To think you don't let your child push a trolley when the supermarket is heaving?

[candycoatedwaterdrops]

Or if you do, you watch them like a hawk!

I needed a few bits, so braved my local Tesco Extra this afternoon and it was packed. Never again! I saw no fewer than 4 children pushing the trolley. Now, it's lovely that they're helping but trollies are heavy and children are less able to navigate people and aisles. Hence, I got bumped into by a child whose parent/carer was further down the aisle. I don't blame the child, he said sorry straight away, but why wasn't his parent/carer watching him?

AIBU? (I'm young and use a walking stick which makes me feel invisible in busy places, people shove past me an awful lot and I really fucking hate it, so perhaps I am being oversensitive.)

No YANBU.

It's not a playground. If they want to help they can put things in the trolley.

I don't understand why any parent that takes their child to the supermarket doesn't want to get out as quickly as possible anyway.

Yanbu, these parents are inconsiderate idiots. The kids can't control the trolley well and usually the parent is not even looking what their child is doing with it.

YANBU. you let them run around and get lost

YANBU. Selfish and rude. Same as people letting their children who have just learned to walk go upstairs one step every ten minutes regardless of how many people trying to get up the stairs too.

YANBU! You are completely and totally justified and I'm a little bit in love with you for posting this thread.

I shall refrain from posting my list of proposed rules around supermarket etiquette for fear of a mumsnet lynching.

YANBU

I know how you feel too about being invisible, if I'm having a good day I can sometimes use crutches instead of my wheelchair and as well as invisible I feel very vulnerable. I have been hit by children pushing a trolly and while it isn't their fault the effects are the same- I end up in serious pain and unable to walk again for a few days or weeks, when the parents then brush this off as a 'couldn't be helped' kind of thing it just makes me want to cry because there is just no excuse for it

My dc like to help by pushing the trolly, and it makes things easier if they are able to help and feel involved, but I would never ever just let them loose in a busy shop and then shrug when they inevitably bump into someone

Yanbu. Ds likes to 'help' so we go early on weekday mornings and he's allowed one hand on the trolley and one holding mine so I"m still in control. He could easily hurt someone otherwise.

Post your rules PiperRose. I'm sure I will agree with them.

It depends on the age of the child. My youngest is 9 and well capable of dealing with even an erratic trolly just as well as an adult.

Children who can't see over the top, though - YANBU as they're unmitigated menaces.

I stopped going to one local shop when they introduced "toy" small trolleys so small children could "help", it's just a menace.

Annoys me too

Especially at work, when the little darlings are allowed to climb on the self serve scales then the parents complain they aren't working! Er... They are, it's just the child climbing stops the transaction due to irregular weight!

Oh yes, this. Makes me think of Jack Dee's "why do parents take their kids to supermarkets to smack them?" routine.

YANBU.

Also if you are paying for car parking dont let your kids put the money in if there is a huge queue behind you. I know they would like to but they are slow and there is a big wait!

AuntieStella I agree it depends on the age. I've seen some adults who have very poor trolley steering skills.

For me, it depends on the child. My DS is 8 and more than capable of pushing a trolley. I started by holding onto the end until he got used to it and now he manages fine. I always keep close to him and supervise. He knows he is not to run and always stop at the end of the aisle to check he doesn't bump into anyone. Maybe not all parents teach and supervise like I do.

I get more cross at the parents who think it's ok for their children to stand in the trolley while they are shopping. Dirty shoes and the possibility of dog muck in the bottom of a trolley where you put food is disgusting.

Yanbu.

And untrained kids shouldn't be allowed to self-scan when there is a queue.

Ah, the perfect thread for something I've told on here before, that still gives me the rage about five years on...

Local mums and toddlers group required the children to wear name stickers (why?)

Stickers were written out at the desk when you paid, but the playgroup lady let her THREE YEAR OLD write them (let's call him John because that was his fucking name .)

So, while the queue lengthened and lengthened, on a baking hot day, women struggling with fractious toddlers and heavy babies..

"Look, John, this is Millie. How do we spell Millie? What letter does Millie begin with? Is it 'M' for Mountain? well done, John, Millie begins with 'M' for Mountain! How are we going to write the 'M'? It looks a bit like a mountain, doesn't it? The line goes uuuup... that's right! Then the line goes doooown... then it goes uuuup again, very good, John... and then doooown... doooown the mountain! 'M' for Mountain! 'M' for Millie! Very good! Now, John, what do you think is the next letter in 'Millie'? What comes after the 'M'...have a little think, John... 'M' for Millie, and then what comes next/ what sound is there in 'Millie' after the 'M'...?

I don't think I've ever come closer to contemplating murder.

OhMy You are a saint, even reading that made me feel a little bit of rage.

How...how did you not snatch the pen and scribble all over her smug-parenting face?

You are much better person than me, clearly.

I think YABVVVVU. Everyone knows that some little darlings are special. It is their absolute right to push trolleys in supermarkets, and if you don't look on and smile indulgently at their efforts to control a trolley, then you are clearly "mean", "grumpy" or "rude"

Apparently

Ohmy - ohmy is all I can say to that!

The car parking thing gives me the rage as it may mean I have to pay for an extra hour. And no I don't think its cute so don't smile at me in that 'aaah children' way.

And children shouldn't push trolleys and they also shouldn't sit in the main bit of them.

When I own a chain of supermarkets I will enforce a rule of no under 16s pushing trollies, no using self-serve check-outs if its your first time and its busy, no holding conversations and blocking aisles whilst doing so and no texting while pushing a trolley no matter what age.

I think you should also allow staff to tell customers when they are wrong and that they should just go away!

I will come and shop there TooOld, no matter how far from me. When i mentioned blocking aisles (on a particularly bad day) to one of the staff and my local supermarket she agreed with me saying it is annoying when you are in a hurry. No I wasn't I just want to get to check out before I die having spent my time asking people to move who are chatting blocking the aisles.

Can we also ban customers from taking whole trolleys through self-service. Ours do not have a limit on number of items and some people take the trolley through even to the smaller units which have little room to put the items on. Oh (and before i say this I am a man) it seems some customers, and I have only see men do it, put the items through, place them on the other side, then when they have finished and paid, pack. Then and only then,

I try to only go and the times i know it will be quiet.

I also take issue with aisle blockers. But the ones I find most irritating are a particular couple, in their 60s, who park their trolley right across the wine aisle whilst they look at plonk and flatly refuse to move no matter how politely I ask. It isn't because they haven't heard. It is because they are ignorant fuckers.