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?

Wait...do you mean pair up with a mate?

It is awful, but I honestly think it’s the idiots where you see mum, dad and two toddlers. Or the people who have one parent at home during the day and take the kids to Tesco.

Ok that could work, although I had no car a a lone parent and lots don't.

we have 1 person per family and thats it....In italy

As a single mum, I guess it's time to call my neighbours and ask them to collect me a few items. After all this is over I'm going to know my neighbours much better

What a great suggestion. I have already offered to help our neighbours if struggling to get food. I'd be so happy to help a single parent so that their child can be kept out of the store and the store workers can stay infection free. It's all about reducing infection. We have to do whatever it takes. I do have a friend who's a single parent - I'm off to message to see if she's sorted or needs help.

I am sure in the situation where there is literally no-one else to help, as long as people can control their children (hold their hand the whole time if you have to) then people will be let in. But there are so many other options to exhaust first.

This is outrageous if true .
People must be allowed to buy food. It is completely and utterly essential . You cannot reasonably expect people with small children to leave them at home . We are now not allowed to leave children elsewhere for childcare. Many parents will require a lot of shopping, repeatedly, through all of this . If you are alone, and have no support no trustworthy person to give your money too, you must, must be allowed bring your children. It is not proportionate to expect children to go hungry .

I work in tesco and haven't heard anything about this being a new rule, I wouldn't take it as gospel, we barely have the staff to police the doors when it's time for vulnerable customers, we definitely don't have the man power to staff the doors all the time

I'm a sole parent. I think it should be one adult or child 12 or over. A parent may not be able to leave younger children in the care of an older one so it may be best in some families to send the eldest child to buy necessities rather than take the younger children to the supermarket. I think parents should be able to bring young children but avoid doing so if they have any other option. Children over 8 can usually be left at home unless they have SN.

The plan of driving and leaving kids in cars is great...if you have a car. Ffs

I will be walking there and back. It will take me well over an hr.

Where’s Dad? (Unless he’s dead/mia in which case apologies obv)
Oh ffs there is always one!

@flashbac where did this happen? was it IOM or mainland?

That's ridiculous and is not the govt advice. Gov.uk says you can take them if no other option.

Unprecedented times requiring unprecedented action. I think this is the right decision given the number of kids allowed to run riot in supermarkets. Supermarkets MUST protect their staff and customers. I understand that this may make things difficult for single parents, but retailers are working hard to increase the number of delivery slots available and are also opening up click and collect hubs to try to help those who, for whatever reason, cannot get into the store. Local community groups too will undoubtedly help out single parents. This shit is affecting the whole of society. Please stop being so fucking entitled!

@greyspottedgoose thanks for commenting, op seems to have vanished and I can't find anything other than that IOM article.

It is cropping up on my facebook as well now but still no links to any actual sources....but then they wouldnt say too much to prevent panic buying?

I've just seen an aldi post which says "try not to bring children or additional family members as we are limiting to no more than 60 people in store"
Maybe Tesco is doing similar?

It's not making things "difficult" for single parents. It's making things impossible for single parents.
Maybe all us scummy single/lone parents should just let our children starve?

I think it's fair enough to say that anyone who can leave their DC at home MUST do so. If you simply cannot, because you're alone at home with them, then you can't be barred from shopping. But when I went to the supermarket on Saturday there were loads of DC. It was totally impossible to stay 2m away from anyone, because the DC were wandering around all over the place and not observing safe social distance.

Pair up, both drive to the shop in your separate cars. One parent goes in while the other watches the kids in the other car then switch? Takes longer but keeps everyone safer.
Wtaf would be the point of that?
If its 2 parents then one stays at home with kids why would they take them to sit in a carpark?
If its 2 separate people who do not share a household.... i give up!

@Maisiecow Single people can shop at corner shops, and the express,metro stores.

As families need more food then they tend to have available, it makes sense that family units shop at the larger stores..

They could insist all shoppers have kids at home or they can't shop.

Would that seem reasonable and sensible?

A lot of people in this thread who begged for more and more control over people's lives to be put in place by pretty much anyone are just now realizing that some of those controls might affect them!
Be careful what you wish for.

"When I voted for The Leopards Eating Faces Party, I never thought Leopards would eat my face!"

It's not fucking entitled to need to feed your kids.

There's fuck all entitled about that. There are multiple vulnerable groups in society but once again single parents are treated like the cause of all problems.

So single parents have to pay more, too? lil

Having in the last week watched parents watch their kids in a paharmcy pick up things and put them back on shelves like a game, I entirely understand it. Single parents should be allowed to take children if they are in a carrier or in the trolley seat. But I would do anything I could before putting my kids in a contaminated trolley first. I think all shops should now let no one in and let staff do an enhanced click and collect. Stopping people touching things and putting them back means less spread.

And it doesn't make it difficult it makes it fucking impossible.

It's crap for everyone at the minute. Banking children is a good thing. There are options - ask a friend, neighbour or family member to do the shopping (they can then drop it off at the door), order online (hopefully this will become easier soon), order from a local store (many many near me are offering deliveries).
You might not get exactly what you want but why would you want to expose your children right now?