Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Only the apps you allow.

Meet the Other Phone.
Only the apps you allow.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Child in the supermarket?

512 replies

Whipituntilitpeaks · 22/01/2021 08:51

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?

OP posts:
huggzy · 22/01/2021 10:17

I'd only take mine if I had no other option. I had to take DD early one morning last week, we only needed a few things and it was very quiet, so we were in and out quickly. But usually one of us goes alone at the weekend.

mindutopia · 22/01/2021 10:17

In normal times, yes, because the supermarket is really far from us (very rural), so makes no sense for one of us to drive all the way there alone, drive back, and then we all drive out to go somewhere again. It takes the whole day. Though mostly we would just do online shopping as we don't have time during the week.

At the moment, no, we go early mornings on a weekend or late evenings on a weekday (but still mostly do online shopping). If we need to go to the local village shop, I just leave them in the car as that's much safer.

Mamabear12 · 22/01/2021 10:18

Yes and I see other kids there all the time....and of course you will hear about many who don’t. But in my area loads do.

Shahlalala · 22/01/2021 10:19

We’re both key workers, DH works days and I work evenings... sometimes I have to take my two with me.

Marmite27 · 22/01/2021 10:20

I’ve taken my youngest with me since the summer. She sits in the trolly, wears a mask and sanitises her hands.

Lalapurple · 22/01/2021 10:21

My toddler loves shopping so he goes sometimes (more often with his dad than me). Would try and not go when busy.
It's the only inside place he can go to see other people- and he likes waving at everyone. Am clinging to that sense of normality...

Quail15 · 22/01/2021 10:23

Yes I take my 2 year old with me when I have to go.

Confusedandshaken · 22/01/2021 10:23

It seems madness to go at the weekend when it's so busy. What time do they open weekdays? I went to our local supermarket at 7.00am one day this week. There were no queues, very few customers, the shelves were fully stocked and I was home before anyone else in the house was awake.

2020iscancelled · 22/01/2021 10:24

I take my child if I have to.

Simple as that. Mostly I don’t take one / both as I can do the shopping whilst they are at nursery or when DH is home.

But sometimes it doesn’t work out, sometimes I realise that we’ve forgotten the milk or dog food or something necessary and DH isn’t on home and I need to take a child to the shop with me.

Some people will just need to take a child due to their personal circumstances, but if you don’t need to then really you shouldn’t.

PurpleWh1teGreen · 22/01/2021 10:25

[quote 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?[/quote]
If your DD sits in a trolley, then she is less of a risk to others than she would be running around, and at 2.6 her small lungs cant spread droplets as far as say a tall adult.

My personal preference would still be to go alone in the evenings, which are the quietest times to reduce the risk to a minimum, but I don't think it would be unreasonalble to take your DD if you can keep her in the trolley.

Lifeinaonesie · 22/01/2021 10:26

I take both mine (5 and 1) no other choice. I get a lot of nasty looks but I can't get deliveries so I haven't got any other option. I make them both sit in the trolly so they're not running around the aisles in front of people

TempsPerdu · 22/01/2021 10:29

It's the only inside place he can go to see other people- and he likes waving at everyone. Am clinging to that sense of normality

Me too @Lalapurple. As a former teacher with some Early Years experience, I do wonder what will happen with this cohort of children who are having such limited real-world experience prior to starting school.

Obviously it’s not at the forefront of most people’s minds right now (other than education geeks like me!) but unless the curriculum is massively overhauled between now and then, or schools start running some kind of remedial lessons, these kids are going to find it hard to access an Early Years curriculum that builds on early life experience - of shops, cafes, libraries, public transport and other settings. There are going to be a lot of issues coming down the pipeline with this I suspect.

unmarkedbythat · 22/01/2021 10:29

Sometimes. Gives the bored judgers something to be outraged about so I see it as a public service.

