month old on the loose in sainsburys.
To be fair though when I go it's not busy and I'm always next to him.
He does run off but I'm always there to grab him.
About the park comment, I would take him to the park if people didn't insist on letting their dogs shit all over it. It's a massive problem where I live, so a stroll around sainsbury's is fine IMO.

Having said that he doesn't do it often, so it's a novelty when he does.
I give home something to hold and he thinks he's helping.

Yes but this is what you are implying as you seem to think the shopping experience should be about being the most convenient and least stressful for you. That's a very selfish stance to take and shows a complete lack of empathy for other people. These other people maybe slower old people, blind people, deaf people who don't hear you coming towards them, very small adults, children on their own who are quite small but older, people with very young children. I'm afraid daily life, out in public involves a lot of compromise, I would hope my DC develop an understanding of this as they are going to become very cross adults if they don't.

yanbu

I'm glad you brought up elderly and deaf people as again, they are likely to be seriously inconvenienced by tiny toddlers being allowed run around while their parent is up at the other end of the aisle.
No one is implying that the shopping experience should be about being the most convenient for themselves; they are saying that it should be about considering the majority of the shoppers, the staff, and the safety of your own child.

But Golden, letting a child wander off in a supermarket (which the OP did do) doesn't teach them anything and makes things potentially harder and dangerous for people like the older or blind people because a young child hasn't yet learnt to have an awareness of others.

A child walking holding onto hands or a trolley is being 'controlled' by an adult who can ensure that they are learning an understanding of things and developing an awareness of important social skills.

You're obsessed with comparing very small adults to toddlers, Goldenbear.
No adult, no matter how small, is anything approaching toddler size. And elderly people who can't move very fast, by definition will not be racing around corners into the path of someone else's trolly.
Life does indeed involve a lot of compromise; but it's a two way thing, not just everyone else making compromises regarding your children.

My point about cross adults demonstrated by Coraltoes above. If you want to avoid children with scooters I wouldn't go to Waitrose.

'deliberately letting her toddler wander away and get under other shoppers' feet.' That's not a bit what the OP described.

What my look like total neglect to a stranger is nothing of the sort to the mother. The OP didn't mention any other shoppers or trolleys - presumably because there weren't any in the aisle at the time or her child wasn't in the way.
Some posters seem to be looking for deliberate carnage inducing parenting where the wasn't any.

Floggingmolly, you do get adults that are as tall as toddlers. Was the OP's child running? I'm not expecting anybody to make compromises regarding my children. From your tone - an intolerant one, I can't imagine you making any compromises yourself so in what way would it be a two way thing? The fact is it is a lot harder taking a toddler and other children around a shop than it is for your average, normal adult on their own- what about demonstrating some understanding of their situation and try and avoid ploughing into their children- which incidentally is not that hard to do!

I never plough into anyone with my trolley, Golden, either toddlers or toddler sized adults. I still don't think supermarkets should be used as play centres.

this thread has taken a bizarre turn and no mistake

'You're obsessed with comparing very small adults to toddlers, Goldenbear'

That has to be comment of the week

My 21 month old wants to do what her brother is doing - not always possible of course but it is possible to teach her to hold on to the handle of a wheely basket, I know because I've done it successfully. I don't want her in the buggy screaming to help- it is unnecessary. As an adult I would presume your understanding of life is a lot better than a 21 month old, why can't you be less of a grump and show a bit of kindness, especially as in my case my DD helps her brother with no problems to other shoppers.

I think some adults are never happy unless their finding fault and moaning about others.

A child on a scooter shouldn't be in a supermarket. No excuses

a moped would be OK though I am guessing Sirzy? I think toddlers should be issued with mopeds for the express purpose of getting around the supermarket

Naturalbaby the OP said she got horrified looks from several people so presumably there were shoppers and trollies in the aisle at the time. Also, you don't know when someone with a trolley is about to suddenly come around a corner and if you're half way up the aisle and away from your child you're not going to be much use in that situation.

I don't think a child should be scooting up and down the aisles but from a practical point of view scooters that are turned upside down to balance on pushchairs get in the way more IMO. Or if a child is carrying it around quite clumsily they end up bashing people accidentally with it. If the child hops on it and the parent is pulling it, what is the difference between that scenario and a child in a buggy?

Goldenbear you seem to be saying that if a child is hit by a trolley it is the adult's fault for not looking and 'ploughing into' them. Personally, I think that's quite a selfish and inconsiderate attitude. Some toddlers are just too small to be seen and a supermarket full of people pushing trolleys is not a suitable place to let them wander around without a parent beside them to pull them out of the way of harm. It is unfair to blame a shopper for accidentally hitting a toddler with a trolley while the parent is several yards away letting the toddler wander at will.

I have commited the MN sin of all sins and not read the whole fred, but I will say....there will be that day when you need, really need your little beauty to sit in that seat. You know they won't....right?

Yes, there were other shoppers about giving horrified looks (2 or 3?) - but it was hardly rush hour.

If someone wants to fly round a the corner with a trolley then they should be going slow enough to stop. Even if a trolley is being pushed too fast, being a few feet away isn't a guarantee that a child is going to be run over. Mums can move pretty fast when they need to move toddlers out of harms way - particularly when they are actually watching them, which the OP was doing.

They can move fast, but they're not wonderwoman. It just makes sense to keep a small toddler within arms reach in the supermarket. The majority of posters on this thread have said that; but yet a minority still insist on their right to ignore what most people want and annoy other shoppers in the supermarket.

Exactly atthe I don't understand why someone would want to let a 16 month old wander off. Seriously, why? If anyone can give a sensible explanation it would be great!