AIBU to find using food as play material really irresponsible at the moment?

[Gabilou]

Just as the title says really. I keep seeing people making salt dough decorations using half (!!!) a bag of flour. That's over 2 sour loaves... also painting pasta, using it for sensory play, along with flour. It just seems there is a shortage of those ingredients and people aren't even using them for food! Am I being an unreasonable grump or is that just plain irresponsible and wasteful?

FFS only on Mumsnet yabu

I know it doesn't need to be chucked. I grew up basically in poverty and have a fairly relaxed attitude to bbe dates. But my daughter refused to eat it after it was made. Should I have forced her to?

I think you should educate her about BB dates and their relative importance depending on foodstuff.

I always have. Every single time she turns her nose up at something. And she's old enough that it's something I have discussed over the last few weeks. She's also learnt about it at school. I'm going to stop letting her near anything until I've hidden the packaging 😂

Honestly, if some salt dough and pasta keeps a struggling parent and child sane for a few extra days then I am not going to make a moral judgement on it. I'm just grateful they have found a way to survive. From a psychological point of view things are going to get a lot tougher as the weeks go on. Time to cut each other some slack and stop with all the judgements. If we don't pull together as a country we will most definitely fall apart.

Exactly what I was going to say. There is currently no end date in sight. If a bit of flour makes some play dough to keep a toddler entertained for a couple of hours and gives parents a bit of peace and a little sanity, who the fuck are you lot to judge? Get over yourselves.

I'm going to stop letting her near anything until I've hidden the packaging

Good idea

Playing with food does make me flinch a bit at the minute about the food waste.

Maybe the people doing this are using stuff that’s way out of date? We did let DC1 use some old popcorn kernels to make a percussion instrument for his school project last week. The best before date on the packet was 2014, so I didn’t feel too guilty about it.

Having said that though, I went to Tesco last night, and it was really well stocked compared to how it’s been the last few weeks. There were empty shelves, they weren’t as full as normal, but there was food available in most food categories. And a fully stocked toilet paper aisle!!!
Hopefully the panic buying has died down a bit?

There’s no shortage.. just idiots who repeatedly panic at the sight of a gap on a shelf and remember they’ll need to buy 6 next time just incase there’s none again.

We’ve always got a massive amount of baking stuff in the cupboard and pastas just something we’ve always had in.. so taking a cup of flour to make a salt dough wouldn’t be a thought.

Surely it’s better to use something you likely have, or can get at a corner shop, compared to ordering an expensive sensory play kit on amazon and having it hand delivered.

I went shopping yesterday and couldn't get any flour or pasta, so I don't think you're being unreasonable, and I'm not one of those doom mongers who think that no fun is allowed during the whole of this, but it is a bit crass; essentially wasting food stuffs that people are struggling to get elsewhere.

I went to Tesco last night and it was almost fully stocked. Nothing like the shortages of the last couple of weeks. There was a lot of queuing though!

I struggled to get loo roll.

Do people monitor how much loo roll people are using? Are you telling people only 2 squares to be used.

Some places are struggling, because of hoarders and bulk buyers. Not because some parents and making dough with their kids.

I know people who are now backing everyday. They dont need to. It's getting eaten. Bit they dont need those calories.

I made 2 batches of shortbread at the weekend. Dps favourite and there was non in the shop. He didnt need it, but it cheered him and my ds up a bit. Well worth it.

Or maybe, just maybe they are trying to do new things. Keep themselves entertained and make life a bit happier for them and their family.

So many people saying 'I need flour to make xyz' are hypocrites really. If you want to start telling people what they can or cant do, with what they have bought, not one food made out of four on this thread is an essential.

Its amazing how many people think, what they want to do is essential and think others should only live by their personal essential list.

We are in isolation , infection in the house, I cannot go out for fresh bread.

There was no bread flour when we last shopped, before infection hit, so when I use the last bit in the bag that is our last loaf. And we are then living without bread or milk.

Or.... come out of the house to buy some.

So it would be better if people had not bought enough flour to use as an activity.

(We will not be leaving the house)

Agree with HopingItsNot it’s going to get worse and we need to give each other a bit of slack. Everyone is adjusting to this and I find the language here and on local Facebook posts very censorious and demoralising. The majority of people are trying their best which includes trying to entertain children whilst being restricted in what they can do with them.

It's better than doing a big online order of plastic toys.