Henio · 22/01/2021 10:30

I sometimes don't have a choice if i can't get a click and collect slot or if I unexpectedly run out of something, I'm a single parent, nobody to watch dd 2yrs and she's never met her father, but I try to avoid supermarkets altogether now if I can

Lweji · 22/01/2021 10:30

@TheGracefulwhale

I take ds just for the entertainment to be honest. It's hard being a child in this pandemic. There's nothing open for them to do. They need a change of scenery too. So I just put ds in the trolley seat and left him use the scan as you shop beeper thing. He loves it and it's an activity for the day
Surely a walk near home is much safer for a child than to visit a supermarket.

People shouldn't be taking children shopping in a lockdown, and even during a pandemic that is spread by aerosols.

JKW36 · 22/01/2021 10:30

I take my children. I'm not saying it's OK but there are many, many children with their parent in there so it's certainly not just us. We go once or twice a week.
Mine are 7 and 10 and know not to touch anything or the trolley and then we sanitise regularly

Lweji · 22/01/2021 10:31

Exceptions for single parents, of course.

Lweji · 22/01/2021 10:32

Mine are 7 and 10 and know not to touch anything or the trolley and then we sanitise regularly

This virus is spread mostly by the air. Less by surfaces.

If they are not wearing masks properly and even by contributing towards a higher density of people, they are at risk.

AwkwardAsAllGetout · 22/01/2021 10:32

I take my toddler, she stays in the buggy and doesn’t touch anything. Mostly she’s fallen asleep on our walk there. My older dc haven’t been in a supermarket since all this started though.

MatildaStoker · 22/01/2021 10:33

I’ve been leaving my DC at home with DH while I go food shopping where possible.

But, my local big supermarket is currently open 6am to midnight every day except Sunday, so it’s relatively easy for me to wait for DH to get home from work and then go alone late in the evening when it’s quiet. It’s usually really quiet after about 9pm.

Having seen your update about the shop opening times where you live, I agree it sounds like the safer option is to take your DD shopping on a Monday morning, especially as she’s still small enough to sit in the trolley.

Same4Walls · 22/01/2021 10:33

Surely a walk near home is much safer for a child than to visit a supermarket.

I'm sure that posters child also goes on a million walks close to home as well but taking them a trip to the supermarket at a quiet time is not a death sentence. It's pretty important that young children get exposure to life outside of their 4 walls and the local park even if we are still in a pandemic.

MrsR87 · 22/01/2021 10:34

I have a nine week old and he stays at home with daddy while I shop on a Friday evening after he’s finished work.

It’s such a shame as I want my baby to meet people and experience ‘normality’. Also the supermarket staff are desperate to meet him as they’ve been following my pregnancy since I found out on the first day of lockdown. 🥰

For me it’s not worth the risk. He obviously can’t wear a mask, and that makes it impossible for me to keep him safe from the rule breakers who wear their masks under their nose or squeeze past you to grab an item. I can move out the way and wear a mask so can mitigate the risks to myself.

wendz86 · 22/01/2021 10:34

I get mine delivered as I'm a single parent and would have to take both kids. If i had a partner i would get one of us to go evening or weekend.

AliasGrape · 22/01/2021 10:34

The advice to go at a busy time at the weekend rather than take your small child who can be sat in the trolley is daft!

I’m sure your daughter will be safe - can’t 100% guarantee it of course but if you look up the figures about how children are affected then you can make a reasonable risk assessment. As a pp said, with her sitting in the trolley she’s unlikely to be much risk to others.

I have a nearly 6 month old. DH works long hours but he quite likes to go to the supermarket late in the evenings when it’s quiet, so I generally leave him to it. If we’ve run out of something that we can’t wait for or need something for the baby then I will go to the local shop and will take dd with me. It’s not often - been over a week since I did it, but it happens. I generally use the sling and she’ll be asleep by the time I’ve walked there with her face buried in my chest so I doubt she’s spreading many droplets.

Lippyheaven · 22/01/2021 10:34

OnlyFoolsnMothers
I was taking about staff, just like teachers and school staff, supermarket staff are scared too. I thought the whole point was limiting the amount of customers in the shop at the one time to slow the spread?

Swipe left for the next trending thread