AIBU to think Coronavirus is not an excuse to exclude children from public places?

[RoseGoldCloud]

B&Q have banned children from their stores due to Coronavirus. www.diy.com/customer-support#icamp=HP_Cat5_shopsafely
I get that people are scared in public places. I also agree that anyone not respecting the social distancing should be asked to leave. I don’t understand why they are excluding one particular group based solely on age. The rules should apply to everyone and anyone breaking it should have to leave. I have seen many children behaving really sensibly and I’ve also had numerous adults stand right next to me, refuse to follow the one way systems, touching baskets that have been disinfected and then putting them back. Why are the adults allowed to ignore the rules? But all the children get banned? What are single parents going to do if other shops start doing this? And what next? Are we going to ban other groups that are cared for? If we find out certain population groups are more prone to covid will we be banning them too? Are we going to ban children from all public places? Shops? Shopping centres? Town squares?

I recognise that people are scared but I think we really need to remember that we are fighting a virus not other people or certain groups of people.

So AIBU to think we shouldn’t ban people from a public place based on their age?

Frater what consequences do you have when they behave badly?

When my children actually were children they often came to B&Q with us. We let them choose the paint colour and flooring for their rooms etc. If DH and I wanted to look at wallpaper the the children had to come too... IMO choosing wallpaper is definitely something we both needed to be involved in. Most children actually DONT run around in shops.

You can order items to fix the leak through click and collect. B&Q bring it out to your car. Other hardware places are doing similar

But why does a couple get the opportunity to look at the full selection of whatever is on offer, ask questions, use their phone to go back to the internet and ask more questions, and finally choose the thing that fits their needs best, and a single parent get to look online and have to make that selection pretty much blind and hope for the best? It’s not the same thing, is it?

I fully understand why shops want to limit children in their stores. It makes perfect sense at the moment. But you cannot close off to a whole group of people with money in their hands ready to buy in the current economic climate and you absolutely cannot say ‘no single parents’.

For any business managers reading this, do not assume the single parent demographic has no money to spend. I personally would be happy to provide evidence of single parent status (although not sure what that might be - possibly council tax bill?) but more importantly, I will not be shopping anywhere post COVID that has actively sought to remove me from their stores. All you need to do is put ‘single parents excepted’ on your posters....

YABVU
It is a health and safety issue. Even in normal times B and Q need to take extreme precautions in order to maintain the safety of children in the shop and such measures just aren't possible with the current levels of staffing and need for social distancing.

I understand why they don't want children in the store, but its ridiculous. As many pp have pointed out single parents have no choice but to take their children with them.

I went shopping the other day & was turned away by 3 major supermarkets, just because I had my children with me. I was told to leave them in the car , in the end I went home and had to do my shopping in a corner shop, which cost twice as much.

Does anyone else feel like we’re blindly walking into some Handmaid’s Tale type dystopia here? Home schooling for children - indirectly setting back women’s participation in the workplace 50 years and now ’othering’ of single parent families by banning children from stores.

There are lots of single parent families. It isn't some minority household group. In 2020, it's acceptable for people not to stay in terrible relationships where there are children involved. If we start reinforcing the nuclear family as the ’norm’ again, making the assumption that there are two parents in every family, I can see the stigma of lone parenthood returning.

No they haven't banned kids! Misinformation. They need to trade. Employees need to keep their jobs. Hardware stores are permitted to open. B&Q stayed closed until precautions could be made to ensure staff and customers are as safe as can be. It is not a family trip out though.

Unaccompanied children under 16 have never been permitted.

As in line with supermarkets it is a 2 person admittance. E.G. A child with one adult would be permitted but mum, dad and child/ren no...one can stay out with child/ren. So single parents can still shop.
3 adults together...no...

Maybe people need to think, is it important, can it wait, twats going browsing isn't necessary, genuine shoppers repairing a leak is.

As for the kids not being seen in public, probably because too many entitled parents think their little darlings should do/behave exactly like they want without consideration for others. Unfortunately it ends up with the majority being inconvenienced.

I can’t blame them, though it’s difficult for single parents.
The trouble is the sort of parents who think their kids should be allowed to run all over the place no matter where they are, touching everything and bashing into other people.
Sadly there are too many such parents - I dare say they’ve already had run-ins with some of them.

I guarantee that if my 18 month old was in b&q, she would touch (and probably lick) everything, so I think it's a necessary evil. Measures should be made for single parents who have no other option, but keeping kids out of shops as much as possible is something that needs to happen.

and before someone says it, a mum with 2 kids would be allowed in...there is no 'discrimination' common sense would be used.

@SplunkPostGres honestly, no. I think these are exceptional circumstances. I also think businesses always have and always will want to make as much money as possible. Right now that might mean excluding family groups (to get as many "socially distanced" customers in store as possible), but as soon as conditions allow they'll be right back filling their stores with as many people as possible.

I guarantee that if my 18 month old was in b&q, she would touch (and probably lick) everything

Don't you think it would be your responsibility to ensure she didn't?

"There is no scientific evidence anywhere according to the WHO of children passing the virus to adults."

There is no evidence that they don't either.

I've changed my mind. After all the wise words on this thread I'm if the view that children should be locked at home from now on. They're clearly going to murder everyone or themselves by being crazed superspreaders and kamikaze shoppers. They should forthwith be banned from all public places and schools stay shut forever.

Given how much we dont know about coronavirus and how much we are constantly finding out, I wouldn't put much faith in " no known cases of x, y, z". It was only a few months ago that it was believed it didnt transmit human - human.

There is no good reason to think it couldn't transmit child - adult like any other virus, even if it is less likely. If an asymptomatic child passes it on to their parent, how would you even know?

Hmmmmm so b&q isn’t essential but the range,b&m, Wilkinson’s and home bargains has been open since the beginning and they are fine?

B&q remained closed until just over a week ago when they opened safely after closing until they had sourced adequate ppe for their staff

And as soon as an adult enters b&q they forget their kid and go into a different zone! Said kid then becomes bored and starts to be a nuisance..... keep your kids away from stores

For those saying single parents should use click and collect... How does that solve the child issue? You still have to go to the store to collect, queue like everyone else and take your child with you.

Yep, in a car park, socially distancing, or park where kids can see you while pick up.

I guarantee that if my 18 month old was in b&q, she would touch (and probably lick) everything

Strange. Have you not considered using a buggy, trolley, reins or the good old fashioned holding her hand methods?

It's not down to stores to ban kids because you cba supervising your 18 month old

@Howaboutanewname no, staff are not offering service answering questions or assisting in any way at the moment. So single parents won’t be at a disadvantage either

The idea is you go in, get what you need and get out..... no browsing,questions,looking things up on your phone..... just in and out

@coldwarenigma no, the car park click and collect ended when stores reopened so now you need to go in store to collect

I've posted twice now what's on the website and your all deliberately ignoring it and claiming they will bring it to your car they wont you still need to enter the store which you cannot do so 🤷‍♀️

No one is taking kids because they want to, they take them out of necessity.

Sadly that is not true. Times have changed and people need to realise that going shopping (for anything) for the foreseeable future is no longer an option for a family outing.

My local one has 2 queues, one for store entry, one for C&C. C&C brought out.

@coldwarenigma their website says under 16s will not be allowed in. It’s very clear.

Stores should have some leeway for single parents but if families turn up with two parents then one can definitely wait in the car with the kids.