Am I doing something wrong?
Today was one of those days where nothing quite went to plan. By 5pm, I still hadn’t made it to the supermarket, and the list of everyday essentials we had run out of was growing by the second.
Having dropped the boys at grandmas for a quick play, I dashed to the shops with the girls. Needing to fit a weekly shop into a trolley dash I popped Emily (2) in the trolley seat, and put Lucy (4) standing in the end of the trolley. Off we raced ‘beeper'(self scanner) being fought over all the way. As I threw food into the trolley, the girls giggled and chatted between themselves. I have to admit that this was one of the easiest shopping trips I have been on in recent years. I was actually quite enjoying myself. The girls asked for apple juice, and so we beeped it together and put it in the trolley. Then a treat of trifle, some milk, yoghurts. I was really pleased about how quickly we were covering the shop. As we headed off down the bread aisle, Lucy touched a stand with special offer bread items on it. There was a lady on the other side of the stand who glared at me, obviously affronted.
I assumed Lucy had nudged what she was looking at, and apologised on her behalf. We carried on, the girls trying to spot our normal loaf. Suddenly a voice shrieked from behind me. It was the lady from the end of the aisle. “I am sorry, but don’t you think that is absolutely disgusting?!” I quickly looked around, but was unable to find the source of her disgust. She repeated it again “That is totally disgusting!”. She carried on, and pointed directly at Lucy who was standing in the end of the trolley “Letting that child stand in a trolley where people put their food! “. The voice in my head muttered something about the fact that it didn’t worry me as I take my food home and eat it off a plate. Biting my tongue, I simply stated that I didn’t see it as a problem. She rudely informed me that it was indeed a problem. She herself had raised 5 children and would never have dreamed of doing anything so disgusting. I think I must have thought rather than said out loud how sorry I was to hear that she had not only bred once, but 5 times, as she carried on with her abuse and insults unhindered. Bearing in mind I had two small children in the trolley, I decided to brush her off and carry on selecting the bread with the girls.
As the lady eventually departed, Lucy said to me, “Mummy, why was that lady talking to you?”. I replied, “Oh she is just some batty old lady”. At that moment, a man came along behind me and announced that she was not indeed a batty old lady, she was his wife. By this time, I was becoming stressed about getting back to collect the boys before grandma’s goodwill ran out. I offered him my commiserations for the fact that she was his wife, to which he responded that everyone knew it was totally disgusting to let a child stand in a trolley. Slightly less bolshy than his wife, he then scuttled off. As he did, another family came past, one child in the seat and one in the trolley, Dad moving quickly. I finished the last few aisles in reasonable time, and got back to pick up the boys and get home for pyjama time.
The more I thought about it, the more irritated I became. There are lots of disgusting things that kids do in supermarkets. I know because between my 4, they have pretty much covered them all. These include:
- – Filling their nappies with leaky pooh. Now that is unhygienic (cue purchase of large box of baby wipes).
– Taking bites out of the fruit and then putting it back (don’t worry, if I see it, I buy it!)
– Punching holes the meat packets ( yes, again I buy it!)
– Licking the freezer doors (weird, I know!)
– Not quite making it to the loo for a wee.
Now I do not condone any of these things, but these are behaviours by my kids which I have felt embarrassed about. Standing in a trolley, however, is not something which had crossed my radar. Had I not put the second child in the trolley, my shop would have taken at least double the time, time I really didn’t have.
As I sit here, I am wondering I am I right or wrong. Obviously there were other parents in the supermarket at the same time as me doing the same thing, so at least I don’t feel like I am totally alone. I do feel a bit shaken though. Is this something which shoppers as a whole find inappropriate? Do you do it?
Www.4kidsandachicken.com 
Personally I’d have told the pair to “Mind your nose!” or my usual eloquent “Och, do one!”
They sound precious beyond belief. I can think of lots more disgusting things that I routinely find in my shopping trolley (used tissues, brown goo, seagull poo, discarded food, etc.) And don’t start me on the unidentified sticky film on the trolley handles… Try and forget about them. Not worth your anger, IMO
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I like that, Mind your nose! I am going to give that one a try 😂😂😂
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I don’t think you’ve done anything wrong at all, and anyway, surely the food you put in a supermarket trolley is packaged or in bags, so not at risk of contamination.
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My thoughts exactly! I would be more worried about the raw chicken than a 4 year olds shoes!
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It’s a good question.. I have stood my daughter many a time in a shopping trolley, to get round the place efficiently and for the fun. But I am forever telling her off for jumping up on a pub sofa or chair, or in fact climbing any public table or chair as this is deemed disrespectful.
A chair? Worst case you get some of the left over mud from the Jones kitchen stuck to your bum
Table? Well you might be eating your dinner there so a child with dirty shoes on is not good! but really wouldn’t bother me, we have survived this long on the planet dirty feet would have killed us off along time ago if it was a real issue.
Shopping trolley? I personally am more concerned with what they (the super markets) put in the food that we put in our trolleys, than the cleanliness of a fantastic child who’s only crime is catching a trolley ride.
That same couple are probably lobbying for the super markets to spray every trolley with some unknown untested chemical every time they are touched, probably to stop there fear of world wide contamination infection or a zombi apocalypse, that will eventually turn out to be carcinogenic
Throw the kids in the trolley and have fun leave the supermarket food outside the trolley!!!
Build a vegetable garden!!
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It’s a very good question. I often put my daughter in the trolley, for efficiency of the shop or just plane fun. But I am forever telling her off for climbing on public chairs/tables as its disrespectful.
Chair? The worst that can happen is you end up with some mud from the Jones kitchen floor on you bum.
Table? Well you might eat off a table so it is wrong to let your daughter run all over one in public. But then do we eat directly of a table? Do we eat directly of a trolley?
Trolleys? I would be more concerned with what they (the supermarkets&suppliers) put in the food that we put in the trolleys? than a great kid escorted by a great mum who’s greatest crime is catching a trolley ride. That mud/dirt has been around millions of years, some of what is in our food has only just turned up!!
Ignore this couple as they are probably lobbying to have the supermarkets spray the trolleys everything time they are touched with some untested chemical to avoid world mud contamination or a zombi apocalypse! This chemical will know doubt turn out to be carcinogenic,
Put the kids in the trolley and have fun, keep the food out of the trolley and build a vegetable garden!
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Ace reply! I might have this printed on a card so .i can give it to them if I meet them again while shopping!
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Gilly I do it too , don’t worry! You should have suggested online shopping as the way forward for her😀
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Glad it’s not just me then! I always think of the smart replies too late! I think I was too stunned!
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