Should I have just deposited DS having a tantrum at the customer service desk for them to deal with?

[Librashavinganotherbiscuit]

This morning at Tesco some bright spark had decided to put this Action Air Deluxe Bouncy Playcentre up outside the store, cue my (for once) well-behaved-sitting-quietly in his trolley seat until that point DS throwing a tantrum because he wasn't allowed to go on it. He is 22 months, reasoning and logic don't really apply yet. I was quite tempted to let him just go bounce on it but as it was £100 if he broke it I didn't want to pay for it. I KNOW I wasn't the only parent experiencing the getting past the bouncy castle problem.

I am not sure if I am being unreasonable because I have had a bad day so far or if I should have just gone up to customer services deposited a screaming DS and told them as they had caused the problem they could deal with him whilst I shopped in peace.

Don't know if you are BU or not but CAN I HAVE A GO PLEEEEEASE

I'm sure they have to deal with worse than a tantruming tiny person

And if you did let him have a go on it and he broke it they could hardly make you pay as you'd be pointing out how shoddy their goods are!

It sounds more unfair to put that up than the sweets used to be at the checkout.

i wouldnt have deposited my son as its not his fault BUT i would right now be writing a letter of complaint to the manager and sending a copy to head office. they will probably get a few complaints. they will (hopefully) bend over backwards to avoid losing your custom..point out that you spend £xx pounds per week=£xxx per year and as you will need to eat until you die that is multiplied by xxyears in repeat business. hey, they may even deliver said bouncy castle (it does look fun) to your door by way of apology. hope your day gets better

porridge - sorry but you would have been too big, deffo child size but yes I can understand why DS wanted to play on it. If it had been a tenner it would be in our backgarden now!

AZZ - funnily enough I was desperately scanning the checkout to see if I could see any sweets to calm him down! (yes not good parenting bribery but I was desperate!)

homebirth - hadn't thought about actually complaining, sounds like a good idea I've had a bad day so venting to Tesco might be therapuetic!

Whilst I agree this is irritating and most certainly when mine were that age would have experienced a harrassed moment You got to admit it is clever marketing.

1 they are likely to see a few of them as an impulsive buy

2 how many parents do you think got by it by promising a treat inside that the child could pick..

Try to look at it as a parenting moment one of those where you keep your calm and your son learns that we dont always get what we want in a safe enviroment.

I know that I will be in the minority here but YABU in feeling they should not attempt to sell their gods it is a shop after all. Internet shopping excists to not have to go through these sort of issues

Oh, I hate this. My 18 month old is really well behaved for her age, but of course if she saw something like that she would be all and then I'd have to say you can't play on it and then she'd be all

And I know they have to sell things and it's marketing and what do you expect, but it seems so unfair to hit children this age with the double whammy of unscrupulous marketing and societal expectations that they'll be quiet and well behaved at all times in public.

I must confess that bouncy castles, rides etc. outside shops are the biggest cause of me lying to DD . I says things like 'oh it is outside the shop because it is broken. It is there so the rubbish man can take it away'.

One time I told DD that a little ride in shopping centre was broken and that was why is wasn't going round (I hadn't put any money in it really). A few minutes later we had to walk past the ride again and this time some one was on it. So I started frantically pointing out interesting things in shops in the other direction so DD got past the ride without looking at it.

DD always wants to go on those bloody cars outside supermarket. One day I gave in & said yes & put the money in and she CRIED "make it stop Mummy, make it stop". So she just wants to climb on/in them! Which is fine by me cause that just requires a little of my time, not money. Wonder how long we can keep that up?

Libra, maybe you live near me or maybe all Tesco stores have started putting stuff outside but I had exactly the same experience yesterday
DC4 is a bit older than your DC but luckily hasn't got to full on trantrums yet I did a quick whisk into a nearby trolley and rushed inside.
One of the older DCs then took a fancy to a picnic table and a BBQ so its not just resticted to toddlers who, luckily, don't go home and start checking out the catalouge.

Was this at Brooklands? I literally thanked God that I did not have dd with me when I saw it.

Maybe all the Tescos are doing it? All of mumsnet could avoid Tesco for the next week, to make a point if nothing else. Easy for me to say, my Asda online's coming tonight.

I didn't see one at Brooklands when I was there a few days ago.

But then ds2 was already throwing a tantrum at being made to sit in the trolley so he probably wouldn't've noticed anyway......

I can understand why you were annoyed by it but dumping your child on the people behind the customer service desk would have been harsh, it's not their fault! It'll be head office who decide these things, so write a letter or something if it has bothered you sufficiently. They're sly buggers.

Wasn't it there for kids to bounce on then? I would have put mine on it for a bounce. Serves em right if it broke.

Our Asda are doing it as well as Tesco. So annoying as there is no other choice in our Waitrose and Sainsbury's-deprived town.. If they don't get you on the way in, it's on the way out with the sweets at checkout.

My local tesco is selling hanging baskets outside - doesn't have quite the same effect on the children

I was once told by an amused passer by 'Madam, I can see your nose growing' when I was explaining to ds that no, he couldn't have a lolly, because the supermarket had run out of lollies, there was a national shortage of lollies and Questions Had Been Asked in the Houses of Parliament (while steering him away from the sweeties aisle). Blinding small children with long words in long sentences used to work very well. (Sadly now he's nearly seven that trick is no longer effective.)

I use tesco pretty much daily and they dont have the room outside for things like that so i'm quite lucky then lol. Although my only nitpick at tescos is there are never any bloody baskets, there always piled up high at the end of every checkout rather than in the entrance to the store where they are meant to be.

Of course YABVVVU. Tescos exist to sell products and make money.It's not their fault you can't handle your child!

"It's not their fault you can't handle your child"

True, I was hoping they would do a better job.

I feel for you as I remember this like yesterday - DC now both over 10 now. However it doesn't really get better they just stop having tantrums so much as they get older but you then have to put up with the constant whining. I have always said to mine that no means no and if I say no once don't bother to ask again because I won't be changing my mind. I am also great at reasoning.
YWHBVU to deposit your DC at Customer Services as they do not set the marketing/sales strategies for the stores. I also can't really see the point in writing to the store as they have to make money and impulse buying is very profitable