Eating in the supermarket

[tallulah]

As an aside from my other thread about children misbehaving in shops- the other thing that wound me up yesterday is this trend for letting children eat in the supermarket. The child in the trolley at the next till had a bag of grapes she'd been eating. She must have had 1/2 lb, so that's about 50p? Would her mother have thought it OK to give her, say, a twix, or a Begian Bun without paying for it?

I don't agree with this on 3 counts

1. people shouldn't be eating in any shop & teaching a child that they can is not a good idea
2. this is theft & if everyone did it then the supermarkets losses would be passed on to everyone
3. children also should be taught that you can't have something until it's paid for.

Before you all jump on me and say it's better than having them screaming, I have got 4 myself & I have been through this. Mine quickly learned that no screaming inside meant they could get to eat a treat outside when we'd finished.

re: the eating in public argument, I can't help but roll my eyes. I can see it if it's a "youth" sat next to you on the tube eating a stinky burger or something,or an adult eating a stinky onion bhaji while walking round a shop (sorry thomCat, couldn't resist!) but a toddler eating grapes/ a crust of bread? Come on! What next? Banning breastfeeding in public - after all - that's eating.

Just trying to sort something out in my head. The grapes come to the supermarket from a wholesaler who invoices the supermarket, I guess? What if the supermarket puts the grapes on the shelves before paying the wholesaler's invoice? Has the supermarket stolen the grapes?

Tallulah, you still haven't explained WHY it's not right to eat in public.

Nattie good point . Tallulah are you related to CZJ by any chance?

Is this the thread of threads or what, the mother of threads, how massive is this one!! I stand guilty of opening the multipacks and giving ds a packet to keep him quiet in the trolley. I do pay for everything and the supermarket makes more money because when he winges I'm in and out in a flash ....... Perhaps they should introduce mini goody bags to keep 'em quiet whilst we shop, they could hand them out at the door or better a creche! Therefore: treats + niggly todder =calm toddler, calm toddler + calm mother = more money spent in supermarket so in my book that means lollies or rice cakes at the door for free - simple!!

Leese - - hmmm, may have to rethink, perhaps a bread roll costume would better.....

hurrah, aloha's back ! Not surprising really, with such a contentious issue to lure her back in ...

Just thinking say you have four young kids munching their way through the weekly shop, taking things out of multipacks etc where the goods were definately going to be paid for, regardless of your moral stance on this, what happens if you get to the till and find you have forgotten your purse? or they swipe your bankcard and it gets bounced?

Demented :D - you beat me to it, that crossed my mind this morning.

sorry that's

Sorry but I'm another one who lets ds eat round the supermarket (anything for a quiet life). I once put the french stick at the end of the trolley only to have him climb out of the seat all over my shopping just to get to it. After being told off by the grocery manager in my local Tesco for opening a new box of carrots when there was already a box opened (with crappy carrots in it) I don't care if it takes a bite at their (millions of pounds worth of) profits (I'm sorry I didn't realise I was supposed to buy crappy carrots). Unfortunately I'm too honest to steal anything I always let the cashier scan whatever ds has eaten. As dp is in the Navy and away a lot I don't have the option of leaving ds anywhere and shopping online always leaves me more stressed than taking him to the shop.

This thread seems to be fizzling out now.

However, supermarket snackers, stop apologising and feeling guilty. Doesn't 'society' pile enough of the problems of the world onto the shoulders of mothers as it is without us all piling it on to ourselves and each other?

Have to say, ds always has the end of the bread. It's warm, freshly made and smells lovely! He hardly has any breakfast so at least I know once a week he's eating something for breakfast. I do, however, always make sure I've got some change in my pocket before I go so if anyone moans I can give it to them so it's paid for. Most of the till people think they've got mice in the bakery!

Message withdrawn

Incredible isn't it?

Katierocket, make sure the Grapesuit is purple, otherwise you may resemble a sheep dropping! if it is green, or is that you lurking in Safeways this after in the Lamb section?????????????

Just imagine putting your hand forward to lift something off the shelf and the Baked Bean Detective shoves their head out, think there would be more than an expellation of air, more like a complete evacuation of the bowel!!

doormat- sadly, not related to CZJ

nattie, it just is, OK.

Tallulah - questioning peoples morals and integrity and manners is bad enough! But when someone questions your reasoning all you can muster is a "it just is"!!!!!

I don't think that really justifies it, do you????

Mum2Toby - I've been pondering this too - could it be that we are getting in to sofa v couch, supper v tea, toilet v loo situation?

willow2, you mean "U" and "non-U"???

Nancy Mitford would love it!

Can't see why this is such a controversial topic, it has such a tame title! Did anyone see that episode of SWAG where they humiliated a girl at a pick 'n' mix after she popped one of the sweets into her mouth? I thought that a bit cruel, after all I think most of us have been there, done that!
As for tip of the french loaf, it's an excellent way to get round the supermarket without your child screaming and wailing, and it's also brill for teething! I know my supermarket would much rather you put something in the child's mouth than have it yelling up and down the aisle's!

Have food must eat!

Must admit that while in the supermarket this morning with a hungry DS, it occured to me that I had not fed him for ages, so for the sake of it I opened up a packet of crips and fed DS and pais at the checkout, whilst constantly on the lookout for looks from other possible mumsnetters.

And when I was in Sainsbury this morning a woman at the counter was buying a bar of chocolate for her son in pushchair who kept saying Gimmee and trying to grab it. She said very loudly several times "No I've told you before, you can't have it till we've paid" Now which one of you was that?

Oh for those worried about this thread fizzling out dont worry next week there will be another mum out there who will judge another albeit a different subject ie. dummies, breast v bottle, smacking etc etc the list is endless some people just love to feel superior - now that should spark off a few comments !!!!!!!!!!!!!!

OOOh Lulu41 you are controversial!

I think I will have to stick your dummy in, smack your bottom and not let you have a bottle.