To think that Xmas food shopping isn't a sodding family day out?

[loveawineloveacrisp]

Just been to M&S for final food shop and the bloody place was over run with entire families shopping together. Just why? If the kids are old enough to be left then they shouldn't be traipsing around and getting in the way when the place is crowded as it is at this time of year.

And as for people who can't drive the right way round a one way car park: kindly fuck off and don't drive if you can't follow road signs.

That's all. Now can someone please pass the 🍷

@K0OLA1D they don’t all - the 24 hour ones are mainly in the rougher areas as all the naice people are tucked up in bed by 10pm!

Drives me mental, I prefer to go myself which I usually do but DH insisted on coming today so he could choose snacks and things he wanted.

I am normally tucked up by 10pm to be fair!

I do think our mini Asda opens later than our big Asda come to think of it. Thankfully I am all done now. Though I have forgotten cranberry sauce!! I do have dc who can brave the local morrisons for me at some point though.

Ugh so miserable. Iits Christmas

So you object to teenagers?

I'm unclear what your issue is. The huge majority of children who are there, are because they can't be left at home?

You're going tonight? It's Sunday.

We try to do as much grocery shopping as possible online, not because we don't like people, so much as the activity itself. The only food items I enjoy shopping for are cheese and other deli items and nice bread. Otherwise no. My late FiL agreed; park him in a DIY outlet and he was in his element, but he didn't like supermarkets.

That said, there is a group of people who make shopping more of a chore than it needs to be - grown-ups. Specifically, the sort who think busy aisles are an appropriate place for a chat with friends/family/anyone else. Eight year olds hyped up on festive excitement and too much sugar might be a handful, but they tend not to block the biscuits for cheese aisle with gossip about their neighbour's cousin's dog etc. And in fairness to eight year olds, they can't really be left on their own for longer than it takes to nip to the local offy, so what are parents to do?

@LePetitMaman they were in the fucking way everywhere! And they were clearly old enough to be left at home.

I've done Marks, Aldi, and Sainsburys in two and a half hours. I'm in, out and that's it. We have three freezers and two fridges. My DH is the main shopper, I pick the posh.
Last year the Marks had three disabled spaces occupied by super cars, (no passes) this year they had secruity guards policing the spots. Well done them. I could park and shop as I do every week at that store.
Both my DC love shopping but they are gtown up and do their own. There were lots of oh-ah shoppers dithering in the marks today but not many children. Tbh it doesn't bother me but then I'm paricially deaf so I don't hear them! 😄

Oh you probably hate me. DH and I took DS shopping today but I can't drive at the moment and we were on the way back from taking DS out.
Tbf we did leave our older children at home though. Lots of families also shopping but I don't judge. DS has complex needs and it takes two of us to take him out (and he's not going to be shut up in the house all day).

I bought a pork pie from a butchers yesterday with a best before date in early 2025.

So it is teenagers you object too.

Because all the children too young to be left alone obviously can't be.

There were that many teenagers, it stressed you out?

I think YABU.

obviously kids shouldn't be allowed to run riot through the shop, but it's good for them to be involved in the work that goes into creating a nice Christmas.

OP you are not affected by the 'shopping traffic', you are also the 'shopping traffic'.

@K0OLA1D you must be near me! My local Asda closes at 10pm tonight, I wasn't aware that the Clydebank one was open 24/7. I was in Asda about 7pm on Friday and it was quiet, if that helps. My immediate thought was that the big Tesco in Maryhill Rd was 24/7 but apparently not any more.

Every time there's a thread like this though you get some English poster putting "On a Sunday???" as if they're super clever pointing out a flaw in story as a massive gotcha - when in fact they just have never thought other parts of the country might be different.

We did Iceland, lidl and morrisons in 2.5 hours today. It wasn't half as bad as I thought it was. And we managed to get a disabled spot at each one.

Is that so unreasonable at this time of year?

I mean, it's no surprise it's going to be busy at the shops at this time of year. Why not just go early or late or book an online shop? Seems as productive as yelling at the wind to complain about how other people shop.

Agree, OP. Add to that the dickheads who insist on taking their dogs into town, especially in the packed Christmas markets. Especially on those stupid invisible retractable leads.

Fucksake.

The kids were incredibly helpful when they were younger.

I'd wait until I'd been paid (hazard of being on low wages and high bills), then we'd go and do the shopping - the little one could get things down low, the older one would scoot around picking things up in the crowded parts, they'd choose the fruit & veg they wanted and work out which things were actually cheaper or more economical with some mental maths - also a very useful skill for adulthood - decide to try new things and then they'd unload the trolley, pack things and help by carrying stuff back home and up the five flights of stairs to put things away.

I loved those chats on the walk home and how proud they were of being useful.

I must be in the minority but I love the big Christmas food shop. My kids are old enough to be at home but one of them comes with. I love the chaos of it all and watching the grumpy impatient folk makes me chuckle 😂

In case you don't remember during the pandemic there were rules about whole families shopping in supermarkets? And it's not applicable anymore, so.. work it out.

💯 agree OP! I went first thing and left my kids in the car for as much as I could (too young to be left at home but fine for 5 mins in the car) and I’ll go properly tomorrow night when DH can watch them.

The only thing worse is the people who stand for a full on gab in the middle of the aisles blocking everything!!

For most people, the supermarket shop isn't a dedicated trip in itself. We just did ours but it was tagged onto a planned outing. To leave DS at home would mean an extra 40 mins of driving as the shop is on the way home so we'd have to drive home, leave a parent and DS home and drive back.

Surely, if there are two capable parents, then just one does the shopping and the other parent looks after the kids somewhere completely different! I have never understood people who food shop in couples or groups, but especially at busy times.

I assume that it's because you mentioned that the shop was crowded, which prompted a recollection of social distancing etc. 🙏