Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Child-safe in minutes.

Meet the Other Phone.
Child-safe in minutes.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to be annoyed by people who let their kids run round supermarkets 'playing'

669 replies

ProperLavs · 26/07/2018 15:04

Actually screaming and running into people.
I had an interesting 'conversation' with a woman when i muttered for someone to stop them screaming and running around. This woman, who didn't actually have anything to do with the kids, who were roughly 4 and 2, told me they were only playing.

I told her it was a very busy supermarket and they shouldn't be playing here
She then muttered about some people having to take their children shopping. I told her I had had to take all of mine (6 under 8) and no they were't ever allowed to run round screaming whilst I ignored them.
Wtf is wrong with people?

OP posts:
5000KallaxHoles · 26/07/2018 19:24

Our local Tesco is pretty much a no-go zone at one of the local school kicking out time because of the parents who detour via it on the way home with kids on scooters and let them belt it down the aisles.

You get the odd weak "please don't do that darling - last time you know that awful shop lady told me off for letting you do it" from parents but the entitled fuckwits see nothing wrong at all (there's a bit of a collective ego problem around the parents at the school in general that they think they're some supremely special club and get very disgusted in anyone getting in the way of that) in it. Worst was an 11 year old (I know the age - I'd taught the child previously) being allowed to belt full speed across the end of the aisle where the checkout queues start and elderly shoppers having to pretty much jump out of the way.

Shop staff are bloody sick to death of it - and most normal people have learnt to avoid the store entirely between 3.30 and 4.15 as it's a fucking deathtrap.

ALongHardWinter · 26/07/2018 19:24

It's bad enough when they run around,charging into people and screaming,but when they are whizzing around on roller skates,scooters or bikes (I'm not joking) it takes the bloody piss. Of course,when one of them gets hurt,it's the supermarket's fault,never the parents,for failing to control their brats kids.

lola212121 · 26/07/2018 19:25

@ProperLavs can't you ignore them , my children have run about in the supermarket and I have not been able to stop them and it's very embarrassing . Children and supermarkets do not go hand and hand and not everyone has the privilege of family or babysitters, for it to be an issue for you is quite sad

grasspigeons · 26/07/2018 19:25

I saw a child be a bit whiny in a trolley once.
Seriously, I've never seen this in my local supermarket. I'm wondering if I am too busy concentrating to notice. I hate shopping.

MrMeSeeks · 26/07/2018 19:35

bashing threads? Pools/streets now shops? Do people just hate kids during the holidays?

Oh yes, it’s parenting bashing, kid hating to detest kids on heelys/scooters/bikes(!) in supermarkets, racing around and knocking over displays, pissing around escalators, cafes whilst people are carrying hot food/drinks, pulling stuff over even after being asked to stop...

YouTheCat · 26/07/2018 19:43

Lola, how about parenting? Why should others have to ignore your kids because you can't get them to behave?

Original poster
ProperLavs · 26/07/2018 19:52

lola how sad that you cannot control your own children. How has that happened? No, I cannot ignore children running into my legs and constantly shrieking when I am trying to shop.

OP posts:
hairyscarey · 26/07/2018 19:53

@lola212121 it's very embarrassing that you can't control your children. The fault is entirely with the parents/guardians.

ethelfleda · 26/07/2018 19:53

Yep. YANBU. Went into my local supermarket the other day, pushing my baby in pushchair (only needed to pick up a few things) and a couple of kids were playing with some football in the shop. Kicked it and it flew in our direction. I wasn't pleased - they could have hurt someone. I didn't bother to say anything though. The parents will hardly respond by saying "oh thank you kind stranger for pointing that out, I shall adjust how I parent immediately" I would have just gotten abuse probably.

OpenthePickles · 26/07/2018 20:06

How about this for shit parenting. DD left her bike out in the garden the other day as all the kids in the street usually do and have done for years. New kid from other end of the estate comes down, takes DDs bike and breaks it, (she was seen stealing the bike by several people) another kid from the street took the bike back from outside the little thiefs house and brought it back for us. This all happened when I was out.

Next time I seen little thief, I told her she is not allowed to take any of my DDs things, ever. She was sitting on her lovely bike as I was saying this, she had no need to take my DDs. Anyway, of course she goes and gets her mum and angry mum wearing her pyjamas comes charging down shouting the odds. I told her the story and some other kids verified this was true, that they had seen her do this. Angry pyjama mum shouts in my face " Did you fucking see the bike in my house?" Girl who rescued bike says " I took the bike back from outside your door"

Pyjama mum continued to shout, deny and back up her thieving little daughter. This girl is 11 and mum is enabling her to be a thief. What chance has she got?

TheIcon · 26/07/2018 20:07

Lola, if you can't control your children, then they should he removed from your care. Surely basic parenting shouldn't be a target, but an expectation.

