Does it need 7 people (3 adults and 4 kids) to do a food shop?

[rhomb]

Braved today at 7am. Saw entire families shopping. One example was two parents, 4 DC and one of the parents’ DM. Kids were, guessing between 4-12.

Why couldn’t at least one of the adults stayed at home looking after the kids? Two were bored (think being dragged out of bed didn’t help them) and the other two were demanding “can we have this?”.

Please keep shopping numbers to a minimum. It will help you, other shoppers and staff.

I politely declined DH's offer of coming to help. I know what I need and where 80% of it should be. I don't need to be managing him bimbling around like a child in a sweet shop too. Thank goodness the teenagers have no interest.

I always did go late-ish on the 23rd so I didn't have to bring the DCs. Bonus, there's fewer family outings clogging the place up at that time. I made the mistake of going at 7pm tonight. Too early.

I agree with you OP. It’s like the end of the world out there. I don’t see why you would put your kids through that if they can stay at home. Plus it’s so less stressful

Why did you marry someone who “bimbles”? around like a child in a sweet shop?

I’m ok with well behaved children. It’s the ones that run about, ride on their micro scooters (saw two kids doing this yesterday🙄) and scream all the time are the worst. Sadly more children are acting bad.

This behaviour should have been stopped by their parent(s) who were just on their bloody phones

Shopping is a solo sport in my house (thankfully for me!). Christmas even more so!
I couldn't think of anything worse than dragging the kids and DH around the shop at 6am with me yesterday. We did all sit down and write the shopping list together tho so I got everyone everything they wanted.

That’s all the women who are raised to not drive or have decision making powers over how money is spent and all the men who are raised to not even consider looking after the kids by themselves and not understand how ingredients are made into a meal.

So they are all in Aldi.

I don't drive. My kids have always come with me to help carry the shopping home. Not everyone drives. Best not to judge don't you think

Or just maybe some woman don't drive because of a medical reason, like me. Best not to judge.

Good how dry and dull.

We sometimes play yellow label roulette on a Friday. It's fun.

Totally agree - saw this yesterday and was so confused . Can’t think of anything worse that taking the kids to go Christmas food shopping!

YANBU. Only the experienced shopper of the family should be granted access to the shops at this time of year, it is not the time for the amateurs to come out.

Because sometimes I like to use creative vocabulary.

A second person was not going to make the job any easier, and I'm perfectly capable of driving there, finding what's needed, paying for it, loading it into two giant IKEA bags, and hefting it to the far end of the car park on my shoulders (thus saving the traffic jam of people determined to park as close to the shop as possible)

The one thing he would have helped with is reaching a couple more alcohol-free ciders from the back of the high shelf, but overall, I'll take the hit on that, and I got enough across the 4 supermarkets that the mission took.

I also love him and have done for very many years and we bring a lot to each other's lives. He was also more tired from wrapping up at work later than I did, and benefited more from a relaxed evening. I can think of better places for a hot date than Aldi at 8pm 23rd December to mutually ponder on which supermarkets will still have spuds and bacon on display while risking being mown down by an exhausted assistant with a pallet of 5p brussels sprouts

Plus he promptly leapt into action to turn the oven on ready for incoming pizzas, rather than trying to communicate with socially awkward teenagers and remind them which knob and temperature they need to activate the oven (while avoiding words like "left" and "right" due to dyspraxia)

Is that acceptable?

I really dont think that all the women who shop with extended families are unable to drive because of medical issues, how likely is that?

I don't drive; what has that got to do with supermarket shopping? Buses and taxis exist, as do grocery deliveries (and I've used all of the above in the last week).

Disagree. I like shopping with my family, prefer it and find it easier. It’s not my job to take shopping better for others and worse for myself. As long as my kids are well behaved in shops, it’s nothing to do with others.

We like to go together at Christmas - me, DH and adult DS. They can choose any items they want they I may not have thought about. It's ok though we're done now and enjoying breakfast on the sofa so we're out the way or the last minute but efficient shoppers!

Sometimes there are reasons. My mum didn't learn to drive until I was in my teens. So on a Saturday dad drove us all to the supermarket because my mother would not trust my dad to shop alone. They were still doing Saturday shops long after retirement which I thought was bizarre.

Someone I worked with briefly had had a breakdown. One response to this was her shopping. She could get to the supermarket but would just push a trolley and her children did the actual shopping.

Yanbu, if there’s someone to take care of them then leave them home. The amount of irritating children trying to push trolleys, run around the aisles, just in the way.

I think it is peculiar. I fully understand if it’s a single parent with a few kids but more than one adult and multiple kids makes no sense.

Of course they don't. But in my case and many others it's true.

I am prepared to do the food shop. I am not prepared to put it away. That is why my husband stays home and will do it when I get back 😂 sometimes my kids come. Not this close to Xmas if can be avoided

That's great if that works for you. I like grocery shopping with my kids/teens who push the trolley and help carry the shopping home. That works for me and I'm not changing the way I do i it for anyone. However hard they grumble on Mumsnet

Families making a day out of it is why I no longer shop in Costco

I think one of the problems is that there’s not many places for families to go to these days, so much community stuff has gone, high street shops closing.
it doesn’t worry me if the children are well behaved - I wouldn’t even notice them. But I’m seeing this more, children behaving badly, even dangerously. Recently saw a dad with 2 boys, racing round the aisles and ending with one of them crashing into a trolley pushed by an elderly lady.

Especially around Christmas, maybe the 2 adults (or 3?) want to pick up what they want and need to see what's in the shop for that? Maybe they fancy seeing the selection and decide then what to buy?

And they can't leave the kids home alone. Posters on MN can't leave a 17 yo at home alone, which might be a step too far, but 4 little ones home alone? Come on

Online shopping is useful most of the year, but sometimes it's worth having a look at what you can actually buy. Lots of party food/ bakery from my local supermarket is not shown on the online delivery list.

Please keep shopping numbers to a minimum
you know the lockdown is over don't you 😂