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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
BiscuitsandPuffin · 09/07/2023 19:01

Good lesson in not telling people your business.
I think YABVU to give that utter shit to a child OP but why on EARTH did you tell the cashier???

AintNobodyHereButUsChickens · 09/07/2023 19:01

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.

The Prime in bottles aren't an energy drink, they're a hydration drink and don't have caffeine or sugar. The Prime in cans is an energy drink though and I could be wrong but I think they are even worse than Monster.

Pancake678 · 09/07/2023 19:03

Re prime. I'm well aware which is which and so are the kids. They aren't interested in the tame stuff. The parents think it's funny.

AuntieJune · 09/07/2023 19:04

Why oh why do we need laws to stop parents like me from knowingly risking my child's health?

What will they be doing next, banning you from buying your kids fags?

Political correctness gone mad, when will the woke brigade pack up? Some of those chimneys are very narrow and only children can fit in them.

Babyroobs · 09/07/2023 19:04

I was at the checkout in Aldi today and there was a stack of Prime energy drinks. The little girl behind me picked one off the pile and the cashier turned to her and said she would not be able to serve the dad as it was obvious it was for the child. she was about 9/10 . I think it's good that they can do this. but what was the parent even thinking of in the first place ? I don't even allow my adult kids to have them in the house.

MaverickSnoopy · 09/07/2023 19:06

In general I'm not a fan of not being able to purchase things because you have your child with you and you might be buying it for them. However I do think that a company having a rule about not selling energy drinks in these circumstances is a good rule. Far more likely that an adult with their child would give them an energy drink than alcohol. I have an adult friend who ended up in hospital due to energy drinks, another friend who had strong palpitations from half a can of monster and another friend who became addicted and relied on them to function. Imo they're worse than alcohol because they're marketed as fun drinks that appeal to young people.

CoreyTaylorsSoggyTshirt · 09/07/2023 19:06

The rules are there exactly because some parents don't seem to either know, or care, how dangerous these drinks can be.

You should be thanking the assistant.

Eileen101 · 09/07/2023 19:09

The rule is there for a reason 🤷🏼‍♀️ there's a ridiculous amount of caffeine in them. How old is your son?

Bababear987 · 09/07/2023 19:13

Jesus there should be some sort of test before people are allowed to have children? Why on earth would you give something like that to a child?

phoenixrosehere · 09/07/2023 19:16

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

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

Exactly. If you have an open discussion about it in front of a shop employee, they can and will refuse to sell to you because they know what you plan to do with it.

I

uslop · 09/07/2023 19:17

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.

@OhBling I agree that’s ridiculous! You could also get it somewhere else anyway?!

timegoingtooquickly · 09/07/2023 19:18

So the man was following the law not allowing a caffeine drink to be sold to a minor and you are complaining🙄

12RedRoses · 09/07/2023 19:19

Age?

DownNative · 09/07/2023 19:19

I can't think of a shop that would sell energy drinks to minors or allow adults to buy it for them.

Imagine if they sold it to you and it was linked to your child's death, the shop and employee could find themselves prosecuted, sued by you or both after the fact.

Shops and employees are protecting themselves as the UK Government hasn't yet made it illegal to buy energy drinks for minors or restricted the sales to 18+. They should do ASAP.

DemBonesDemBones · 09/07/2023 19:20

So you think the assistant should lose their job so you can give your Son something he's not legally allowed to buy? Nope.

LyingWitchInTheWardrobe · 09/07/2023 19:20

You're being ridiculous, OP and very unfair to shops who have to comply with the law. Give your child whatever crap you want to give them but don't put other people in an awkward situation.

How did the shop assistant even know that this was going to be given to your child? Unless you or your son made a performance of it?

Hobnobswantshernameback · 09/07/2023 19:20

10 out of 10 OP for goady nonsense
wind em up and let em go

tonystarksrighthand · 09/07/2023 19:21

Sunnydaysarentagiveneveninjuly · 09/07/2023 18:53

Energy drinks have seen dc in hospital.

God this worries me. Hope all ok ... what happened?

Maverickess · 09/07/2023 19:22

I suspect you'd soon be up in arms if he went in and someone else old enough (who said they're his mum/dad/gran/brother/only living relative and responsible for him) and managed to buy him 10 of these drinks and he became ill or worse from drinking them all in one go, when they knew it was going to be passed on to your son. Many people would be pointing the finger at the person who allowed such a sale to happen.

And that's why proxy sales aren't allowed, because the relationship between the two people trying to buy it is irrelevant, and that's because people lie to get what they want.

Personally I don't give a flying fuck what or how many energy drinks you want to give your son, if selling it to you puts my job at risk, it ain't happening.

Chewbaccaslime · 09/07/2023 19:22

If you break the rules at your workplace do you get sacked? Person in the Co-Op would get sacked if they sold it to you. Don't discuss it in front of the staff next time.

StellaJohanna · 09/07/2023 19:23

The person was just doing their job and following their rules to protect children from this garbage.

Gerrataere · 09/07/2023 19:24

Hobnobswantshernameback · 09/07/2023 19:20

10 out of 10 OP for goady nonsense
wind em up and let em go

Aye. Definitely a wind up. No parent would actually be so dim to think they’re in anyway reasonable for any of that op 🤣

Reugny · 09/07/2023 19:25

You are aware that chains have mystery shoppers?

So staff aren't going to risk their job because you stupidly discussed how much of an energy drink you were going to allow your son to drink you were about to purchase.

dawngreen · 09/07/2023 19:26

Prime is worse than monster ripper, and it can harm kids.

3AndStopping · 09/07/2023 19:26

I do get it, it’s annoying to be told what you can and cannot do with your own child (like the school lunch box police.) it undermines your authority. However I do think this is a great opportunity to talk to your son about why this restriction is in place, how addictive this drinks can be and how bad they are. I wouldn’t buy red bull/monster energy drinks for my kids. I used to drink loads of red bulls as a teen and wondered why I had manic heart palpitations!!

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