Errands with Maskless ASD child?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Some stores still do seniors and people with disabilities hours. Maybe go during those hours?

No, these are precisely the hours OP should avoid with a small unmasked child. They are for the elderly and for people more at risk to Covid, everyone with be masked and wearing face shields.

I would do grocery pickup so that you can stay in the car, as do as many drive through errands as possible. If you are in MoCo, that may mean you have to drive out of your way to newer areas.

If you can't do pickup or delivery, I would go during the afternoon or anytime you think more people are going out to do errands with kids.

It would be during the afternoon because therapy is in the morning, anyway.

Grocery pickup/delivery is terrible. I've been trying it more the last few weeks because of the changes with therapy, and as I've said, it just makes me need to go to the store anyway to get things they missed or to replace things that were bad. I'll keep doing it for some basics that they can't possibly screw up, but it's absolutely no replacement for trips to get ingredients for meals.

What service are you using? I do Whole Foods via prime, or occasionally wegmans, and I’ve had zero issues with either.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What errands do you absolutely have to do?

This. I think you need to rethink your life more and stop running so many errands. Grocery stores offer free curbside pickup. Pharmacies can deliver medicine through the mail. What errand is so essential that you have to do it in person?

Yup. Stay home OP. Forever.

Month 10 of “flatten the curve”...

[Anonymous]

Op these people are nuts.
My SN son wears a mask, but if he didn't I would just take him to the store when I needed to. There's a mask exception for those with developmental disabilities for a reason.

DCUM is full of hysterics.

[Anonymous]

OP you are also right about delivery and pickup being highly lacking. We are always missing essential items from our list.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Op these people are nuts.
My SN son wears a mask, but if he didn't I would just take him to the store when I needed to. There's a mask exception for those with developmental disabilities for a reason.

DCUM is full of hysterics.

I don’t see many that are hysterical.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This thread is a microcosm of society. Appreciate it when you meet kind ppl Op. It doesn't get easier but you'll get tougher and even develop a sense of humor (I explained to one person that the only way to get mu kid to mask is to tie him up and gag him, but my pediatrician frowns upon my doing this and suggested gentler parenting methods.)

OP here. I pretty much reached that point by the time my kids were two. Pre-COVID it was sometimes fun to talk back to the uptight Potomac/Bethesda mom's when they'd say something about my kids. I think they were trying to be helpful in their own way, but were incredibly condescending in the process. I noticed I would get more comments than my wife. I kind of suspect they think they're trying to help the "clueless" dad, while they just whisper snarky remarks to friends about my wife. We don't really care- we would rarely run into these people a second time.

But between working, COVID, and all the therapy visits, I just don't the energy to engage then anymore. I just want to everything done that needs to be done and hope I can get to bed before midnight.

[Anonymous]

OP- I posted earlier saying why must you go to the store. The reason you are getting no sympathy has nothing to do with your child having ASD. Many small children, including my 2.5 year old, does not want to wear a mask. This has NOTHING to do with special needs- so stop playing the martyr. Most of us have not taken our toddlers or preschoolers on errands in months. The reason I would judge you is not because your child is maskless- I get it, it's hard to get a 3 year old of any kind in a mask- it's because I would wonder why you think you are so special that you MUST go to the store in person with such a young child, when you should just get your stuff delivered!!!!

So maybe you don't get the exact brand of sugar you want? Or they don't deliver a single ingredient- make something else!!! Improvise! That is what almost everyone else on this thread is doing. Go the store when your partner can watch your child or send your partner to the store. But stop the whining about this being about your ASD child- this is an issue for EVERY PARENT OF A TODDLER OR SMALL CHILD NOW!!! Most 2 year olds are just not going to the store!!!!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Some stores still do seniors and people with disabilities hours. Maybe go during those hours?

No! Don’t take a maskless child to senior hour! This is a terrible suggestion!

OP here. Yeah, I wouldn't do that. Realistically I think it would be fine, but I know those people are going to be particularly freaked out.

How would it realistically be fine?!?!? Are you 80? Is your child a recent solid organ transplant recipient on immunosuppressive treatment? No? Then stay the F out! Especially without a damn mask. Come on people.

Close. So remarkably close it's actually a little funny.

So you’re 80, with a 3 year old? Or your 3 year old had a heart transplant 4 months ago but you’re still taking them maskless out to the store?

Again, close, and yes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP- I posted earlier saying why must you go to the store. The reason you are getting no sympathy has nothing to do with your child having ASD. Many small children, including my 2.5 year old, does not want to wear a mask. This has NOTHING to do with special needs- so stop playing the martyr. Most of us have not taken our toddlers or preschoolers on errands in months. The reason I would judge you is not because your child is maskless- I get it, it's hard to get a 3 year old of any kind in a mask- it's because I would wonder why you think you are so special that you MUST go to the store in person with such a young child, when you should just get your stuff delivered!!!!

