to think b&q is not a toy shop and parents should supervise their kids

[wheresthelight]

was in out local one today looking at some architraves and dd (21 months) was asleep in her pushchair. there was a boy of about 9 or 10 patting about with lengths of thick dowel (thicker than snooker cue for reference), using them as some sort of martial arts baton and then throwing them around and slamming them into the floor. he threw one directly at the pushchair and then nearly slammed ot into dd's legs - he was facing her and we hadn't moved so he knew we were there.

I told him off, not rudely or loudly, but told him firmly that if he hit my dd with the wood then there would be trouble and to stop messing about as he wasn't in a toy shop. he looked totally non-plused at being told off and carries on albeit ot further away from dd.

was I bu to tell him off? there were no other adults in the aisles immediately near us and when I saw him at the til as we left the adult he was with certainly hadn't been anywhere near us at the time.

I tell other children off in shops and supermarkets, not just playing or being lairey but situations like you describe where someone could get hurt.

And if his parent/family did come up and give you Evils, tell them.

DH and I were in a supermarket near Christmas, two girls (about 8-9) were running up and down the aisle grabbing each other and whirling each other round. Several times.
No adult that I could see, I said "If you keep doing that you'll bump into someone and knock them over. Someone could get hurt because of your stupidity" (or words to that effect)

Maybe if we all stood around and watched the inevitable - an innocent bystander gets hurt- they'd stop? No don't think so.

Did you report to a member of staff, wheres?

There was a child on a scooter in M&S going through the display of clothes (actually pushing through the hung up garments),we all know M&S is busy and alot of their customers are not good on their feet. I told a member of staff nearby. She said they couldn't reprimand them, but I could

She didn't say I could wrap the bloody scooter round his lughole though.

YABU - you should have given the little shit a thick ear, not just told them off.

This is about the third thread tonight about kids but yes I would say something.

sorry not seem any other threads

no staff to report it to that I could find unfortunately (it's one of those stores that seems to only have kitchen design staff) but that would have been my next step.

as for the thick ear he would have got more than that had he hit dd with his bit of wood!

metaphorically speaking obviously

At work today a lady was watching her little cherub run around ' he loves it here as there's more space to play around' she said!!

I was

I was in B&Q.... I work there..... But telling off other people's kids is never easy! I tend to say it's a dangerous store hence frequent breaks in the music for a 'please supervise your children' announcement

It's seems a regular occurrence at B & Q whenever I go, children running wild down those wide aisles or in the garden centre section. I know someone who works there and she said tins of paint are knocked over and spilt frequently. If you child's in danger as OP's could have been, you have to say something.

I went to Decathlon recently and the same thing happens there. I gave the evil eye to a kid riding around on a scooter. Another child was throwing a frisbee-type toy.

In a camping show, a youngster was running around with a mallet. The assistant pointed it out to his mum. She didn't even want a mallet, and was non-plussed about her son's action.

Couldn't agree more, everywhere you go seems to be a playground these days. Don't get me started on the 'mini ' shopping trolleys in IKEA. Thought I had seen it all until ---- dad with a girl approx 4 pushing said mini trolley containing baby approx 6 months ! The dad was more concerned with his phone than the safety of his baby daughter ( and the publics ankles) .
Also heard a couple say to their sons approx 6&8 off you go and play ! We will phone you when we are ready to leave.

I think this one's a bit tricky, because it kind-of isn't right to reprimand a child you don't know (unless you're a policeman from the 50s).

This is about parents, isn't it?

And children who can potentially do harm don't necessarily mean to do harm. They're often just being kids, and the point is that their main care-giver should be on hand to witness and step in, because the child isn't meaning or intending to hurt, although we as adults witnessing can see the harm they can potentially do.

It's easy for me sitting here by my screen, and I would've prob have reacted the same way you did OP, but the reality is that a better response might have been "where are your parents?", which may have stopped the child. Of course you then risk a parent who doesn't give a shit and shouts at you.

But never be sorry to put your child's safety first!

I always tell kids off in shops ( mean teacher emoticon) especially if they are likely to cause me or mine injury!

Or even if they are making a mess. Recently spotted a child in New Look waiting for his mum trying on clothes ( looked about 6 ) eating wrapped sweets and merrily dropping the wrappers on the floor. One teacher special stink look and a hiss of "pick that up! " resulted in a very quick gathering of said rubbish!

B&q is classed as a working warehouse. I've worked in similar and although we're not allowed to directly tell them to stop if its brought to the help desks attention first action is to put in a t annoy call basically saying that's it's a working warehouse and all children must be supervised by adults. Failing that we'd mention the dangerous activity and say this is not allowed. All the time having a staff member monitoring and ready to intervene (there was a balcony fro the se on floor overlooking the main floor with kids loved to climb over for some reason.) Even then all they could do within they job title was to ask them to stop what they were doing.