s/o - do you let your kids eat in the grocery store before you pay?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I frequent these boards looking for advice from time to time. Reading this thread has made me think twice about asking advice from this crew since I really don't see what the big deal about this is at all and it is shocking that some of you find it so offensive.

I knowwwww. It's batshit crazy, isn't it?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:At the Safeway I go to with my son, they always have free samples at the deli counter and bakery, so if he is hungry, we can go to one of those sections with no problem. I personally would never eat something without paying for it, and if my son asks for something in our cart, I let him know we can eat it when we get in the car.

I have never had the experience of my child being excruciatingly starving while grocery shopping, but it that occurred I would pick out something small and go purchase it from the self-serve check out line and then continue with my shopping. If I had a consistently excruciatingly starving child (which I don't) I would learn to either make sure he eats before going to the store or bring snacks with me.

I don't really understand the necessity of eating something before paying for it since there are so many other options that are much more legal.

It's not about being hungry. It gives them something to do. It's a snack, not a flippin' meal. And "much more legal," really? Save the drama for your mama.

[Anonymous]

It is more about the kid learning to wait and acquiring some self-control than legality, for me. No-one needs to eat every second....and we wonder why this country has an obesity problem? Eating isn't "something to do" but what you do in response to genuine hunger.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:At the Safeway I go to with my son, they always have free samples at the deli counter and bakery, so if he is hungry, we can go to one of those sections with no problem. I personally would never eat something without paying for it, and if my son asks for something in our cart, I let him know we can eat it when we get in the car.

I have never had the experience of my child being excruciatingly starving while grocery shopping, but it that occurred I would pick out something small and go purchase it from the self-serve check out line and then continue with my shopping. If I had a consistently excruciatingly starving child (which I don't) I would learn to either make sure he eats before going to the store or bring snacks with me.

I don't really understand the necessity of eating something before paying for it since there are so many other options that are much more legal.

It's not about being hungry. It gives them something to do. It's a snack, not a flippin' meal. And "much more legal," really? Save the drama for your mama.

LOL! I love "much more legal"!!! The courts would have a field day with that. Option A is a little less legal than Option B, but they are all much more legal than option C! It's kind of like being a little bit pregnant. You are, or you aren't. That simple. And until someone can cite actual law stating that opening a box of crackers mid-shopping and paying for the empty box at the end is illegal, gues what, people - it's not illegal!!! Jeez.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It is more about the kid learning to wait and acquiring some self-control than legality, for me. No-one needs to eat every second....and we wonder why this country has an obesity problem? Eating isn't "something to do" but what you do in response to genuine hunger.

Puh-leeze. I'm 5'7" and weigh 125 pounds. I run, lift weights, play tennis, and swim. I've never been obese and come from a family of athletes. My child is not going to become obese because she eats apple chips at the grocery store. You sound miserable. You should get outside and enjoy some fresh air.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:At the Safeway I go to with my son, they always have free samples at the deli counter and bakery, so if he is hungry, we can go to one of those sections with no problem. I personally would never eat something without paying for it, and if my son asks for something in our cart, I let him know we can eat it when we get in the car.

I have never had the experience of my child being excruciatingly starving while grocery shopping, but it that occurred I would pick out something small and go purchase it from the self-serve check out line and then continue with my shopping. If I had a consistently excruciatingly starving child (which I don't) I would learn to either make sure he eats before going to the store or bring snacks with me.

I don't really understand the necessity of eating something before paying for it since there are so many other options that are much more legal.

It's not about being hungry. It gives them something to do. It's a snack, not a flippin' meal. And "much more legal," really? Save the drama for your mama.

LOL! I love "much more legal"!!! The courts would have a field day with that. Option A is a little less legal than Option B, but they are all much more legal than option C! It's kind of like being a little bit pregnant. You are, or you aren't. That simple. And until someone can cite actual law stating that opening a box of crackers mid-shopping and paying for the empty box at the end is illegal, gues what, people - it's not illegal!!! Jeez.

There are some seriously misguided individuals around here. They really need to stop watching reruns of Law and Order.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We have two toddlers. We let them eat fruit from containers that are priced by the unit and not by weight.

