Families shopping together

[Mokel]

Do entire families need to do their grocery shopping together? See both parents, 4 kids and another relative (grandparent, aunt etc). It does not need 7 people do a shop.

Clog up the aisles, kids demanding that they want this and that and kids running around. Shops are not playgrounds!

Grocery shopping isn’t a hobby, it’s a chore!

It baffles me. If there are 2 parents, why isn't one parent at home (or wherever) looking after the kids so that the second parent can just swiftly and efficiently get the shopping done? Same with couples - barring certain medical etc situations, supermarket shopping only needs one person, and it would never occur to me to go with someone else.

Because we enjoy it?

Same really but I tend to shop without the kids as they confuse me. I'm in and out quicker child free.

I never understand threads like this - why would you think you've any rights to tell people how they should do their shopping?

I take my kids shopping and sometimes husband comes - all six of us. My kids aren't feral and don't run amok. If anything, they're better behaved than a lot of the adults who just barge into them with trolleys because apparently kids don't matter or stand in the middle chatting.

We go together occasionally because we don't get chance to all spend time together much. We quite often look at the clothes, homeware. Toys etc. we like to choose the food together.

Looking at the different foods together encourages my kids to try new things, they look at the dates, the prices to see what is the best value etc. I never went shopping with my mom as a child and so when I was an adult I had no bloody idea. I'm raising my children to be able to be functioning adults and if they're not exposed to everyday life situations, how can they do that?

And also, my 4 year old is just as much as a person as a 40 year old and has as much right to be in the supermarket

I don't understand why people have such an issue with this. It's a shop, no one would question a family shopping together in town.

Someone will be along in a few years asking why young people have no life skills and can't meal plan and budget or work out the cheapest items per weight in a supermarket. It's how we teach our young uns.

This same topic gets posted so many times. People like to different things. Quite often the 3 of us will browse round a supermarket on the way back from somewhere or whatever, looking for some treats or if there’s anything different we fancy. Who cares?

During the awful weather at the begining of this year we even resorted to "family outings" to places like B&Q. We didn't let the kids run around or be disruptive though but it did pass a bit of time.

Ah you're so right! I love going food shopping 😅

I take mine. They're involved in meal choice and cooking too so it's a logical step.

One of dc1's favourite memories of our last trip to Northern Ireland was a shopping trip to buy taytos and traybakes to bring home and he's already been watching youtube videos of French supermarkets in preparation for our October trip.

Going to Costco alone is considerably cheaper though!

Yes it is irritating but it's just how people want to do things

Remember going to MFI for an outing with the dc when my dh was working😀

What on earth has it to do with you?

Because children don't learn to behave in public spaces like supermarkets if you don't take them.

I'm more baffled that people do things as a couple that requires only one adult. I can see the merit in bringing kids to the supermarket, but bringing my other half AND the kids (unless it's on the way to do something else) is not on my radar. See also, couples doing the school run together. No

YABU.

Maybe it’s the only time they get together- life is so busy. Could be any number of other reasons.

Or maybe like my daughter and nephew, the kids probably enjoy going, so they can load the trolley of unnecessary and expensive shit they say is out of their budget/I wouldn’t buy when I’m alone or doing an online shop.

Children need to go grocery shopping for all sorts of reasons. Learning practical maths is number one, plus bargain hunting, learning about brands and walking amongst crowds amongst others. Being patient with shoppers that are slower is another important thing to learn.

Supermarket shopping is an important life skill!

I don’t care if people go shopping as a family, but for me it’s just a case of why would you want to? It’s not “family time” 😢 (raise the bar on your standards for time together) -
it’s a chore and it’s a stressful pita having kids asking me to buy bloody everything and fighting over the self scanner.

However, it’s something kids have to learn how to do as they’re growing up, so….

We currently have a thread about why elderly and retired people going shopping on a Saturday, and now we have one about families shopping together.

If you are the sort of person who finds others annoying when you go shopping, then just do yours online - no parking issues, no queues, no other shoppers you find annoying, no having to lug it back.

Spending quality time with your kids can also include the boring everyday stuff - shopping, hanging out the washing, washing the car etc. Spending time together doesn’t all have to be #makingmemories.

Completely agree! I know a family that goes supermarket, then butchers and then Costco every single Saturday. Their kids hate it. I couldn't think of anything worse to be doing every Saturday 🙈

It can most definitely be family time.

Shopping HAS to be done in the week. You take your children along. You chat to them, you ask them to help you pick things off the shelf. Maybe you get them a treat at the end.

It's just me with the children day to day, so shopping, getting the bus, walking home, putting laundry up, tidying the garden are all chores that involve children.

I don't really see how this is a debate? How is spending more time with your family a bad thing?