to think this is a bit much?

[TeenyTinyTorya]

I was in a shop yesterday where the shopkeeper commented on a little toddler eating crisps. Her mum then said that she gives her dd a packet of crisps in every shop, otherwise she can't concentrate on her shopping. She then complained that the kid never eats her dinner. I was a bit as her dd was about 2.

Please do not flame me or jump on me squealing "judge not unless you are a perfect mother". I'm just interested to know the ratio of people who think this is ok versus those who disapprove.

Noonski & Tippichick

You are right I did come across as really strict. I guess it is ok for little ones and it is better to have them eating than screaming for sure!!!!!!!!!

I spose coz mine have a bigger age gap I try not to do it as not fair on the older one.

I am not perfect I have done it.... exactly what one poster said broken off the end of a loaf of bread or some grapes from pre-weighed packet. How short my memory is now youngest is 2 and half and doesn't need it I never give them food out in the street.

Chips from a cone would be ok I guess and sandwich but I would want to sit down and eat it not walk along the street.

I am a bit keen on good manners. My DH and his family have such LOVELY manners that are always a pleasure to be around so I do really make the effort in that department.

If a child I encounter has lovely manners lots of please and thank yous and using napkins it is sooooo nice, I always notice and like it.

i know there are waaaaaay worse things kids can do than eat round the supermarket though, so am not that fussed.

I often have to bribe my 2yo DD with a bag of crisps/ gingerman/ drink (water)/ promise of a ride on the garish submarine/ thomas train to make a shopping trip the best it can be for all concerned. I did try to involve her with the shopping list but this ALWAYS becomes a plane and ends up on the floor. Other methods more reliable. I hope it will become easier as she gets older she can be more involved.

Flum when you say you never let them eat in the street do you mean not even sat on a bench or something?

My DS (4) does enjoy a punnet of blueberries going around Tescos - all barcoded and paid for at the end. But what a bloomin' expensive snack !!

I only realised how often I let DD eat grapes to bribe persuade her to stay in the trolley when the self-scan system wasn't working one day - I had been doing it on the basis that the grapes had been weighed and scanned before she had any.

I have now given up trying to keep her in the trolley and she 'helps' push instead (which includes randomly putting the brake one )

I view it as an incentive to be more organised about internet shopping.

To the OP - I am slightly that a 2yo can manage multiple bags of crisps - my DC (2 & 5) can happily share one packet as neither would finish it on their own.

Flum - I know you've moderated your eating in the street comment but you really remind me of my mum with that one about it being bad manners!!!

I just think that is such old fashioned bollocks when it comes to small children - so they should go hungry because it is bad manners!! Try getting a two year old to eat before you go out even though they are not hungry then.... It makes total sense to eat when you are hungry - I do it too and I'm an adult!

Also, whether or not you need to feed children in pushchairs so totally depends on the child - my ds is two and we go into town once a week and I nearly always give him a packet of crisps (organix or those lower salt teddy bear thingies of course!!!) to occupy him otherwise it would be a complete nightmare.

Lucky you if you have kids who will sit in a pushchair and watch the world go by without the use of distractions - a lot of two-year-olds just aren't like that though! (Also a bit idealistic to suggest books/toys as distractions - this might work with ds for maybe 10 seconds, whereas a packet of crisps would take more like 10 minutes...

I DO thnk it is bad manners to eat in the street it looks slovenly. You wouldn't do it yourself would you so no real need to let kids. I accept younger ones eg 3 and under can go a bit bonkers when they are hungry so guess its ok. I would not let my 4 year old wander along the street eating something though. I would stop at a bench and sit and eat something though.

They are my rules anyway. And I get to be the boss in my family so that is nice.

Flum - "You wouldn't do it yourself would you" - yes I would/do

I have no standards, clearly.

Flum - I stop at a bench too not that the weather allows it at the moment. When they are young enough to still be in a pushchair do you get them out of the pushchair to sit on the bench or let them eat in the pushchair whilst you sit on the bench iyswim?

I sometimes eat in the street. What does it actually mean to say it's 'bad manners'? Manners should mean something and not just be meaningless class-defining rituals.

Well I just think it doesn't look very nice when peoople are wandering down the street stuffing their faces. Whatever class they were I would think it looked a bit odd. Teenagers do it all the time though in our town all the kids fromthe state schooland the extremely fancy private school all do it so it ain't a class thing.

There are a great many things I see in the street that don't like very nice to me - that would be low on the list.

I find the whole 'good manners' thing very suspect. So much of it is just utterly meaningless trivia, and never questioned.

I eat in the street and I will give ds food as we walk along if it seems like a good idea, though not necessarily all the time, as sometimes he will have just eaten.

Our regular newsagent gives ds a free banana most weekend days, if ds is awake when he gets there that is (sometimes he falls asleep for his morning nap on the way there).

I do try to keep ds off crisps and added salt things - his dad and I both like them far too much. But he eats healthier and unhealthier food.

Fortunately he's often surprisingly patient about having to go shopping, though we try to combine it with park, cafe or something else more enjoyable for ds.

Ahem Flum you ignoring me

I'm guessing but the mum may have been joking. most toddlers take forever to eat crisps or similar so I doubt if it would have been a bag per shop unless it was teeny bag. I don't recall giving my dd things to eat in the buggy but I'm sure she did snack as we went along occasionally if it was only a cup of milk or whatever. I have to take out a pack-up bag for her now (she's hungry the minute we set foot on a train) so I probably did when she was a baby. Bribery can be a wonderful thing to get a few moments peace in a shop.

Nooo just only skimmed it, didn't notice question! Ummm don't know if we were having a picnic I would take them out if I didn#t think they would run off.

Gahhhhh I dunno. Do what you think is best just know that if your kids are walking down the street stuffing their faces and they pass a middle aged woman who gives them a very old fashioned look, it could be me