I made a small amount of play dough with my son and he loved every second of it. He's not allowed to see any of his friends anymore or go to the park, library or any of his groups / activities. Hell will freeze over before someone makes me feel guilty for using a cup of flour and a few other basic ingredients to entertain my boy!

So it would be better if people had not bought enough flour to use as an activity.

Many people havent bought it to do as an activity. They had it in already.

You dont need to live without bread or milk. And can live without it.

Most places in the country have local groups set up to deliver things to you, if you have no one else that can. On mn a woman insisted there wasnt near her, an mner found one in a few minutes.

There are things you can do if you cant get out.

Shitisgettingcrazy I am using flour to bake bread. I always bake our bread. And there was no flour and no bread in the supermarket when we last shopped before infection hit.

I am eking out tiny amounts of carbs and inventing bizarre breakfasts.

So I am not nodding along sagely with your post about shortbread v salt dough.

And also, people buying flour for activities, isnt why there isnt any in some shops. It's because people are still buying more than they need for lots of reasons.

Including the 'but what if they dont have it next time'

@CassieAuLait exactly. Bread isnt essential to life. Its shit if you cant get it.

So people saying playing with it, is wrong when others want to bake with it, isnt right. Because neither are essential.

I do hope you can get some soon or you arent isolated much longer.

I don’t see how using flour for play is much different to using it for baking cakes and other treats.

In both cases, it’s not necessary, we’re doing it to cheer us up and distract us.

X post

Most places in the country have local groups set up to deliver things to you

We do. A very active neighbours network. None of them can find any flour in the shops. I don’t want my neighbours, or anyone, making numerous trips to shops, or going from shop to shop, that will hardly help the situation as a whole.

Ok, lots of people have used flour they already had, but just don’t be so complacent.

You are the one sounding smug and judgmental about what other people need an don’t need, and you clearly aren’t under good pressure if you are able to use butter and flour for shortbread, so don’t lecture people who are.

I want flour for basic bread.

We will not starve, this morning we have a packet of cous cous with a can of baked beans between 4 for breakfast.

Good job my family are not fussy eaters.

The empty shelves in. shops seems to come down to individual supply chains.

For example, my local Lidl hasn’t had eggs for three weeks, or any time I’ve been there anyway, but my local SuperValu (ireland) has been very well stocked with them.

They’re within 10 mins walk of each other.

You are the one sounding smug and judgmental about what other people need an don’t need, and you clearly aren’t under good pressure if you are able to use butter and flour for shortbread, so don’t lecture people who are.

No I am saying non of us have the right to tell others what is essential and not.

Yes I did have butter. My supermarket isnt struggling for it. I bought a new block when I went shopping, already had flour in and havent yet bought anymore.

I decided to use the last of my butter baking. I only go shopping about once every 10 days at the moment.

Theres other things I cant get hold of. We are all under pressure. We are all having to go without certain things.

No one has the right to say 'flour can be used for xyz because I say so. And cant be used for xyz because I deem that non essential'

Wether it's used for baking or playing, its kept some happier for a few hours.

Milk hasnt had a shortage, if you are going without milk that's through choice. The local group wont be going in and out of shops to get some.

None of them can find any flour in the shops.

Is there no actual bread either?

Is there no actual bread either?

A small sporadic amount, but people are rationed to how much they can buy so our local network is quite rightly prioritising the most vulnerable / single parents who can’t take kids into shops etc.

I live in one of the two London boroughs with the highest rates of infection. The published figures are of course the tested / hospitalised cases. So if there are 370 declared cases that probably means 7400 undeclared, at least, and in a small square mileage. If you live in Suffolk, 100 declared, so say 2000 undeclared, across a large distance, it might give an idea as to why shops here are under pressure (staff have an exponentially greater chance of being infected) and why we are very reluctant to roam the shops or have our relatives and neighbours do likewise.

I know whole families who are really poorly, and one of my staff members had a relative die from it.

All I am saying is that if people bought flour in the last 2 weeks in order to make modelling dough, I wish they hadn’t.

Milk hasnt had a shortage, if you are going without milk that's through choice. The local group wont be going in and out of shops to get some

Where do you live?

Not near our High Rd, that’s for sure!

There is a (short) supply of milk, but again, rationed per shopper, and prioritised for those with small kids, bigger families etc.

As I said, we won’t starve.

But the view from proper lockdown (NO Shop visits) in a high infection area and with an ill family member, when families around you are also ill, can be a teeny bit stressful.

I am off to de-stress.