This parent should’ve been on top of this...

[MaryPoppinsPenguins]

My DD2 is a nightmare. An actual nightmare, I could barely take her anywhere until she was three so I do sympathise when children aren’t exactly perfect.

In sainsburys last night a mother had three children, two around 6/7 and one toddler. The toddler was screaming and walking around the vegetables, taking a bite, putting it back. Throwing on the floor. Etc. She must’ve tasted ten bell peppers just while I was in the aisle.

The mother just kept telling the older children to watch her.

Much as it’s difficult to be a parent, it’s also not the best to bring home a pepper covered in toddler slobber with a bite taken out of it.

Surely if you know your child is like this you sit them in the trolley / bring a buggy... not rely on other children to watch them.

It can be annoying, but it's not the end of the world

My Gran many years ago broke her hip on a slice of gherkin that someone dropped and just left on the floor of a shopping centre.

The Mum just letting her child throw things on the floor is irresponsible.

But would add that they can probably sound a nightmare to others screaming to be let out! She might have just had a bad day and couldn't take any more.

It's not something I would ever allow/ignore, but you really don't know anything about the family, nevermind if the mother had even seen what was going on. If it bothered you so then you could have spoken to a staff member. Oh and trolley seats are often only to 15kg (average weight for a 3 year old but there will be those who reach it earlier) and pushing a buggy around a supermarket with a trolley and another child too...yeahhh . I think yabu. A child was doing something gross/potential to cause an accident, you as a grown adult saw it, judged someone for it and came online to bleat about it rather than anything helpful. It takes a village, you know.

Do Sainsbury still do the 'try before you buy' thing on the deli counter? I used to stock up on tiny bits of things there first to occupy my toddler, back when I lived anywhere near a Sainsbury.
No reason not to have a toddler in the trolley in the situation you describe OP.

I don't understand why anybody would go through the hell of taking small DC supermarket shopping when it's so easy to order online. I wish it had been an option when mine were small.

That's what I don't understand. There are tons of supermarkets now and yet most seem to be full and it does look like some families use them as a day out.

The parent was being unreasonable.

However there's a few posters here suggesting that parents use supermarkets as a day out, or they should go online etc. Sometimes that's not practical or possible.

We try and avoid taking the kids to the supermarket. However we live in a rural area. Nearest big supermarket is 15 miles away. Only one delivers and my past experience shows that they often choose products close to their use by dates or veg that's well past its best. Often we're out somewhere and we do the shop on the way home. It's simply not practical to drive miles and miles when the kids can go in with us.

I disagree with some on here in that I don't see anything intrinsically wrong with taking children to the supermarket. It's a normal part of life. Sometimes it isn't practical to go without the kids, and not everyone spends enough to shop online.

But it is unreasonable to let kids run riot in the supermarket. If they do manage to do something naughty, then you pick up the packet they threw on the floor, or pay for the apple they nibbled etc.

I am still annoyed about the overpriced brioche I had to pay for after tantrumming dd threw it on the floor and jumped up and down on it. But that was the consequence of my daughter throwing a tantrum. It shouldn't be passed onto other customers/shop staff to deal with!

You should have picked up the food the child had bitten and dumped it in the woman's trolley. If she protested or removed them, then you should have alerted security.

The woman sounds out of control and is setting an appalling example to her children.

Ha ha at riding a bicycle around Waitrose

Aaaaaaaand this is why I don't buy loose stuff at the supermarket any more. Used to think the pastries and salad bar were a real treat. Then came to a better understanding of human nature.

I know standards in factories aren't perfect but ffs.

7i agree that you should be able to take your child anywhere as long as they learn to behave accordingly.

I've got 3 and used to hate my DH taking them shopping as he allowed them to do thing I wouldn't. I would then have to spend time stopping them doing stuff they thought was ok!!!!

You definitely have to time it right too. Tired of hungry kids are not going to enjoy shopping.

My Gran many years ago broke her hip on a slice of gherkin that someone dropped and just left on the floor of a shopping centre.

And my granddad broke his hip because he slipped on a piece of brick an adult had left in the street after clearing up rubble.

So.....?

My Gran many years ago broke her hip on a slice of gherkin that someone dropped and just left on the floor of a shopping centre.

I'm wondering who broke open a jar of pickled gherkins in the middle of a supermarket Or maybe it fell out of a sandwich? Or am I missing the point?

Not great I admit. Sounds like she had her hands full and possibly a lot on her mind maybe?

I doubt anyone "on top of things" would turn a blind eye to something like this tbh so in your shoes OP I'd probably be wondering if she was ok.

Food court in a shopping centre? Bought a takeaway burger and chucked the slice of gherkin away as they walked?