So maybe you don't get the exact brand of sugar you want? Or they don't deliver a single ingredient- make something else!!! Improvise! That is what almost everyone else on this thread is doing. Go the store when your partner can watch your child or send your partner to the store. But stop the whining about this being about your ASD child- this is an issue for EVERY PARENT OF A TODDLER OR SMALL CHILD NOW!!! Most 2 year olds are just not going to the store!!!!

I don't think I ever asked for sympathy. Just ideas. I got a couple constructive ideas.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP- I posted earlier saying why must you go to the store. The reason you are getting no sympathy has nothing to do with your child having ASD. Many small children, including my 2.5 year old, does not want to wear a mask. This has NOTHING to do with special needs- so stop playing the martyr. Most of us have not taken our toddlers or preschoolers on errands in months. The reason I would judge you is not because your child is maskless- I get it, it's hard to get a 3 year old of any kind in a mask- it's because I would wonder why you think you are so special that you MUST go to the store in person with such a young child, when you should just get your stuff delivered!!!!

So maybe you don't get the exact brand of sugar you want? Or they don't deliver a single ingredient- make something else!!! Improvise! That is what almost everyone else on this thread is doing. Go the store when your partner can watch your child or send your partner to the store. But stop the whining about this being about your ASD child- this is an issue for EVERY PARENT OF A TODDLER OR SMALL CHILD NOW!!! Most 2 year olds are just not going to the store!!!!

I don't think I ever asked for sympathy. Just ideas. I got a couple constructive ideas.

You don't actually need to go to the store, you want to go to the store, and you want to take your child. Because you got plenty of helpful ideas if what you need is groceries or necessities.

So from that starting point, the most constructive idea would be to consider why you find going to the grocery store (or, i suspect, Target) to be recreational/fulfilling and see if you can fill that void elsewhere, in a way that doesn't put others in danger. Go for a walk with a friend, get drive through Starbucks and listen to a podcast, whatever, but figure out what it is about going to the store that is so appealing to you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Some stores still do seniors and people with disabilities hours. Maybe go during those hours?

No, these are precisely the hours OP should avoid with a small unmasked child. They are for the elderly and for people more at risk to Covid, everyone with be masked and wearing face shields.

I would do grocery pickup so that you can stay in the car, as do as many drive through errands as possible. If you are in MoCo, that may mean you have to drive out of your way to newer areas.

If you can't do pickup or delivery, I would go during the afternoon or anytime you think more people are going out to do errands with kids.

It would be during the afternoon because therapy is in the morning, anyway.

Grocery pickup/delivery is terrible. I've been trying it more the last few weeks because of the changes with therapy, and as I've said, it just makes me need to go to the store anyway to get things they missed or to replace things that were bad. I'll keep doing it for some basics that they can't possibly screw up, but it's absolutely no replacement for trips to get ingredients for meals.

This is ridiculous. My DH cooks seriously complex dishes, and we get all of our groceries delivered. Haven’t been in a store since March. You need to try another delivery service if yours is so bad.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Some stores still do seniors and people with disabilities hours. Maybe go during those hours?

Please don’t bring your maskless child to senior citizens hour at the grocery store which is there to reduce risk of disease transmission to seniors 🙄

Thank you. Common sense is completely dead in this country.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There's nothing "practical" about COVID.

The rest of us with young kids also can't leave the house, and errands are just piling up. That's how it is.

Yeah. Substitute "not practical" for "not convenient."

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Some stores still do seniors and people with disabilities hours. Maybe go during those hours?

No! Don’t take a maskless child to senior hour! This is a terrible suggestion!

OP here. Yeah, I wouldn't do that. Realistically I think it would be fine, but I know those people are going to be particularly freaked out.

How would it realistically be fine?!?!? Are you 80? Is your child a recent solid organ transplant recipient on immunosuppressive treatment? No? Then stay the F out! Especially without a damn mask. Come on people.

Close. So remarkably close it's actually a little funny.

So you’re 80, with a 3 year old? Or your 3 year old had a heart transplant 4 months ago but you’re still taking them maskless out to the store?

Again, close, and yes.

Sorry, you are saying you are actually an elderly woman with a young child who recently received an organ transplant? Then neither of you should be going to the store. You’re a terrible mother. But in fact, I don’t believe you. You’re just trying to curry sympathy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This thread is a microcosm of society. Appreciate it when you meet kind ppl Op. It doesn't get easier but you'll get tougher and even develop a sense of humor (I explained to one person that the only way to get mu kid to mask is to tie him up and gag him, but my pediatrician frowns upon my doing this and suggested gentler parenting methods.)

I am kind. I work in a grocery store and have a newborn and mom over 65 at home. I would really appreciate it if you didn’t bring an unmasked child to the grocery store. I don’t want to get sick and pass it on to my mom, husband or baby. We have people we love and want to stay healthy, too.