Lemonnaise · 26/07/2018 20:10

ProperLavs can't you ignore them , my children have run about in the supermarket and I have not been able to stop them and it's very embarrassing . Children and supermarkets do not go hand and hand and not everyone has the privilege of family or babysitters, for it to be an issue for you is quite sad

Shock What do you mean you can't stop them? Do they have so little respect for you that they don't do as they're asked?

RossPoldarksFloozie · 26/07/2018 20:10

I've seen kids on bikes, scooters and bloody heelies in supermarkets. Why do parents take bikes and scooters shopping in the first place or allow their little cherubs to wear heelies when they KNOW they're going to annoy people?

cadburyegg · 26/07/2018 20:14

YANBU. My 3yo screeched at me because I wouldn’t allow him to push the trolley into an aisle full of wine. He soon got over it. He’s only allowed out of the trolley if he can behave and walk sensibly. It’s not a park

hobnobsaremyfavourite · 26/07/2018 20:16

Try being someone with a visual impairment in a shop with kids behaving like this.
No one expects kids to not move or speak but imagine if you have no peripheral vision and there are children on scooters
Or you have no central vision and struggle judging depth and distance
And then try shopping (which is already hard enough) with kids randomly running around

Plannergirl9 · 26/07/2018 20:17

I was in Asdaa few weeks ago walking down an aisle with my trolley when just as I get to the end a child on a bike ran straight into the side of the trolley. He hit to trolley with his front wheel, then came over the handle bars and hit the floor, with both the bike and a half full trolley landing on top of him. He had no helmet so cut his head and was screaming for his dad holding his arm.

Dad eventually gets to him after security calls his name over the tannoy. The dad had the cheek to expect the store to call the police on me for hurting his son who was taken to hospital in ambulance. Such a waste of resources.

The manager mentioned to me that this sort of thing happens often. Luckily Asda has started banning the parents from local stores after.

Giraffey1 · 26/07/2018 20:20

This behaviour annoys me too. Especially when the parents are chatting to their mates or on the phone, so choose to ignore the fact that Harry and Harriet are playing chase up and down the aisles....

And no, of course not all children are like this and it’s simply nonsense to suggest that I’m just a child hater who wants to spoil all their fun. I just don’t believe a supermarket and playground are interchangeable.

2010Aussie · 26/07/2018 20:40

LeighaJ - I feel really sorry for supermarket employees. A child was running around pulling stuff off the shelves & generally causing havoc. I said to the chap stacking the shelves "Are you going to say anything? Or shall I?"
He replied "We aren't allowed to tell children off. I got into trouble with the manager for doing it once."
Unbelievable! I would really like to see someone to sue the store if they were injured by a badly behaved child and see whether that changes company policy.
Is it that we are frightened of parents shopping elsewhere if their children get told off? Do supermarket managers not consider that other shoppers might go elsewhere instead? After all, if drinkers in a pub start misbehaving, the bouncers have no hesitation in chucking them out!

greenlavender · 26/07/2018 20:44

I agree with you. It's boiling, I only have an hour for lunch and the shops are full of kids running everywhere and in the way. Control your children when you're out.

2010Aussie · 26/07/2018 20:57

DiegoMaradona - how would you feel if one of these out of control children crashed into an elderly relative or young child of yours and injured them?

PrettyLovely · 26/07/2018 20:57

I have actually never seen a child on a scooter or a bike in a supermarket, I might see the odd toddler tantrum which is obviously normal, I cant say I see kids running either. Or pulling stuff off of shelves.
I must be completely absorbed in what I am doing.

0lgaDaPolga · 26/07/2018 21:00

I had to pretty much dive out of the way at a supermarket a few days ago due to a kid racing down the aisle pushing a trolley right towards me. Bearing in mind I’m 22 weeks pregnant with spd I finding diving out of the way quite hard. Kids parents completely oblivious.

apinkteapromise · 26/07/2018 21:00

Does anyone else get pissed off with kids throwing their scooters up in the air doing tricks. What the fuck is all that about?!
I nearly got knocked out the other day by some kid. He looked about bloody 13/14 as well!

Kate223344 · 26/07/2018 21:03

All I took from the OP's first post was "6 under 8". Shock I can just about manage to get one child out of the house!

MrMeSeeks · 26/07/2018 21:12

ProperLavs can't you ignore them , my children have run about in the supermarket and I have not been able to stop them and it's very embarrassing . Children and supermarkets do not go hand and hand and not everyone has the privilege of family or babysitters, for it to be an issue for you is quite sad
Seriously? Kids shouldnt run in tgere! Its not a playground! You know people actually work there?

When they have an accident i assume it will be the supermarkets fault?
When they run into shoppers ( like me with disabilities) i suppose thats just their tough luck? Hmm

Swipe left for the next trending thread