Kids and teens need to understand that shops are not places to play in and muck about

[kolpa]

I do hate kids play with toys in shops. See the basket of footballs and decide to play with one of them.

Then saw teens this morning before school, randomly opening bottles of shampoo, shower gel then put the bottles on their sides so contents flows out. This was B&M.

The thing is parents let their young kids play with the footballs.

I used to work in retail and dreaded the school holidays, esp the summer holiday, as get more of this. Plus the badly behaved ones never went on holiday and spent MORE TIME at my work.

Obviously it's not on for them to be causing trouble, but there is also a stark lack of places available for teens to hang out. Especially as we're entering the summer holidays.

Doesn't mean they tit about in a shop and destroy things.

I'm with the op. I saw a couple of kids rip apart a pinata when queuing. I said you shouldn't be doing that. They couldn't have cared less. Some of us have standards when raising our children and teach them how to be around things that do not belong to them.

Oh come on! That's not an excuse!

Exactly! Good grief. It's not acceptable.

It's the result of shitty parenting isn't it? No boundaries, consequences or respect for anything.

I completely agree! I’ll never forget back in my retail days I banned a couple of teenagers for running into a display, destroying £100+ worth of stock and filming it for YouTube. I couldn’t believe anyone could bring their kids up like this, but then one of their mums came in to kick off, and when I explained the video she said yes - she’d seen it, it was hilarious, and I was overreacting. So now (and after loads more incidents with parents who didn’t give a damn about their kids ruining items/shoplifting/climbing shelves) I just pity the kids growing up thinking it’s okay.

Outside
Each others homes

So a lack of places to hang out means it’s OK to trash goods for sale then?

Youre right @kolpa

Why can't teens hang out in parks, woods, beaches and gardens?

So what? Doesn’t excuse what amounts to vandalism.

I literally said it wasn't on in my post.

I didn't say it was an excuse. I said it wasn't on.

That doesn't change the fact that teenagers are going to be teenagers. I do think the lack of third spaces is a problem.

They need to go and get drunk in a field then, like we did.

I said it wasn't on in my post. I was just pointing out the lack of third spaces for teenagers.

😂

How much space do they need???

I can't think of any high streets/shopping centres that I regularly go to that don't have a public park within walking distance.
If children/teens can get to a shopping centre, they can get to a park.
Years back I used to work in a shop. I was known for frequently telling kids "This is not a playground so OUT" or "Put that DOWN unless you are buying it" or my favourite....."That is wrapping paper not a Lightsaber so STOP FIGHTING WITH IT".
Some of those teenagers would likely be the parents now - hopefully my words meant they taught their children how to behave inside a shop 😁

@Needmorelego I remember my DM and my friends’ DMs saying ‘look but don’t touch’

"Look with your eyes, not with your hands"
😂

It’s poor parenting. These kids have never been told no in their lives.

There a child in my six year old son's class who apparently cries whenever he's told no. He's going to be super fun when he's 14.

That boy’s parents have literally spoiled him for anyone else.
Who wants to be friends/girlfriend of a kid like that??