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Original poster

Can I take my kids to the shops yet

60 replies

SodOffCovid · 09/06/2020 19:30

I'm so confused what the advice is and what people are doing. I need some bits for the kids which are basically cheaper than the delivery it would cost to get here (weaning bibs, a potty) . I have a two year old and a five month old. Toddler is well behaved and could be put in a tandem pushchair with the baby to avoid a trolley. My DH is a key worker wfh but works odd hours so atm I am waiting for him to finish work so I can leave him with the kids and dash to the shops. Baby is breastfeeding so I am always in a rush to get back. Its OK but difficult to work around. Annoyingly, I have found though when I've done this, that there are still families, or mums with kids in tow. Is this against 'the rules' or am I making things so much harder for us?

OP posts:
CakeCakeCake21 · 09/06/2020 23:28

if you have to you have to, of course, but our local Tesco Express only allows six people in at a time. I am definitely scowling at mum, dad and kid who take up three of those places and leave us all waiting in the queue outside, when dad or mum could wait outside with kid and free up two slots. Whether the door person counts kids in buggies I do not know, I would hope not.

TheresGotToBeMoreToLife · 10/06/2020 00:27

That's quite bitter Cake.

Live and let live. If their children are well behaved and they are in a small shop, it will barely add any time on your wait at all. It doesnt hurt to be kind and not judgemental. You really have no idea about anyone personal circumstances

Shinyletsbebadguys · 10/06/2020 01:11

Sometimes you have to. I did for the first time today. I had miscalculated at the weekend shop (planned as dp is away working all week) and needed something specific so had to take ds7 and ds4 to the supermarket. I was a bit worried to be honest but ds1 is asd and he needed this particular thing to eat due to sensory issues (so annoyed I forgot it)

I was fortunate there was no queue and I didnt see any scowling. They had the rules drummed into them beforehand.

I would be quite annoyed if i got a comment or a glare though. It wasn't exactly a fun outing for any of us so would be seriously pissed off at a judgy twat hoiking their bosom or the Male equivalent at me.

CakeCakeCake21 · 10/06/2020 11:38

You really have no idea about anyone personal circumstances

I can't see why anyone would have to go into a shop with both parents and a child, and I am usually one to bend over backwards thinking of reasons to excuse people's behaviour. And maybe it doesn't add that much time but when there are 12 people in a queue and it is raining - and it is not that small a shop - I reserve the right to get a tad irate.

moita · 10/06/2020 12:09

would be quite annoyed if i got a comment or a glare though. It wasn't exactly a fun outing for any of us so would be seriously pissed off at a judgy twat hoiking their bosom or the Male equivalent at me.

I took my 2 and 3 year olds to the chemist the other day as I needed to get a prescription. As you say it wasn't for a laugh but no one said anything.

Pharmacist was very nice and chatted to DS

SuckingDieselFella · 10/06/2020 12:34

@CakeCakeCake21

You really have no idea about anyone personal circumstances

I can't see why anyone would have to go into a shop with both parents and a child, and I am usually one to bend over backwards thinking of reasons to excuse people's behaviour. And maybe it doesn't add that much time but when there are 12 people in a queue and it is raining - and it is not that small a shop - I reserve the right to get a tad irate.

I agree.

Some people may need to because of childcare issues but the ones I see doing it are dads having an outing with the kids. And when the kids are going around the supermarket on a scooter or wheelies it really is taking the piss.

Original poster
SodOffCovid · 10/06/2020 12:43

Well I went. There was no queue outside and my toddler was as good as gold. I managed to get what I needed with no impact whatsoever on anyone else. And my toddler LOVED it. Not that this means I will now go all the time, but it was nice for him to enjoy something normal. Even for all of 15 minutes. He got to pick a toy for being so good. I feel great for that for what it's worth as it's something I hadn't done with him yet. And it was my five month old first trip to a shop!!

OP posts:
PicsInRed · 10/06/2020 12:49

B&Q extremely unreasonably have a child ban.

Everywhere else is fine.

I'm a single mother, no family nearby, so have had to take my child shopping. The vast majority of people are fine. Some people are weird about it, a very small proportion appear aggressive. Adopt a resting bitchy face, be prepared to talk back...and you'll receive nothing but looks. Wink It's fine. You just need to be tough.

Original poster
SodOffCovid · 10/06/2020 12:49

And all I would say to those which are annoyed, don't assume that your needs are always greater than someone else's. Sometimes it's probably not obvious why people choose to do what they do. It doesn't mean they haven't weighed up the decision. And mental health, and in some cases this is a child's mental health, experiencing normal things, matters too. I agree about the comment regarding scooters but don't assume all children are a nuisance and do not deserve the right to glimpses of the real world.

OP posts:
TheresGotToBeMoreToLife · 10/06/2020 13:42

PincInRed, I dont think they do. My local branch certainly doesnt anyway. I went in with both of mine yesterday and there were other children queuing with parents too.

I needed bulbs, a fuse and a new plug for the bath so I'd be pretty pissed off if they banned my children as that would mean I couldn't go in either for what I would consider essential items.

flamingochill · 10/06/2020 14:57

Fab update Smile

IcyApril · 10/06/2020 15:27

In late pregnancy my physical and mental health was suffering quite badly and my husband would take one Of our children with him to do the shop to give me a break from struggling on with two.

