Aibu with shop assistants comment 'wrecking the place'

[Harmonyrays]

Browsing in a large charity shop wuth a toddler pottering about. In the childs section, i was looking at books while she was looking at toys getting things out admittedlt leaving 3 or 4 on the floor. I was just turning aeound to pick them hp when an assistant came over and said 'could you please not let your child wreck the place'.

Thoughts please as im annoyed at the comment as shes a very yound child who was doing what kids do, i was close by ready to put things away and was going to help the charity by buying several items.

I check toys over a lot, the number of people who send broken and/or incomplete toys to a CS is shocking, so if my child picks it up and I deem it not right I put it back

Do you put them on the floor though?

I'd be complaining about that nasty nasty rude piece of work shop assistant and get her fired

Fired from her voluntary role? Do you have a suggestion for how to replace her?

Yeah I'm sure you think this cat/rabbit business is funny but I'm not sure why.

Volunteer recruitment and retention is harder than it's ever been. That is the reality. But you seem very sure about finding someone easily so perhaps you're involved in it in a different field/part of the country?

I'm also not sure what planet we're on if could you please not let your child wreck the place is nasty and aggressive

Dothehappydance

My Nan used to buy stuff from M and S wear it once and take it back (they didn’t used to have fitting rooms and had a very generous returns policy)
It was quite common to do that in the 80s

She is dead now but will need exhuming ASAP to repent for this type of behaviour

I'm not trying to be funny. Is it really hard to get volunteers? I would volunteer and loads of old folk do it when they retire to keep busy

I'd be complaining about that nasty nasty rude piece of work shop assistant and get her fired.

Would you be first in line to give up your Saturdays and replace her then?

How can a small child wreck the place?

Quite easily

Is it really hard to get volunteers? I would volunteer and loads of old folk do it when they retire to keep busy

Go for it then! What's stopping you?

Yes it is really, really hard to get volunteers, and to keep them. It's a nightmare.

threatening manner

Really that is going way too far

No I don't, but many a pp has said that a toy should only be touched if it will definitely be bought.

We have no idea what these toys were, they may have been big toys - shape sorter type size or it may have been a box of toddler sized toys and there was a plastic car, a happy land figure and a toy animal out. The former takes longer and most people would find annoying, the latter not so much.

Is it really hard to get volunteers?

No. It's really hard to get GOOD volunteers. People who are prepared to commit to at least 4 hours, once a week, year round. People who are prepared to do all the tasks in the charity shop, not just the ones they fancy doing.

People are busy with work, children, grandchildren, other volunteering commitments. The manager is constantly juggling to make sure there are enough people in, including someone who is prepared to use the till, cash up, go to the bank.

OP, teach your daughter the phrase 'look with your eyes, not your hands'.

My 10.5 month old doesn't have self control that's why I keep her in her pushchair or carrier rather than let her play on a shop floor which is kind of minging tbh. She was playing with merchandise, that they probably don't want damaged.

I commend you for not having your 1 year strapped in a buggy being bored. They need to experience things. As you hadn't walked off and left a mess yet, then there was no reason for the sales assistant to be rude. In fact she could of engaged with your child if she was so concerned. She could of looked at the toys with her, showing her how to tidy them. I'm sure it would catch your attention, without being so aggressive.

I've had a similar thing happen in a garden centre. The elderly sales assistant seemed to think I needed to be told how to parent. She told me my son shouldn't be touching the fountain, as the water is dirty. Maybe it was a way to tell us not to touch, without sounding controlling by suggesting it was for his health. But I was like don't worry, I'll get him to wash his hands before eating and let him carry on and then gave her the death stare

She could of looked at the toys with her, showing her how to tidy them.

Totally part of the volunteer remit. Adhoc babysitting.

Most people keep their 10.5 mth olds in a buggy. 2 of mine were commando crawling at that age for starters.

Velvet and Soup but with that mentality you ought not to test drive a car, nor try something on in a clothes shop nor try out a gadget that you like the look of.

What’s the worst that could happen if a child played with a toy in a shop? Op’s child breaks the toy. Thats it. Breaks the toy. No one died.

You know those electronic press button type toys. Yep many kids press the buttons of them in shops. Not in mumsnet world tho-such a child would be tied to its mother’s leg in case it dared have such a decadent idea.

I would have felt threatened if someone spoke to me like that especially with my child

That would be a completely unreasonable reaction to that comment, and it's quite insulting to people who do receive threatening comments