^^us too, in MD.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We have two toddlers. We let them eat fruit from containers that are priced by the unit and not by weight.

^^us too, in MD.

Do you also take them shopping for clothes and let them wear the new ones before paying or let them wear new shoes before paying? Do you let them taste a new flavor of toothpaste, use a new toothbrush before paying? No, you don't. If you can't see the that using or consuming something before paying for it is wrong, then you have a major problem. If you don't teach your child when they are small that this is wrong, you will end up with a kid who thinks it is fine to do this when they are 12. Then, there will be some serious consequences to them eating first before paying.

[Anonymous]

I'm a major rule-follower. I don't believe in speeding. I think electronic intellectual property theft is theft. I don't jaywalk.

I have NO problem with this. It is not stealing or illegal. It does not teach my children that it is okay to steal.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We have two toddlers. We let them eat fruit from containers that are priced by the unit and not by weight.

^^us too, in MD.

Do you also take them shopping for clothes and let them wear the new ones before paying or let them wear new shoes before paying? Do you let them taste a new flavor of toothpaste, use a new toothbrush before paying? No, you don't. If you can't see the that using or consuming something before paying for it is wrong, then you have a major problem. If you don't teach your child when they are small that this is wrong, you will end up with a kid who thinks it is fine to do this when they are 12. Then, there will be some serious consequences to them eating first before paying.

I disagree. I think it is possible to explain simple differences to a child. They are thinking creatures, after all, and able to grasp reasonable distinctions and nuances. I, for one, when starving, have been guilty of eating a strawberry or two or a piece of melon out of the pre-priced containers at Whole Foods before paying for the container. I admit it, it's true....sacre bleu! That said, apart from this shocking dereliction, I am a law-abiding, civil, normal, kind, contributing member of society who happens to never have experienced any "serious consequences" as a result of my clearly abject ways.

[Anonymous]

I don't let my children eat fruit before I've washed it. Eating stuff at the grocery store just hasn't occurred to them. I hope it doesn't.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We have two toddlers. We let them eat fruit from containers that are priced by the unit and not by weight.

^^us too, in MD.

Do you also take them shopping for clothes and let them wear the new ones before paying or let them wear new shoes before paying? Do you let them taste a new flavor of toothpaste, use a new toothbrush before paying? No, you don't. If you can't see the that using or consuming something before paying for it is wrong, then you have a major problem. If you don't teach your child when they are small that this is wrong, you will end up with a kid who thinks it is fine to do this when they are 12. Then, there will be some serious consequences to them eating first before paying.

why can't they wear new shoes before paying? My kids do this each time they buy new shoes. This PP is batshit crazy in my opinion.

[Anonymous]

This thread is just so crazy!!! It is not like if we allow our kids to eat at the store that we are setting no boundaries. For example, I won't let DS put something in the cart if I don't intend to purchase just b/c he wants to eat it. Then you say no. But if you are putting something in the cart that you are purchasing, and allowing them to eat that, you are not a push over.

Personally, I would have to think the store would be much more pissed if you left your cart with $200 in the middle of your shopping expedition than if you opened up the box of crackers to appease the 1.5 year old while you finished up and actually bought your food rather than had them reshelf your entire cart.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This thread is just so crazy!!! It is not like if we allow our kids to eat at the store that we are setting no boundaries. For example, I won't let DS put something in the cart if I don't intend to purchase just b/c he wants to eat it. Then you say no. But if you are putting something in the cart that you are purchasing, and allowing them to eat that, you are not a push over.

Personally, I would have to think the store would be much more pissed if you left your cart with $200 in the middle of your shopping expedition than if you opened up the box of crackers to appease the 1.5 year old while you finished up and actually bought your food rather than had them reshelf your entire cart.

Many folks have lost all sense of perspective. Eating a cracker is obviously equivalent to highjacking an airplane.

[Anonymous]

I thought you all were crazy, but here is a "pregnant mom arrested at safeway for eating a sandwich." CPS actually took her daughter overnight for this...

http://www.imperfectparent.com/topics/2011/11/01/pregnant-mom-arrested-at-safeway-for-5-sandwich-speaks-out/