Child in the supermarket?

[Whipituntilitpeaks]

Just curious, do you take your child/children with you when you go food shopping?
I’m currently a Sahm to my toddler Dd and always used go go early on a Monday morning, when barely anyone was there.
During the first lockdown, we stopped going and Dp would go on a Saturday morning.
Dp works Mon-Fri and often was there for hours queuing up etc, but back then he was the only one of us that went out (aside from walks in our field)
When it calmed down a little, I went back to doing it with my Dd, do you take yours?
For us, it helps dp as he obviously doesn’t mind at all, but after a long week at work, it’s not fun to do the big shop. It’s also some kind of normality in mine and DD’s life, but I’ve started to feel a bit worried about it. We’re not in the U.K. but cases are around the same number one more or less and some of my friends don’t take theirs into any shops
Aibu to still take her shopping or should dp or myself go alone on the weekend?

[funinthesun19]

I took two of my children with me yesterday (the other two were in school and playgroup), because I needed to. I avoid it as much as I can, but with children not being at school at the moment and with me being a single parent and nobody to leave them at home with, sometimes these things cannot be helped. Yes I know about online shopping, but unless they do instant delivery that was useless to me at the time.
To be honest they were very well behaved and weren’t any trouble to anybody. They just stayed close to me the whole way round.

I don’t judge parents for having their children with them with or without the virus being around. Because sometimes there is no other choice but to take them with them. If it’s a whole family going shopping then I can see why that would be a bit different, especially during busy periods like Saturday lunchtime. That’s when you would never see me there!

[Whipituntilitpeaks]

@WitchesBritchesPumpkinPants We can do that, but during the first lockdown decided to make it only one of us having contact with ‘The outside world’ as it were

[inappropriateraspberry]

Not at the moment. If it was just my 2 year old sat in the trolley I would take him, but I don't fancy dragging a 5 year old along as well! I go in the evening when my husband is home.
It's really quiet, and I can just get on with it!

[SoupDragon]

@Marzipan12

If there's another adult around you should leave young children at home. I'm a single parent, don't drive so my teen helps me shop and carry shoppingg home but the difference is he is older, mature and knows the suppermarket rules , toddlers don't.

Why does a toddler in a trolley need to know any rules?

You use the excuse of "carrying shopping" to justify not adhering to the "shop alone" rule - the OP can't leave her toddler at home. A toddler in a trolley is absolutely fine - they can't be left at home. A teen can (you could get a pull along shopping trolley instead).

The reality is that provided people are doing their best in this difficult situation it is fine (IMO). Lots of people just take the piss though but the OP isn't one of them.

[Pipandmum]

No not just now. Do they do deliveries where you live? I know it sometimes is nice to get out even for a mundane reason as food shops but I'd limit it for now. You could of course leave your child with your partner and you go on the weekend.
Yesterday I went to the supermarket and was surprised at one mum with three of her kids - ranging in age from about 9-13, certainly old enough to be left at home for a couple hours during the day.

[Littlepaws18]

Needs must. I take my child if I need anything and I there is no alternative to the issue. Unfortunately the man in the moon isn't a viable baby sitter whilst I get milk!

[golddustwomen]

Unless I can get a delivery, I take my two, 6 and 3 as my oh works away all week. We usually do Asda deliveries but they are gold dust right now, I did an iceland last week but half the stuff wasn't delivered so I had no choice but to take the kids to Aldi.

[Frouby]

I would just do whatever works for your family OP. At 4 it's not like he's out at work, or even at school so it's highly unlikely he's going to be breathing virus over everyone. And waiting until your dh is home from work, or until the weekend means you are more likely to be in the shops when it's busiest therefore more likely to either pass the virus on or catch it yourself. Plus your husband, if he is at work is more likely to have the virus than you or ds. Better 2 people in a quiet, half empty shop than 1 in a busy shop I think.

[SoupDragon]

Mine are all 14+. I leave them at home.

[DartmoorDoughnut]

I’ve done it once when we ran out of milk and DH was at work, but I wouldn’t plan to take them only in an emergency sort of thing

[Whipituntilitpeaks]

@TiptopJ That was sort of my thinking, on a Monday morning at 8.30-9, there’s barely anyone there and we get round quickly and Dd enjoys the change of scenery.

