so what's worse?

[nappyaddict]

screaming child in supermarket cos he/she is hungry or one eating a sandwich that hasn't yet been paid for?

i agree - i often started out with a screaming hungry child (i think it's being surrounded by all that food) then placated with something off the shelf and handed over an empty wrapper.

As long as the child is eating something that can, and will be, paid for (i.e. not an unweighed banana), the eating unpaid for food is fine.

DS always has an apple from a packaged up and pre-weighed bag. Never had a problem - just hand the bag over at the end of the shop. I am sure that technically it isn't correct but I'd leave any suopermarket who challemnged me on it as it's often the only way to shop in sanity.

I'm always handing empty wrappers and half French sticks to the check out lady! BUT I always stop the children eating stuff that has to be weighed like loose fruit. I sometimes have a problem because I always eat one grape from a bunch to make sure they're nice before I buy (I'm half Italian - it comes naturally) and I often get a chorus of "You can't eat that, we haven't paid for it" Very embarassing.

there is no late night shopping or sunday trading here, well not in the deepest darkest 'burbs and only til 8pm on a thursday night

I think it is the supermarket's duty, nay, obligation to provide bagfulls of child-placating free produce at the end of every aisle, if I have to drag said child round their wretched Groszny circa 1982 hell hole of a supermarket.

So go ahead, help yourself I say

There was a stage where we would go past the toy aisle and ds would want to hold a fimbles radio playing it's wonderful tunes whilst sat in the trolly before it being retuned to the shelf before going through the tills every week!

erm, don't take a hungry child to the supermarket! problem solved.

Or my solution - take some suitable snacks with you!

so donk and mytwopenceworth, do you find it unacceptable when children are eating say a packet of crisps around the supermarket that their parents haven't yet paid for? i'm just curious really. i read an old thread about it, but i must say i've never actually seen it happen.

I like SittingBull's relaxed approach

God I hate being told not to take my hungry/ angry/ naughty/ sad/ ill child somewhere.

Sometimes, you've gotta go somewhere, irrespective of the condition of your child. And the kid has to come too, like it or not. If I could send the servant out instead, I would. It's such a bloody intolerant, smug approach. We all screw up sometimes, FGS, if you never take your child somewhere ill-advised, I'll eat my hat. Hearing a screaming ranting child is not going to kill anyone, the world just has to put up with it, it's not like blowing up the supermarket.

my parents used to feed me a pepperami at the supermarket then present the wrapper to the till lady when we left. that was the 80s though. i'd let him eat the sarnie.

I do this all the time.

Asda are most understanding.
Tesco are ok
Sainsbury's sometimes need "the look"

As long as you are going to pay for it, I don't see the problem.

we usually do the same as aragon - an apple on the way round. i used to live abroad and enjoyed the relaxed attitude to shopping in the mediterranean - eating before getting to the checkout, trying out fruit, etc.

so consensus is screaming child that is hungry and could be shut up with a bit of french stick or the like is worse. ironically i have just taken ds to the newsagents, got him some chocolate buttons (sorry MN food police!) and then he had a tantrum cos i went to pay for them and he thought i wasn't going to give them him. he's 8 months FFS!

Dcs always have some bread on their way round supermarket. I though it was a legal requirement to feed them once they got into the trolley...

We always try to make sure DS has something he can munch on in his bag but we can't do it all the time. We've given him chunks of bread/those organic carrot stick crisp things/biscotti (so (fruit) shoot me )

I had to placate DD1 a few times when in supermarket and now every time I go through the doors her first words to me are '"read, bread"! So I always get 2 brown rolls so I remember to pay for the one that's been eaten when i get to check out.

Have to say that DS is never truly hungry when he asks for (no make that demands)the apple. It just helps keep him occupied and amused in the same way that helping me with the shopping does. With the combination of the apple and the task of watching for items on the shopping list so that "Mummy doesn't forget them" it means a sane trip round Tesco (or wherever) for us and all other shoppers.

Just re-read funnypeculiar's post and am now giggling.

Message withdrawn

Message withdrawn

I give my children something most time we go to the supermarket. Fruit, roll, something from the baker. They are not hungry just bored. and ds thinks its a treat
Never had a problem though.