Since having baby (five weeks old), I’ve taken the three of them out to Homebase once and it was commented on how fantastically behaved they were. Even though they are small, they know about social distancing. They followed the arrows and stood on the designated spaces. They were better at it than many adults I saw. It was also commented on just how well behaved they were.

Pipandmum · 10/06/2020 15:33

My 15 year old came in to Lidl with me yesterday. They only restrict family numbers if it's very busy. I go alone to tesco and waitrose because my kids have no interest in coming!
With kids as young as yours you can take them. Frankly do not understand why any older kids would want to go to the supermarket or couples even. One person is enough for that chore!

BogRollBOGOF · 10/06/2020 15:58

I've started taking either my 7 or 9 yo just for the sheer entertainment and excitement value out of it.

I go on a quiet timeslot when no one is queuing anyway so no inconvenience to others, and one at a time, they are calm and helpful (the same can not be promised if I took both)

My 7 year old came out beaming as it was genuinely the most exciting, socially stimulating experience he has had for months including his 7th birthday in early April when no socialising was on the cards.
He loved seeing the prices on the shelves and adding up prices together, doing some real life learning.

We can not keep excluding and shutting children away indefinitely. It is not consequence free.

geojojo · 10/06/2020 16:04

There are no rules about this. I have followed every rule to the letter and watched all my friends and family break them. However I also take my two children shopping with me as my husband is a key worker and can't easily shop as I can and they are very well behaved. Honestly children need to do something other than stay at home, all the playgrounds are still closed and there isn't much else for them to do.

User8008135 · 10/06/2020 17:26

I've taken the baby (youngest) to the shops in the sling. I've only seen moans on our local social media page when it's been a large family with mum and dad and no social distancing. I've had a few people scurry by my kids when out and about as though they are sticky monsters (which kids generally are anyway lol) but most of the comments to the baby have been from people wishing they could touch.

Whiskeylover45 · 10/06/2020 17:35

For the first time since lockdown began I took my 3 year old to a supermarket today. I had him in the trolley, I cleaned it down and sanitised our hands. He was wonderfully behaved, just sat there saying wow to everything lol. After we went to the garden centre to pick up some herbs the supermarket didn't have in stock. I got a few filthy looks, one from a member of staff who never looks happy anyway, even before all this, and from a few elderly couples who were at least six metre from me. Everyone else was fine and waved at him. Again he was in the trolley telling me the colours. He only needed reminding not to touch anything once. The garden centre is big enough that you can stay far apart from each other, the strict one way system and staff monitoring it. But we do need to get back into some sort of a routine, as we cant hide away till a vaccine is found. I think some people just don't like children anyway and this has exacibated it. Others may have had bad experiences, like one time during the height of lockdown I had gone to asda on my own and there was whole family with two adults three kids, the kids were running around uncontrolled. So I can understand both sides.

flamingochill · 10/06/2020 18:21

I've seen a lot of children in car seats and trollers behaving better than the adults. How cute that he thought that everything was wow Smile

britnay · 10/06/2020 18:44

I work in a shop and people have started bringing children in. So many of the children are allowed to run around and touch lots of different random products bangs head on desk Please don't be one of the parents who allows this.

cologne4711 · 10/06/2020 20:10

I don't think B&Q is being unreasonable. Anyway I hated going to DIY stores as a child.

There's no need for family outings to the supermarket at the moment but obviously if you have no sensible other option because you're a single parent or your partner is at work, then you go.

As for people not liking children, I hope that "hygiene" means no dogs in shops when they reopen on Monday but I bet they still let them in.

Frazzled2207 · 10/06/2020 20:13

I’ve taken mine to Sainsbury’s and put both in the trolley. No raised eyebrows at all. Some other well behaved kids about. It’s fine as long as they’re not feral IMO.

Original poster
SodOffCovid · 10/06/2020 21:44

No @britnay there was no way I'd let him touch anything because quite simply the virus can spread both ways... I talked to him before we went and he happily sanitised his hands before and after the shop despite touching nothing. I angled the buggy away slightly so he cannot reach the shelves but can still see and participate in the shopping. I'm not trying to make this 'a thing', but if this is the 'new normal' it is important that he learns the rules and adjusts accordingly as well. I cannot avoid going to the shops with him until there is a vaccine... Thats madness.

OP posts:
Original poster
SodOffCovid · 10/06/2020 21:48

Thanks for everyone's comments though, I think the government advice has been so wishy washy and misleading/open to interpretation I clearly didn't grasp what was 'allowed'. Quite frankly I've given up watching the daily briefings because If I have to see those bloody slides one more time I may just run out in to the street and take my chances....

OP posts:
Whyisitsodifficult · 10/06/2020 21:55

I took my 3 into a small Tesco so they could pick some sweets. They’ve been taken out of school since March, not been able to play with friends they deserve some sense of normality now. They loved it, the world needs to keep turning the risks are minuscule. Let your child go shopping and ignore any snidey comments!

gegs73 · 10/06/2020 22:10

In my local Lidl, the vast majority of people shopping are at least in twos, mostly adults. There are some children, behaving as well as any of the adults. As PP said, if non essential shops are open from Monday I don’t see the problem.

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