Should families with kids get priority in supermarket queue?

[GreyGardens88]

So I was going to Lidl yesterday afternoon for some essentials, there was a massive queue stretching nearly out of the shopping centre. I took my place at the back and immediately a woman with family and kids in tow came walking down shouting about how selfish everyone in the queue is for not letting in at the front due to them having kids. Would not stop shouting about it and I think her DH was embarrassed. Whole family was there, the grandparents, the parents and the kids.

Everyone else in the queue stayed silent but in the end an older gentleman let them in towards the front and he went to the back.

IABU in not letting them in myself? Would you expect to have priority if you have kids?

With all the suggestions of people who should get priority- when do ordinary folk get to shop?

No

Never understand these threads. Something in real life happens, you say nothing. Then you run home to Mumsnet to act all outraged?

Why not just cut out the thread and tell her how it is?

There was an hilarious argument on our local Facebook page the other day. Someone posted an angry message about a woman who had tried to push to the front of the queue because she was shopping for an elderly person. The shopper was neither elderly nor vulnerable but felt she should get priority because the person she was shopping for was. Anyway, security refused but then her mate, who worked in the shop, came out and let her in and apparently there was a massive argument. The shopper then saw this Facebook post and came on it and the argument continued. She got her arse handed to her by just could not see why she was unreasonable.

As other posters have said they should not be shopping as a family group. They should have been kicked out the queue, not allowed to the front.

Single parents - fine - no choice there (though where households are joined so both parents are taking turns at childcare the shopping should be being done in the parents ‘child free’ times). Family groups - no way.

There is no reason for more than 1 adult to be shopping together.

*Never understand these threads. Something in real life happens, you say nothing. Then you run home to Mumsnet to act all outraged?

Why not just cut out the thread and tell her how it is? hmm*

Because I wasn't looking for a blazing row in front of dozens of other shoppers, which is what it would have turned into judging by her character

I have seen loads of couples shopping together.

GreyGardens88 did the security guard let them all in?

She was looking around at everyone to see if anyone was irritated/ to see who she could have a row with.

She clearly knew exactly what she was doing. Obviously the other adults should have been looking after the children at home while just one of the adults did the shopping. But by being shouty and argumentative she was counting on the people in the queue preferring to avoid confrontation so she could get her way. I will be honest, OP, if I had been there I would probably have done the same as you and kept quiet though would have been seething. Most people don't want to get in to an argument and at the present time you would be worried in case she decided to deliberately break the social distancing rules to make you feel uncomfortable.

You would like to think that when they got to the front the store security wouldn't let them all in but that must be a hard job to do.

Yes they were all let in together, I saw them all wandering around the shop once I finally got in

When I went to Morrisons the other day the doorman challenged the woman in front of me as she had a teenager with her. She told him that her lad was 13, and the security guard let her in. While we were waiting I could tell from the boy's behaviour and way of speaking that he clearly couldn't have stayed at home on his own. And I'm glad that the security guard allowed common sense to prevail.

No. They are not a priority and only one person in the family should,shop if possible. The kids and gp shouldn't have been there. I would have given her my dead eye stare.

I'm a single mum and have been able to avoid the supermarkets so far but if I did go I would never dream of pushing in. I know my dc would be whinging but it's just tough luck.

I don't know if it's a general thing in all Lidls but from what someone said on my Facebook the other day about our local Lidl they don't seem to be particularly strict with rules unlike the other supermarkets.

Absolutely not and wtf is an entire family going to the supermarket.

It's ridiculous. I saw a couple in my local Waitrose yesterday with what looked like a very new teeny baby. Just why.

Worst case, if the Mum can't bear to leave her new bundle for long, then Dad waits outside or vice versa with the baby.

It really isn't rocket science. There was me and other shoppers wearing masks / gloves etc and these strolling around not maintaining social distancing with other shoppers, without a care in the world.

Absolutely ignorant as pigs in shit

Nope. Elderly and vulnerable yes but having kids does not make you a priority, how entitled. They should have left the kids at home / in the car with one of the parents and the other parent should have gone into the supermarket. She had the option not to take the kids in with her, elderly and vulnerable people don’t have the option not to be elderly or vulnerable.

Sorry, don't believe it happened

You should have asked her why it took a whole fsmily to do one shop? Ridiculous behaviour no need for them all to be there how could they possibly keep distance from others without clogging up the aisle. Its bad enough trying to distance from regular customers who are on the whole pretty good with the exceptions oc a few idiots but whole families are just a non starter.
Staff should have told them to sod off. (I know we cant but we should be able to)

I’m always baffled when whole families go supermarket shopping together in normal times. Why the hell would you do it now.

If you can leave your kids home with one parent.

The whole family shouldn't evren be there do in these circumstances no way. I did raise eyebrows when I was i B and M getting groceries and cleaning materials before I am lynched when I saw a young couple with two under 3s. Why expose your kids if you don't need to. Mine haven't left the house.
If however tgere was a single parent with young child struggling than I would personally let them go ahead of me.

I don't know where to start with this one?! Why take the children to the supermarket? It's not a day out. Having children are a lifestyle choice. What other super important things did she want to be doing rather than waiting? News flash: no one wants to queue outside supermarket for ages, it's just the way it is at the moment

We are all somebody's child🤷🏻‍♀️

I have two DC and wouldn't expect preferential treatment or to go to the front of the queue because of them. Everyone needs to eat. Everyone needs to take their turn.

She was utterly unreasonable.

I do wonder though how those with mobility problems who cant queue cope

@GreyGardens88
Which supermarket chain is this, so I can avoid it?
I've been to both Morrisons and Tesco which was strictly one in, one out. Whereas the Asda I visited was as you describe, letting family groups in 🤷‍♀️
I won't be returning to Asda.

It was a Lidl in West London