No children allowed in supermarket

[flashbac]

My sister went to Tesco with her toddler and was told no children allowed from next week. Understand this is wise for infection control but what if you're a single parent with tiny kids and can't do online shopping?

I work for Tesco’s and we were letting single parent families in today and plan to do so for the future. We were only allowing one adult in, if they were a family (2 adults + kids) or a couple/ more than one person per household. This is to protect everyone and ensure the 2 metre distancing happens. Also as stores are limiting how many people are in store at one time, more households will be able to shop at one time. Hopefully people will only shop when absolutely necessary, rather than popping to the shop every day as they are allowed to leave the house to shop. Someone overheard a couple of women arranging to meet up in the supermarket for a chat! There are also less tills open too to ensure social distancing. We are doing are best in the most surreal circumstances

Is there anyone who can shop for you? My mum is still shopping for my grandparents

@changemynamechangemynamewhen do I detect a hint of sarcasm? Speaking of my own circumstances, I don't have close friends in the area in which I live, both my parents have health issues which have been defined as high risk, I would rather they weren't traipsing around the shops for me!

Bearing in mind that people are generally starting families later so many grandparents are older, key workers often marry other key workers, health problems such a, cancer, asthma, diabetes and auto immune diseases seem to be much more prevalent these days (or at least detected), it's not really that much of a leap of imagination, is it?

Don’t go to Tesco
Shop elsewhere

I was a single parent without family support, but I would have avoided taking my children to the supermarket like the plague. I would have checked with friends to see if anyone could help me. Alternatively I would be using the small local shops, most town's still have a butcher's, and yes they can be more expensive but you may find that you need less, a butcher will tell you how to cook anything that they sell, and if you tell them what your budget is they will recommend the types of meat you can afford.
Same with the green grocers. Milk can be obtained from all sorts of shops, I'm not meaning to be patronising but this could be a blessing in disguise. It's what us oldies in isolation are doing.

Finally check on line for volunteer groups in your local areas they can often h help with shopping.

?

Sally unfortunately your experience is not universal
Single parents in the UK are disproportionately likely to live in poverty
Butcher's aren't a thing you get round here except in very affluent areas
Greengrocers? I remember going with my mum but I think it shut in about 1978
Corner shops have stuff but it is very expensive and we're talking about families. Doing a family shop at the corner shop would be impossibly pricey and many don't carry fresh produce. what about formula.
And with the restrictions in place around purchasing + the isolation that plenty of people live in (not knowing neighbours etc) the hope that everyone would be able to find someone to buy them food is not good enough.

To reiterate, some posters on here, quite a lot, are in favour of banning all children from the shops that sell cheaper food. And that means banning a tranche of single parents, including all the single parent families that will come as the virus kicks in.

The ability to enter a shop and buy necessities is essentially being called to be removed for a section of the population.

How the hell did we get here.

I think it's underlying biases against single parents, and the UK is not child friendly at the best of times.

Well I do hope all of you who ban single mothers from going to shops don't also want that single mother to be your nurse, your police officer, your housing officer preventing homelessness, your benefits advisor, your friend.

Does this mean I won't be able to take my baby shopping, shit.

@SeperatedSwans totally agree

FAKE NEWS

At least for the most part. Maybe the IOM shop really did it, but mostly people are twisting something else to fit. If both parents and all the kids turn up they may suggest that one adult waits outside with the kids.

Have any single parents tried contacting Gingerbread or another charity for advice?

Hello my concern here ,
I am a single mum now my 2 daughters I would leave in car watch film on my phone as I run in grab some bits as quick as possible they are old enough . But my son is autistic and cnt he left alone. Usually my mum would care for him or I usually do the shop while they in school or have online shop but these options are no longer available . To the person who commented about “where is dad , dead?” My kids dad lives opposite side of the country and visits for me to go for a food shop Just is out the question . I do agree I have been to Tesco this past week and seen some children running riot and parents are totally disregarding everyone’s safety with the virus . I think if your child can’t walk beside you and keep you them and other safe them you should be told to leave immediately ! End of So not let everyone else suffer for it .

Guess we won't be shopping in Tesco's. All the children are home from school and many of us have no one to leave them with, especially now with social isolation in place. Wouldn't a better policy be to insist that parents keep children with them at all times or be asked to leave the store? How about parents giving shop staff a list and having their shopping picked for them, if having a child in store is so problematic?

👆🏼Sorry for the shocking typing skills there 😂 new phone nightmare

What about if we sit our children in a trolley and walk around 😂 will that be ok 😅

Yes good idea Spiral or have a phone line at a local level or come back later?

That does sound more understandable .
😊

So if I’m now shopping for my own family, my elderly parents, my friend who’s in isolation and my other single parent friend(11 people in all), am I allowed more than 3 of each item?!!

"am I allowed more than 3 of each item" No, how could they possibly police that?
But the good news is that supermarkets are starting to fill their shelves again. The limits will be eased at some point.

Yes perhaps they could do that on top of their ordinary job. I really don't think children will be banned but if they are it's not the staff's fault. They are already working hard in suit circumstances.

I take my ds to help me carry the shopping home as I dont drive (medical reasons). Luckily he is old enough to go in by himself so well just have to divide up the list and meet again on the way out

Our local Tesco said "if at all possible" so obviously single parents can take young children. What it stops are families who all go on an outing.

Not a perfect solution, but when if life ever perfect... However, when my 3 children were tiny my husband was in the army and deployed in Afghanistan for 6 months each year for 3 years. I was living in an Army quarter (house on a base) many miles from friends and family and without any sort of income which could cover childcare. When I needed to buy groceries, I’d do a little and often shop in the local branch of Lidl (car park visible from store) and leave my children strapped and locked into the car, whilst I whizzed around the store - basket, not trolley! Whilst I would have loved to have done things differently, due to my husband’s job, the first few years of my children’s lives were shaped by compromises, that whilst were ideal, haven’t caused any long term regrets or problems. Have faith in yourselves and your ingenuity!

Weren’t not were!

I know by us the supermarkets are assisting delivery to vulnerable people via local support groups. Perhaps see if there's groups locally, that can help?