Taking a sick child to a supermarket carrying a bowl to be sick in

[Auburngal]

My mum saw this at the supermarket. Child was about 6 at a guess. He looked sick and was carrying a bowl with some sick in it.

Supermarkets are open longer, have food couriers (Just Eat etc) and supermarkets' own food couriers - Sainsburys ChopChop, Tesco Express Whoosh and now supermarkets offer later day deliveries. Plus the mum could have messaged a friend, relative etc to pick up some food items to tie her over til child is well enough. I know the food couriers charge a lot more. We had a customer a few days ago on the food courier service we have ordering one loaf of bread costing 80p in the store and cost them £4.10!

I'm sure the mum wasn't all alone - no contact with anyone who could help. Plus there are local FB groups - Spotted.... I bet someone would respond to her pleas.

Fellow shoppers and my mum were horrified with sight. Not sure if anyone said anything to the mum. My mum was worried that people could pick up the bug the boy was carrying. Mum doesn't know if he touched anything in the store.

Would you drag your DC if they were throwing up in a supermarket?

I would have done this if I'd had no other choice. Lone parent, no help, didn't have the extra money to spend on deliveries, and I'm certainly not begging some random people on facebook to help me.

I can’t believe you thought this second hand story was worth posting here just so random internet strangers could bitch along with you about someone whose situation you know practically nothing about 🤷🏼‍♀️

Why would this require a car? Surely you order the essentials then just walk up and collect. You wouldn’t be turned away for being on foot.

If this happened, maybe the kid did become ill whilst walking around. But the minute the sick hit the bowl, the shopping trip should have been abandoned.

I do know what it's like. DD randomly became sick when we were in a supermarket in France last year (it was a day trip). I abandoned the trip, took her to the toilet, got her some water and sat outside with her until she recovered. But I wouldn't have wandered around with vomit in a bowl, and if someone else was doing so (especially if it smelt), then I'd throw up too, as I gag dealing with my own children, let alone a strangers.

If a child had diarrhoea would it be acceptable to walk around with shit running down their legs? I understand accidents happen, so would feel incredibly sympathetic to anyone who has to go through this (and I actually helped an elderly lady who had such an accident), but you would again abandon the trip, no matter how desperate you are, for the dignity of the child, as well as the onlookers.

I did this once. DS was 3. We had a lovely day at playgroup then headed to the supermarket, did a big shop, DS suddenly said to me "mummy my tummy is hurting". I went to take his coat off thinking he might be hot and he threw up all over me and all over himself. Awful. Took him to the bathroom to get him cleaned up, then gave him a plastic bag and quickly paid for my shopping. I could have gone straight home abandoning my shopping but I lived a 30 minute walk to the nearest shop and it would have meant not having anything in. Plus I bought a spare blanket to put over DS as his coat was unusable and it was winter. If you had seen me in the five minutes you might have thought I was having a shop with a sick child for the banter of it.

@cardibach can you do click and collect with an hours notice? I'm not so sure?

You horrible, judgemental human. You’ve no idea of her circumstances.

Sorry? No. It’s not horrible or judgemental to think someone shouldn't be out in public, least of all a food shop, with someone with vomit in a bowl. What on earth are you thinking?

No idea.
But it’s simply not acceptable to be wandering around a food shop with a vomit filled bowl. Absolute no.

No. That’s very different from going in with an actual sick bowl.

@cardibach so what option does a single parent have then?

No pne to look after their sick child and no one to shop for them? No money to pay for delivery.

What's the options?

Leave the child home alone?

Like this mother's choice?

www.thesun.co.uk/news/uknews/17072807/sutton-fire-shopping-sainsburys-house/amp/

This. And sometimes you need some items (loo rolls, nappies..) immediately

I reiterate. A sick bowl in a food shop is not acceptable. I’m astounded anyone is suggesting it is.

No you don’t. You always know when they are running down. Why end up with none?

@cardibach I reiterate what options does a single mother have??

@cardibach why end up with none as you know they are running down.....

Because they may only have had money available today!!!

Have you heard of the COL crisis, or are you so blinkered you think it's not true?

Shame on you to judge, do you think everybody has friends and relatives around? You are so lucky that you can't see how other people aren't.

I hope one day you'll find in her situation with no family or friends, then I hope someone who has no better thing to do in their life will judge you in a public forum.

I’ve heard of it yes. I still think a sick bowl in a food shop is a hard no. Especially now with so many options for delivery. I was a single parent. I’m not unsympathetic to the particular issues (which we don’t know are in play here - you are assuming a lot) but vomit in a food shop. No.

It’s possible he didn’t have a bug- my son has E-DS so he can go through stages of vomiting but isn’t contagious at all. People with allergies also vomit but aren’t contagious.

but I wouldn’t do it because other people wouldn’t know that and would be worried.

Also vomit is gross and no one wants it near their food shopping!

Vomit in a food shop is not acceptable. Why do people care so little about others? Shame on them.

Delivery.

@cardibach just to tell you in the food shop the food is all covered...... does that make you feel a teeny bit better?

It won't get the sick on it, within its time or through the plastic stuff or even on the deli counter with the screens.

The germs won't be on the food.

Get a grip!

@cardibach delivery at short notice costs £££

In case you didn't know!

No it isn’t. Fruit and veg is uncovered. Some bakery items.
I genuinely don’t believe anyone is arguing having actual vomit in a food shop is fine. Disgusting.
Hard to believe this is the site where using your towel more than once is gross and germy and dirty and disgusting.

No, I don’t actually. A supermarket from Uber Eats is only a little more expensive. What would the mother do if she was vomiting herself? She should do that.