Poundland made my 9 year old wait outside the shop..aibu to think it's out of order?

[pointlesss]

Popped into Poundland after school with my daughter.
They have 1 till on and the other side is self service.
Got to the checkout and the lady stops us and says "are you both together? "
I said yes
Then she reply's "I'm sorry but only 1 person allowed at checkout due to social distancing.
There was a queue of a few behind but nobody to our side of us.
So she said unless one of us went outside the store she was unable to serve me.
My daughter waited just outside the front door.
Aibu to think that's ridiculous?
Bare in mind no social distancing in any of the aisles,people walking all over the shop.
Yet my daughter couldn't stand next to me whilst I paid and packed my bag.

It seems a bit dumb but I'm sure your nine year old is capable of waiting outside the shop for a bit without coming to harm.

Let me just wheel my 2 year old in their pram to the front and leave them their while I pay 🤣

Which isn’t what happened.

A 9 year old is quite capable of waiting alone at a door.

Maybe bigger shops could provide child lock-ups like some already have trolley lock-ups for when you're in the cafe. Put in a pound, pop your children in, turn the lock, and hey presto, problem solved. As an added bonus, you don't need to listen to them whining for Maltesers and petit filous during the shop.

I would have left. Children should be exceptions to this rule, it's ridiculous

I'd have called a manager. Your child is 9 not even a teen.

I have a 9 year old, she looks 8/9 but why should she stand outside in the dark and cold like a lesser human being- I just would leave my shopping and vow never to return to a place that lacked common sense!

The assistant might not have realised the age of the child - she might have thought the child was older than nine. It's not that easy to gauge children's ages on the spot.

Shop assistants are in an awful position, having to enforce Covid rules which change from week to week. Please cut them some slack!

theres a lot of people out there appalled that schools are still open.....so people WILL want to stay clear of kids

They are not wearing masks, been at school all day....nobody really wants kids around them

Poundland didn’t make her wait outside, you did. You could have left too. I agree it’s a silly rule and against any guidance I’ve seen but you had a choice.

like a lesser human being

That's just ridiculous.

‘Child safeguarding does not come second to covid. A child under 12 should never be forcibly separated out of the easy view of a parent/guardian.’

This is utterly ridiculous. She wasn’t forcibly separated; she was asked. The OP would have left if she had thought the child was at risk.

My kids were getting themselves to school on their own at this age, and would go to the shops on their own.

It would have been a couple of minutes on a street-lit high street and (judging by the location of checkouts in the stores I've been to) in sight of the mother. I wouldn't have had a problem with this at all.

What's the law on 9 year olds accompanying you on a shop during Covid? What law are the shop assistants enforcing. Can a shop assistant enforce a law without being a police officer. I know my local Sainsbury's said they aren't there to enforce the law in the last lockdown.

They are not wearing masks

My daughter wears a mask in all shops and she's 7 and she has some sensory issues. I just told her from the get go that everyone had to wear it or else they couldn't go out ... so she does and doesn't know any different.

going against the grain here to say I can't see that there's a particular problem with a virtually 10 year old waiting outside the shop for - what - 2 minutes while her mum paid? Pretty normal for children that age to go to the shop on their own in the early evening!!

I wouldn't be happy leaving a 9 year old outside and would have left the basket and walked out. That said, since March I haven't taken my kids shopping apart from shoes and uniform (they are delighted 🤣). I know not everyone has the choice and maybe you didn't either, in which case an explanation to the shop should have been enough and they should have let you both in, but If at all possible we should go alone.
.

stand outside in the dark and cold like a lesser human being

they should have let you both in

They were both allowed in. Only one was allowed at the checkout though to protect checkout staff I guess.

Not really soupdragon, a person which is what a 9 year old has to stand outside in the cold and dark as to they have no financial status - does this apply to other groups have no financial status.

why should she stand outside in the dark and cold

OP says she popped to the shop after school. It was likely about 4pm, not the middle of the night.

Surely you could just have sent your child over to the side of the exit door to wait - still inside but away from the tills? No real need for all the drama.

I can’t believe anyone is suggesting this is reasonable - is a single parent supposed to not shop? I wouldn’t leave my 9 year old outside on a dark night - utterly ridiculous

I wouldn’t of made my laughed for outside in the dark. Ridiculous suggestion. Poundland could of kept there stuff, miserable cow.
I went in the pound shop today and my daughter didn’t have to wait outside so she was probably just being thick and not getting the rules.

@Goldenbear

What's the law on 9 year olds accompanying you on a shop during Covid? What law are the shop assistants enforcing. Can a shop assistant enforce a law without being a police officer. I know my local Sainsbury's said they aren't there to enforce the law in the last lockdown.

Shops are private premises - they can apply whatever rules they want about who can enter the premises, as long as those rules don't discriminate on the basis of protected characteristics.

It's not their role to 'enforce' the law but they can ask people to comply with both the law and their own rules, and refuse service to those who don't.

Absolute jobs worth!!!