AIBU to ask a mum not to put her toddler on the counter

[saltyshakey]

Today a mum with a toddler was in a cafe and went to the counter to pay. She was carrying the toddler and popped the toddler on the counter as she got her purse. I said I’d feel a bit more comfortable if she took her off. She did so but then I heard her talking to her friend about how rude I was. WIBU?

I'll never understand why ppl can't just mind their own business over trivial shit . Is it that you like the sound of your voice? Did it make you feel superior or edgy embarrassing the lady .It pointless as it didn't affect your life in anyway .

I think its a bit sad when people care about this kind of stuff

Oh bore off. Nobody wants to put their kid on a counter, but I’ve absolutely been the mum wrestling a toddler, or baby, or both and had to put one on my hip to leave/go pay and then you need to get your phone or purse out and have to wrangle that too and perch them down for a second. Nobody is picking up their children and sitting them on the counter because they think it’s a great place for them to sit!!

Were you working in the cafe?

If you work there, you would be negligent if you didn't address the issue.

Actually, it can be that hard! My 16 month old has recently discovered he can climb out of these seats, and for love nor money can I keep him in them. The only way I can get my shopping done is by plonking him in the main part of the trolley and letting him snack.

YABNU OP
Also
see children in supermarket trolleys where other people pit their food 🤢 double 🤢🤢 if they have their shoes on!

I assume from the OP that she works in the cafe and if so you did the right thing. If the child had fallen and got injured that would not have been good for business.

Do you work there? Fair enough if so ..I agree with your opinion BTW, but can imagine she took umbrage. The staff might have appreciated an alert and a suggestion of a wipe down.

Only weird if you don't work there OP. Do you?

It's not such a 'gotcha' for people saying that OP is a busybody and that only employees should say anything. Many cafes are small, independent concerns and the owner/assistants might feel very uncomfortable telling parents not to sit their children there - as, if they take offence, they might stop coming and spending their money there, complain widely and exaggerate to their friends about how "they're rude and they obviously don't want the custom from parents".

After all, it's already an entitled thing to do - to plonk your child right in the way where their bottom will be next to where food and drink are served - so they're probably not the kind who will quickly apologise and remove the child without any drama and without making the employee out to be the grossly unreasonable one.

My parents ran a shop (not a cafe) years ago, and people still did the same then. Obviously no fresh food around, but they're right in the way of your impulse-buy, best-selling stock and where you're serving people; and the kind of parents who do it often tend to be the ones who will wander off and not watch their child - so it's not only unsafe for the child, but also risky for the shop's reputation if a bad accident happens there (for which the parent may then hold you responsible for their actions and negligence).

They always felt very uneasy in asking people not to do what was surely obviously not something they should be doing in the first place; and they really appreciated it when another customer - not representing the business - would put them right.

What about it made you feel uncomfortable? Were you worried for the child’s safety or do you just like to make a random woman’s life more difficult?

Not unreasonable at all.
Parents have forgotten to parent children and teach them socially acceptable rules,where their little angels (monsters) can do whatever they want, when they want, then wonder why they have uncontrollable little angles.(Brats)

And the mother was rude not you.

Perhaps the alternative was to hand the child to you to hold? Did you offer this? How else was she supposed to reach her purse? Some kids at that age run off at speed if they are let go for a second. Perching on the counter for a few seconds where she can both secure the child and get her money is surely the safer thing to do

Literally none of that is remotely relevant to the specific scenario in the OP.

Unless you were planning to take your toastie off the plate and place it onto the counter and eat it off there I don’t really see an issue.

How often do you think they clean the trolleys? I’m sure they are likely dirtier than a child and the food is packaged.

This is ridiculous, to all those saying it’s unhygienic you wouldn’t think twice about people putting their bags on the counter to search for their purse or something. People put their bags down on the floor all the time, everywhere. And as for people’s kids being on the shelf at the back of Lidl being entitled and ignorant, what on earth 😂

I don't think it's up to you to say such things? Maybe you don't like it, but it's still none of your business 🤷🏼‍♀️

I wouldn't like anyone's arse on the counter so it's not just you.

You are insane

No one uses the shelf for packing in our aldi. Everyone just packs at the till.

Ha, as opposed to all the pristine places the groceries were before they made it to the shelves!

I hope your taking the piss Op