Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Flexible and made to last.

Meet the Other Phone.
Flexible and made to last.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To think that the rules are RIDICULOUS and infantilising?

398 replies

OhBling · 09/07/2023 18:37

Was just in a Co Op buying a few bits. DS negotiated with me that I'd buy him a Monster, and he'd drink half (they are such huge tins it drives me mad)....

... the man in co op would not sell it to me because I was going to give it to a child.

FFS. I'm an adult. He is my child. I can decide what he can and can't have. And caffeine is NOT illegal for children.

I'm also fully aware that lots of people will say I AM BU because no child should ever drink anything except fresh water, preferably from your local stream.... But I'm extremely annoyed. These rules are ridiculous.

OP posts:
Thread gallery
7
SBHon · 09/07/2023 18:42

How old is he?

mollibu · 09/07/2023 18:44

I think his age is needed to give a suitable answer, OP!

LaurieFairyCake · 09/07/2023 18:46

Depends 🤷‍♀️

Bit of a difference between a 15 year old and a 12 year old

Toddlerteaplease · 09/07/2023 18:46

I would not give that stuff to a child of any age!

HaudYerWheeshtYaWeeBellend · 09/07/2023 18:46

YABU, it’s no different than buying alcohol for minors!

The assistant was also legally responsible to ensure the law was followed as they themselves can be fined as well as the shop be fined.

Weal · 09/07/2023 18:47

Isn’t it law they can’t sell to/for a child.
id thank them for giving an extra reason to not give it to my child.

LMNT · 09/07/2023 18:49

YABU if parents can’t be trusted to not give their kids shit food, someone has to do it.

Its no wonder the obesity epidemic is as bad as it is. You’d be better off giving him something like lemonade, made with lemons sugar and water.

SliceOfCakeCupOfTea · 09/07/2023 18:49

If you're going in insist on giving your child things they are legally not allowed to purchase, you need to do so in a way that removes any blame from the staff serving you. It's not worth their job. Either buy it and say it's for you or don't buy them shit they can't have

SliceOfCakeCupOfTea · 09/07/2023 18:50

SliceOfCakeCupOfTea · 09/07/2023 18:49

If you're going in insist on giving your child things they are legally not allowed to purchase, you need to do so in a way that removes any blame from the staff serving you. It's not worth their job. Either buy it and say it's for you or don't buy them shit they can't have

*going to insist

Michiru · 09/07/2023 18:50

Monster, iirc, has 3x the caffeine content a normal cup of coffee has. It's not suitable for anyone, let alone a child.

I know you weren't going to let your child drink all of it, but half is still 1.5 cups of coffee. That's not taking all the sugar into account.

People have died from this stuff. That's why it is not given to children. Same as alcohol. One unit may not do the trick, but we all know it's never just one with some people and then how do you police that.

The cashier did their job.

Pancake678 · 09/07/2023 18:50

Isn't it due to the amount of caffeine in it? I agree with the shop. I'm amazed how many of my DC friends have Prime and they are 9. Mind you they also let them have mobile phones with Insta, Snapchat and TikTok so I'm not surprised.

Sunnydaysarentagiveneveninjuly · 09/07/2023 18:53

Energy drinks have seen dc in hospital.

scoobycute · 09/07/2023 18:54

Quite a jump of the "only drink water" type mothers to this!

Why do you want to give your son half a tin of Monster? Surely just say no it's full of sugar and caffeine, get a different treat/drink?

Would he not be bouncing off the walls/nuts?!

Totally reasonable for a shopkeeper to refuse to sell, similar to a shopkeeper who knows your buying alcohol for a minor

EvilElsa · 09/07/2023 18:54

I'd be giving that shit a very wide berth OP and I'm not one of those people who is going to say you should only drink water. It's horrific stuff. I'd probably rather give a kid a cider than a monster (I wouldn't obviously!).

Dogsitterwoes · 09/07/2023 18:55

It's not against the law for minors to buy or drink them, posters are incorrect on that.

It's likely to be introduced as a law in future, and a lot of retailers have decided to make their own rule on it, which they are entitled to. If the Coop has that rule, then the man would have been risking his job to serve you

Personally I think there's far worse things to worry about than some caffeine.

Drywhitefruitycidergin · 09/07/2023 18:55

You are exactly the reason these rules need to exist because parents don't make sensible choices for their kids.....(unless ds is 17.5, 6ft5 & 15 stone or something)
Otoh - Sainsburys refused to sell me 6+ calpol because I was going to give it to someone under 16 - now that was ridiculous!!

teachername · 09/07/2023 18:55

It's not against the law but it is down to the shop/chain to decide who they will or won't serve. The employee was just following company policy.

If you're insistent on your DC having caffeine then by all means buy it from retailers that do serve to minors.

Personally I think you could do worse than looking at the data behind why a law was mooted and the damage caffeine can cause. If you know that, then I can't understand why any parent would want to give their child one.

MrsElsa · 09/07/2023 18:55

Ridiculous to give that to a child

Purplepeaches123 · 09/07/2023 18:57

They refused to sell me alcohol once because my 16 year old daughter helped me carry them to the cashier, I was gobsmacked 🤷

AintNobodyHereButUsChickens · 09/07/2023 18:58

YABU, and I say that as someone who will drink Monster and Red Bull fairly regularly! It should never be given to a child and if the cashier refused to sell it to you I would assume your DS is far too young to drink it.

NotMyDayJob · 09/07/2023 18:58

If you want to buy that shit for your kid there's plenty of other places that will serve you. It's utter muck.

Gpnever · 09/07/2023 18:59

Even though I wouldn’t give it to my child, I can’t see what authority the cashier had here, as it’s not illegal.

tbh I would be annoyed, it’s none of their business to tell you what you can and can’t do outside of stuff they legally cannot sell you

Sirzy · 09/07/2023 18:59

The younger he is the more unreasonable you are

NoAprilFool · 09/07/2023 18:59

Pancake678 · 09/07/2023 18:50

Isn't it due to the amount of caffeine in it? I agree with the shop. I'm amazed how many of my DC friends have Prime and they are 9. Mind you they also let them have mobile phones with Insta, Snapchat and TikTok so I'm not surprised.

There’s 2 types of prime - the 9 year olds I know are obsessed with Prime but it’s the coconut water hydration one, not the everything drink

ShirleyPhallus · 09/07/2023 18:59

I wouldn’t bother with Monster, but my 9 year old likes half a bottle of Wkd every now and again.