To give my toddler a bit of bread?

[ChequeredPasta]

I imagine this has already been done to death, and would get the answer if I could be arsed to scroll...
At Waitrose the other day. Put a french bread stick in the trolley, which my toddler (2) saw, and started reaching for it. Told her no, to wait, but she is an untameable beast became upset. So..... I tore off the end and gave it to her BEFORE paying One of the staff saw, and gave me a stinker of a look.

Now, my Mum used to do this with us. But, my Mum's understanding of social convention is.... interesting.
WIBU?!

[123bananas]

My mum used to put a baguette in the trolley, get to the counter and find that my brother and I had hollowed it out and eaten it while her back was turned going around the supermarket

[Shouldnotwouldnot]

I think you'll find legally you're not stealing until you've attempted to leave the shop without paying.

That's why they don't stop shoplifters until they've exited the shop.

So stop getting so over excited about a small child munching some bread that will soon be paid for.

[RedBlackberries]

It's fine. I never shoplift but I do give dd snacks and scan them same as I take a bottle of water if I'm thirsty and pay for the empty bottle at the till. Never had a bad word or look for it.

[Springishere0]

Can't believe some of the responses on here. It's fine, no one with common sense gives a shit.
Who mentioned vermin?! Honestly! What kind of shop do you go to? I've never seen a dirty floor in any proper supermarket and yes this is 'despite' toddlers eating there. Ever heard of cleaning? Maybe worth giving it a go at your house is you seem to believe that crumbs attract rats and mice? Must be based on experience?

[innagazing]

I really don't see the problem with it. TBH I've been known to munch a sandwich on the way round too occasionally when I've just been too hungry to carry on shopping. I always overbuy when I'm hungry.
I've also opened a box of tissues before paying for it...

[Starlight2345]

I have to say the main point been missed here..Hot fresh bread is sooooooo much nicer ...

I also remember a program on Tv years ago about instore bakers were put in to make shoppers feel hungry..Well those toddlers are shoppers too.

I did it..My now 10 year old knows we wait till we get out the shop. I hasn't made him a shop lifter or someone that didn't reach an age where he didn't cry and moan the minute he got hungry...

[Voice0fReason]

A supermarket would be within its rights to ask you to leave or even prosecute you for this, because it is theft. No grey area, your definition of common sense is irrelevant: it's theft
Your definition of theft is irrelevant, the legal definition is the only one that matters. The supermarkets could not and would not prosecute anyone for theft under these circumstances. It doesn't meet the legal definition until the person has attempted to leave the shop without paying. And the supermarkets have no problem with their customers doing this. It's far better for them for toddlers to be settled so that the parent is less stressed so is able to spend longer in the shop.

Legal definition:
A person is guilty of theft if he dishonestly appropriates property belonging to another with the intention of permanently depriving the other of it
When there is a clear intention to pay, there is no way a prosecution would be entertained.

Carry on doing it OP, it's absolutely fine.

[Mittens1969]

It’s not theft if you don’t leave the supermarket without paying. The legal definition of theft is ‘intent to permanently deprive’, that would be leaving without paying. So no, it’s not theft.

It is cheeky though, you should be able to get your toddler to wait until you’ve paid.

[PrincessLuna]

It’s definitely fine.

Voice0fReason is indeed the voice of reason.

[gorygloria]

I always did this. Same with the olive pot (my kid is odd) as the coat was pot size not weight

[silkybear]

I'm surprised everyone is so fine with it, why can't people feed their kids before they leave the house? I would never do this with mine but probably because my own mum would never have let us do it. She always bought us a small treat at the supermarket with the condition it got put back at the end if we didn't behave. Im usually not particularly judgy but I think this comes across as expecting the shop staff and everyone else to work around your kids instead of teaching them the word no.

[Raaaaaah]

Tesco actually provides free fruit for kids at the entrance in anticipation of this so it must be fairly common. YANBU.

[SumThucker]

Theft?! The man who works on the dairy part at my local supermarket gave my daughter a loose milkshake from a multipack last week, as we were shopping.

If you're going to pay for it OP I don't see a problem.

[llangennith]

I've always done it. Pay for everything at the end.
If it's something like one apple I break off from shopping and go pay for that item then resume my shopping

[WeAllHaveWings]

YABU. Eating bread in a supermarket, leaving crumbs everywhere (which I guarantee you did clean up after you), and probably soggy/sticky fingers on a trolley is minging.

Wish Tesco would stop giving fruit to be eaten in the shop too. Fed up with sticky trolley handles that I don't notice until my hands are sticky too.

[Springishere0]

@silkybear How do other people have to work around it? Your argument makes no sense. It's no different if you buy something opened or unopened. Just because your mum did it, doesn't mean it's the best way of doing things. Probably not, because you turned out very judgmental and narrow minded.

[Rinceoir]

I really don’t see the issue either. You pay on the way out, keep the child occupied. Everyone is happy?!

[Springishere0]

I do think it's only acceptable for young children and those with good reason (e.g diabetes). I don't understand why adults do it, like you have no self control to delay eating by ten minutes until you have left the shop? It's not a restaurant, it's a shop!

[codswallopandbalderdash]

Weird responses tonight although I haven't read full thread. I do this all the time with DS when shopping although tends to be a banana, biscuit whatever else will shut him up. I pay at the end and buy items (said bananas) that are prepackaged and fixed price.

[gorygloria]

Never took my kid to the supermarket hungry but let’s face it, who isn’t tempted by a chunk of tiger bread even when not hungry? Now he’s a string of piss teenager and I can’t get him to binge for love nor money

[MuddlingThroughLife]

If I'm hungry when I go shopping I take a chocolate bar off the shelves, eat it and put the empty wrapped in the trolley to pay at the end. Staff never say anything, just scan the wrapper and bin it!

[Readymixedpaint]

I worked in a supermarket, toddlers were always nibbling at baguettes or cucumbers, it was accepted and no one minded. However there was a lady who ate grapes all the way round so there were hardly any left to weigh when it came to paying for them (otherwise known as stealing). Or the stand out one, where a lady ate a packet of smoked mackerel around the store...but at least we had the bar code for that one.

I don't see it as a problem, didn't then, don't now.

[Theycalledmethewildrose]

I do this all the time. My kids always have either a croissant or a breadroll. I keep the paper bag to either put what they don't eat back into it or remind me they ate something if they finished it.

I've never had as much as a raised eyebrow from any of the checkout assistants.

[PandorasXbox]

Soggy/sticky fingers from a bit of dry bread?

Behave woman.

[squishysquirmy]

Not ideal, but fine and not a big deal as long as you weren't making a mess.

Its not stealing either as long as you scan it and pay for it.
To those who say it is because you haven't paid for it yet: What on earth do you do in restaurants? Do you always insist on paying the bill before tucking in? What if you left your purse at home?