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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to ask the Ice Cream Man not to stop outside our house?!

97 replies

WheresMeBrew · 10/05/2014 08:12

Picture the scene. It's Monday, late afternoon, and you've two hungry kids sat at the table waiting impatiently. You waltz in a la Luminere and present them with their dinner. Slight disappointment etched on their faces as they realise there's broccoli to be eaten but they crack on.

And then it starts. Feint at first, but getting closer. The Match of the Day theme usually. Eyes light up, knives and forks are flung aside, and they both scramble to the window to look at this god amongst men: The Ice
Cream Man. A chorus of "Please, please, please!" and "It's not fair!" fill the air. The eldest one sulks, the youngest downright refuses to return to the table. I am officially the meanest mum in the whole wide world ever.

Can I tell the Ice Cream man to not stop right outside our house? I can't afford it daily, I don't want them to have it daily, and I can't face a summer of this outburst at tea time every bleedin' day ...

OP posts:
3bunnies · 10/05/2014 09:55

Mine all groan when they see the ice cream van and question why anyone would possibly want to buy an ice lolly from there for a pound when you can get 4 for a pound in Sainsburys. Can't think where they heard that from!

flipchart · 10/05/2014 09:55

I miss walking my kids from primary school in the summer I used to buy us all an ice cream on Mondays and Fridays!

Happy days.

SirChenjin · 10/05/2014 09:55

I would go with some of the other more sensible suggestions on here, such as making certain evenings 'ice cream van' evenings - maybe a Friday or Saturday?

The other more sanctimonious posts I would duly ignore.

EauRouge · 10/05/2014 09:55

Well he's doing himself out of business, everyone in the village hates him and won't buy from him- shot himself in the foot there Grin

HighwayDragon · 10/05/2014 10:02

ours oarks outside the school gates evety singleday unless its raining/snowing. Cold enough to be in hat scarves and gloves, but he's still sat there in his fucking van.

Ice cream is now a friday after school treat, as long as its not cold enough to be in gloves

CalamitouslyWrong · 10/05/2014 10:02

I haven't seen a roving ice cream van in many, many years. There certainly isn't one round here.

bakingaddict · 10/05/2014 10:12

A nice ice-cream from a van eating it walking along, trying to eat it before the ice-cream dribbles down the cone, well it's all part of being a child.

I can understand if money is an issue but delibrately telling kids that the ice-cream has run out or that it's unhygienic when you have nothing to base it on is just a bit off. As long as it's not every day surely letting them have an ice-cream once in a while is all part of life's little pleasures for them.

SirChenjin · 10/05/2014 10:21

Exactly baking - well said.

FrigginRexManningDay · 10/05/2014 10:23

We had van wars here last summer. Regular Ice cream man drives in, spots rogue new comer on his patch, at his time and so a mr whippyvs anthonys ices van chase ensued. The police were called and the queue of little children left with mouths gaping were given a free ice cream from mr whippy*.

*names have been changed.

EffectiveCommunication · 10/05/2014 10:32

Where we lived before we didn't have one call by. We do here and the children have never asked for one Grin they say how annoying the music is every day and how it makes them crave icecream.

I think to myself how annoying the music is and feel sorry for all the children and parents either having to say no, and for those being taken in by a cold salesman.

SirChenjin · 10/05/2014 10:41

Oh dear Communication Grin

Original poster
WheresMeBrew · 10/05/2014 12:12

I'm not against ice cream vans, and the kids do get a treat every now and then, but it's so bloody disruptive on a daily basis. It's the carrot under the donkey's nose, and hard work to keep saying no to my donkeys, so to speak, when they see others having it. Curtains shut wouldn't work due to the Match of the Day song!

In all honesty, I haven't got the balls to tell him to jog on. I just would like a tea time that doesn't involve the ice cream negotiations. Aggro that I don't need!

OP posts:
BoffinMum · 10/05/2014 12:16

You need a budget. Say they can get a lolly from the van once a week and put it into the freezer for after their tea. On the other days hold that over them as a reward/threat for ignoring the van.

5madthings · 10/05/2014 12:31

The ice cream van parks outside my house, partly due to where we are in the cul de sac and partly I am sure because he knows I have five kids.

I buy them very occasionally in the summer when it's properly an ice cream day and they can eat it in the garden. Or if I fancy one myself.

But generally I buy whatever multi pack ice creams are on offer at local co_op, the older three are able to understand that this is cheaper.

If it was at dinner time every day that would get annoying, but the kids will get used to not being allowed or you can choose a day a week they are allowed etc.

Our school also does the selling ice creams)ice lollies, they only do it on a Fri at home time in playground and they are 20-50p? Very cheap but it raises bit if money for the pta and it's a nice treat for a Friday.

ComposHat · 10/05/2014 12:33

Can't you get them a Mr Whippy on say Fridays and get them a nice healthy Ecstasy tab from the icecream man on the other days of the week?

SirChenjin · 10/05/2014 15:59

I second Compo's suggestion. You could also buy one of the single cigs those vans always sell to wash down the ice cream or ecstasy tab

WireCat · 10/05/2014 16:14

Oh yes, the ice cream man outside our high school.
1 fag=10p Grin

KingJoffreysBloodshotEye · 10/05/2014 16:19

Ours plays wanky Popeye music while driving around the cul de sac really slowly.

Cunt.

I work nights and I NEED TO SLEEP!!

I long to go all Bree Van De Kamp on his arse.

Hmm
goodasitgets · 10/05/2014 16:29

Ours comes pretty much all year. My dad was alternating between being bemused and thinking he was taking the piss when there was an inch of snow and he still turns up
< won't mention the time he skidded on snow and had to be pushed up the road with tunes jangling away > Grin

CalamitouslyWrong · 10/05/2014 19:10

I did some work experience in a P7 class once. The PSHE topic was drugs/alcohol/tobacco and most of the discussion centred around what you could get from the local van.

Nicola19 · 10/05/2014 19:34

Yanbu. Really annoying to have them distracted every day when they have their tea. Don't get me started on the vans, I hate them! We boycott the one outside school every day. And the terrible period of ice cream jangling waking the very tenuously asleep baby for about six months, aargh!

Nicola19 · 10/05/2014 19:36

I did actually ask said van not to stop so close to our house. It didn't go well!

70isaLimitNotaTarget · 10/05/2014 19:42

The ice cream from our local van is vile, sort of gelatinous . DD won't touch it

The ones that hang about in the shopping centre car part though, much nicer.

Sirzy · 10/05/2014 19:53

The ice cream can stops outside our house, DS knows if I say no I mean no. No issues.

He still only charges about 80p for a 99 so at least it's not too expensive for an occasional thing

Sizzlesthedog · 10/05/2014 21:25

Who buys from the ice cream van? Ice creams are much cheapness in supermarkets and most people have a freezer.

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