Been at 9am on a Saturday, it’s packed and waiting outside for ages.

Where we are, later in the day/evening is very busy too, due to all the people stopping by after work.

No deliveries at the moment, all booked up.

[LadyGrey4]

I sometimes take my son, he wears a mask and gloves but other than that it's just like a usual shopping trip. No big deal. There are usually a few kids in the store with their parents. Save the delivery slots for people who actually need them!

[golddustwomen]

Also Saturdays are a right off here as my oh works nights away Monday - Friday, he is that tired I wouldn't feel safe leaving the kids here. Also he needs to rest to be able to do it all again the following week. He's doing 3 man job near enough due to people isolating etc

[SquirtleSquad]

No I get deliveries but appreciate not everyone can due to demand. I have a priority pass.
Before we could get deliveries I would go late at night after DH was home and kids in bed or at the weekend.

[Palavah]

[quote Whipituntilitpeaks]@WitchesBritchesPumpkinPants We can do that, but during the first lockdown decided to make it only one of us having contact with ‘The outside world’ as it were[/quote]
But if you're going during the week that's contact with the outside world?

[KatieKat88]

DD is 1 - I fail to see how she makes it any more risky than me going alone if she's in the pram or trolley. I go when its quiet, stop her from touching anything (that isn't already in the trolley) and I'm a SAHM so any germs she has, I have and vice versa. DH has worked from home since March. There is literally nowhere else we can go than the park - we're more likely to catch it in the supermarket than we are to spread it from having gotten it from somewhere else! I refuse to go back to the paranoid days of the first lockdown where I didnt feel safe anywhere other than home - that plus a four month old was not good for me. I wear a mask, we both use wipes/hand sanitize - that's the best I can do. It's one of the only times either of us gets to see other human faces than DH or on a screen! Ultimately I follow the rules and children are allowed in supermarkets.

[Angel2702]

No we get deliveries and the week’s we can’t get a delivery or click and collect my husband goes alone as he is able to carry more shopping than if I went. I wouldn’t be taking kids into shops at the moment unless I had no alternative.

[Whipituntilitpeaks]

@Frouby Dd is 2,6 years old, she sits in the trolley and hasn’t started nursery etc yet. That was my initial thinking as you say, when it’s just the two of us early, there’s maybe less than 10 people in the whole shop (big supermarket)
On weekends, it’s jam packed.

Would my Dd be safe herself so you think?

As a side note, obviously we don’t know yet but we’ve had covid back in March (I’m still suffering and Dp to some extent) it’s most likely Dd had it then too?

[crimsonlake]

There really is no reason why your child cannot stay home with your dp whilst you go alone. Pandemic or not this is what I used to do when mine was small, shopping is not a family outing.

[Whipituntilitpeaks]

To add even more stress, where we are the lockdown rules mean that shops shut at 1pm on the weekends and 8pm weekday evenings.

[GameSetMatch]

I’ve taken my children into a supermarket, I didn’t have another opinion as my delivery was cancelled I couldn’t let the poor mites starve 😉

I try to get delivery when I can but sometimes you just have to go shopping.

[TillyTheTiger]

I don't now - wasn't too bad when I just had baby DD as she sits in the trolley seat and doesn't touch anything but 4yo DS is off school now so I'd have to take him too and I don't feel comfortable with that. So DH goes after work once a week.
He sometimes misses vital things because he doesn't read the list properly but he comes back with loads of treats I wouldn't usually buy so swings and roundabouts

[mummyof4kids]

My partner works mon-fri and I work evenings and weekends.
So yes I take my 5 year old because I've no other choice, even if dp went at the weekend he'd still have to take dad with him. I go through the week with dd as it's easier for me, I drive and dp doesn't so makes more sense for me to go through the week

[mummyof4kids]

Dd not dad

[Whipituntilitpeaks]

@Palavah That’s what I’m asking?

Now, because numbers are higher and the situation more serous than summer, where it was so much safer where we are. Do we go back to dp being the only one to now have contact with the outside world again?