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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

AIBU to think the shop owner was rude for no reason

407 replies

Issania87 · 17/10/2020 19:41

Hi all,

So I took my 2 year old out to the shops with me earlier, and as we were on the way back to the car we stopped at a greengrocer.

I picked some items and went to the till to pay with my son, and then as she was ringing up with items I heard her mutter rudely "oh great". I looked up and saw that my son had picked up a carrot and chopped the end off of it. I turned back to her and asked her to please add the carrot on to my bill, and she did so. I paid, and then as I was putting the items into my bag, I heard her say "oh for God's sake", and I turned and my son had taken a strawberry off a punnet and eaten it. I admit I did lose my temper a little because the whole time we had been in the store from the moment we walked in, she had looked at us like we were both pieces of poo on the floor, so I said to her that there was no need to be rude, and immediately apologised and offered to swap the punnet with the one I had purchased, and she basically told me that she wasn't being rude and I needed to watch my child. I said to her that I was watching my child I just had to pack my bag, and said it wasn't like he had done anything major, he had eaten one strawberry. She said to me that he can't just go around helping himself to food, and I said yes I realise that but he is only 2, to which she replied well he needs to be in a buggy then, my children would have been in a buggy at that age.

Now, I am by no means suggesting I dont realise that my son was naughty in what he did, because I do, and I have never had a problem with him in those kind of shops before or of course I would have taken a buggy with me, but AIBU by thinking that she completely overreacted and there was no reason to be so rude to me?

OP posts:
Sargass0 · 17/10/2020 19:45

I often find I'm rude to people who give me attitude.

Lolololololol · 17/10/2020 19:46

She was being a dick. But someone will be along in a minute to tell you that your son has committed theft, and that you are a terrible parent 🙄

Todaythiscouldbe · 17/10/2020 19:47

She was a little rude but you should have been watching your child more closely.

GirlCrush · 17/10/2020 19:48

nobody should be touching food
nobody should be touching ANYTHING with covid .....retail is trying its best but customers will end up closing down businesses with this kind of thing going on

Clymene · 17/10/2020 19:49

So hoot cvild was damaging good that she was trying to sell and she's in the wrong?

I'm cringing for you

GirlCrush · 17/10/2020 19:49

*covid rules

Gancanny · 17/10/2020 19:50

Your child acted unexpectedly, you paid for carrot he bit and tried to swap the strawberries, she was a bit rude but I can see why she might have been annoyed. I wouldn't give it any more headspace to be honest, these things happen and now you know he's liable to have a sneaky munch of the produce you can be on your guard for it next time. Live and learn.

Leaannb · 17/10/2020 19:50

Yea...This was on you

Clymene · 17/10/2020 19:50

Hoot cvild? Your child!

BowowMttt · 17/10/2020 19:50

She was a little rude but you should be keeping your son a lot closer. He managed to contaminate 2 different items of food in the time you were in there.

FuzzyPuffling · 17/10/2020 19:50

These days, no one wants to buy food that's been handled by anyone else. I don't really blame her for getting a bit narky.

Gancanny · 17/10/2020 19:51

nobody should be touching ANYTHING with covid

Bit of an overreaction, don't you wash fruit and veg before you eat it?

OlympicProcrastinator · 17/10/2020 19:51

The fact that she started the interaction with, “oh for gods sake” shows she was incredibly rude.

Of course you will now have your parenting absolutely torn apart by the sanctimonious brigade who will relish in the fact you weren’t watching your child after he’d already chopped the carrot.

But a decent shopkeeper would have politely pointed out what had happened and maybe charged you without the, “for gods sake” or telling you how she would have parented differently.

AllsortsofAwkward · 17/10/2020 19:51

With a pandemic going around he not only once but twice touch something and had taken something he should have touched he should been stood by youre side. She will have to bin those strawberries. I think yabu.

1starwars2 · 17/10/2020 19:52

It's tricky having a 2 year old, but in the current situation, he shouldn't be touching food in shops. You should have moved him away from the food - held his hand/picked him up after the carrot. Letting him pick up food you weren't intending to buy the second time would have been really annoying for the shopkeeper.
I guess you made it look like it was no big deal, and it is.
By the way I am not suggesting he was being naughty, but neither am I surprised the shopkeeper commented.

Twickerhun · 17/10/2020 19:53

I have a two year old and a theee year old and I’d have been on the side of the shop keeper. You were very much in the wrong especially with COVID etc and basic hygiene - your child should not be touching any food you are not buying.

AiryFairyMum · 17/10/2020 19:53

I wouldn't buy or sell food someone had touched. Strawberries will likely be off by monday. Youd already touched upon punnet so you should have bought both.

OlympicProcrastinator · 17/10/2020 19:53

*So hoot cvild was damaging good that she was trying to sell and she's in the wrong?

I'm cringing for you*

And I’m cringing for you after trying to have a dig at the OP with that incoherent drivel.

TheSeedsOfADream · 17/10/2020 19:54

She's not the one who over-reacted. You need to keep a closer eye on your son. All you needed to do was apologize.

I'd think the same Covid or not.

Funnyface1 · 17/10/2020 19:54

This was entirely your fault, watch your child.

Aquamarine1029 · 17/10/2020 19:54

This is 100% all on you. If you can't turn your back on him for even a second without him getting into things, he needs to be in a buggy.

makingmammaries · 17/10/2020 19:54

YABU. She was rude, but not for no reason. Most of us have raised toddlers without that happening.

kowari · 17/10/2020 19:54

If your child is not old enough to know they can't just eat any food they fancy in a shop, then you need to keep a closer eye on them or have them in a buggy or a carrier. Treat them accordingly to their development not their age.

Clymene · 17/10/2020 19:56

@OlympicProcrastinator

*So hoot cvild was damaging good that she was trying to sell and she's in the wrong?

I'm cringing for you*

And I’m cringing for you after trying to have a dig at the OP with that incoherent drivel.

What can I say? I'm watching a film and was placing too much reliance on my iPad's predictive text. Grin

And I think you know exactly what I mean. Supervise your kids in shops. Especially during a pandemic.

happytoday73 · 17/10/2020 19:56

Neither of you shine bright in this story.

To quote y mother... You never know what's going on in someone else's life.. So be kind..