Opening something for your child/ren to eat whilst shopping?

[STARRYSKY]

I was one of those people who before having kids always sad, no way.

Now, I go straight to the youghurt squeezies and DS gets one while I run around grabbing stuff, but thats it, only a squeezie, only one too.
He has on occasion grabbed a mushroom and started chomping it, the checkout peoples are always that surprised that he eats mushrooms they never charge me for it, but I always offer to pay

[Miss.B]

I do it, as I know I'm going to pay for it

And I do it for myself a well. No one batted an eyelid yet

[Traveller]

I don't do it. I think it is good to teach a child restraint in small doses so a toddler I would say no until we are out of the supermarket, and now my kids are older they have to wait until we are home and the shopping is unpacked. The only exception is on a really hot day, I will get a bottle of water at the counter and let them have some whilst we are waiting to be served.

[~StarBright~]

We do sometimes and we dont other times. We have the concept of "We have to pay the lady" and i usually try and drum that in that we cant open things until we pay the lady, so DS has taken to grabbing an apple recently and just starts munching on it before we can even tell him no.. we have offered to pay for them (or get them to weigh an un eaten apple twice) but both times we were told no its ok! (ne of the check out ladies was just so impressed his special treat for the shopping trip was an apple that she said, "just have it!!!!!"

But I am trying to actually make an effort to stop him. Last time we went shopping he grabbed some chewy lifesaver things and just right away started to open them, DH took them off him and said no, not until we pay the lady and popped them in his pocket, and we darn near nearly stole them because Dh forgot about them til we were at the counter and DS asked where his lollies were for the lady!!! Also I am waiting for the day he goes to open something that i cant afford to pay for!! So I am trying to teach him that its not ok!!!

I find it really hard shopping with DS and DD.. often i will buy DS an icecream or something and pop him in the trolley bit of the trolley if i am just doing a little shop- otherwise if he is loose and i have DD in the trolley I seem to be forever abandoning her in the middle of the supermarket to chase after DS!!! Even when both DH and I take them both its a fun time trying to keep up with him!! So I am completely understanding of any parent who uses it as bribery!!!!! Its just that sometimes it backfires!!!

[Nai]

It depends really - often I buy something from the bakery before I go in for them to eat but that is usually because I need change for the trolley

These days I tell them to pick something and they can carry it around until we get to the checkout and then they can have it once we have paid- but then it also depends on their mood and if there is a tantrum brewing.

[widdly]

When DS was younger I often opened food for him to eat, anything to shut him up while I got the shopping done! No one batted an eye lid and I always made sure that I kept the whole barcode of the item so it was easy for the cashier to scan. Nowdays DS choses a lollie and carries it around til we pay for it, he is not allowed to open it til we get in the car.

[*Efjay*]

I will with my little ones who are too little to really understand. Like others if it means no tantrum while getting it done then great. But No the big kids have to wait. DH though, will happily open a bottle of coke & drink that before its paid for. I have done that before when I had a itchy throat, you know those eye watering ones. I have also done it with a box of tissues too (more then once actually) When I have had a runny nose or one of the kids has I am not prepared. I don't really see the issue with it.

[Glamourcide]

I have a set shopping day every week and go prepared - throw a couple of muesli bars in my handbag and make sure DD2 takes her water bottle (DD1 goes to daycare, it's too much of a hassle to take them both!) so we don't even get to the stage of umming and ahhing over whether to open a snack before we get to the checkout. I usually stop for a coffee at Donut King before hitting Woolies anyway, so DD2 gets a plain donut to keep her amused.
That being said, there are times when I've had both kids with me, or the pantry's been bare and I haven't had snacks at home to pack for the outing, but I've drilled into the kids that they simply have to wait until we've paid before they can open an item. They're bad for grabbing chocolate bars etc and tearing them open straight away, which is the main reason I try to push the point so strongly - I don't need an extra $10 on my weekly grocery shop because the kids are being piglets and won't take 'no' for an answer! They already know that if they open something, I'll let them have it and be forced to pay for it, but they know by now that doing so gets them in big trouble
I have had occasions when they've opened something before getting to the checkout, and dropped the wrapper or thrown it in the trolley and I've totally forgotten about it. I'd really hate to have a criminal record for a slip in my (admittedly poor) memory, so to save myself the heartache of wondering where that bloody Kinder Surprise wrapper or empty Breaka carton went, or forgetting it even got consumed and ending up charged with theft, I've just pushed that we can't eat it until we've paid for it. Works for us, I don't *disagree* with people opening and consuming items in the supermarket (provided they intend to AND follow through with paying for the item), it's just something I try to avoid with my kids as they tend to be 'give an inch, take a mile' kind of children

[fionas]

I think this is another occasion where I may be showing my age when I say, "hell no".

This is in the etiquette section and for me it's irrelevant as to whether it's illegal or not. It just feels like bad manners to start opening and scoffing on food before it's paid for.

Mind you, I'm a pretty boring shopper to a 3-year-old. Very rarely buy anything that she wants to eat there and then.

[wysiwyg]

Is really interesting to see how many people take snacks into a food shop for children to eat - I always thought this was a big no - no - maybe it was different in the UK? maybe was a line my parents spun me? because then anyone in the store can't tell if you brought it in or picked it up off the shelf (sometimes you might have the receipt for the thing you take in with you is true but at that point you are at the point of being challenged about whether is a bought elsewhere item or not - and snacks from home I assume you wouldn't carry receipt with you). Is funny how ingrained habits can be, I had never thought of taking food with me for DD into the shop for above reasons, and to me that does feel weirder than eating an item before paying for it at check out.

[helle]

pfft, forget the kids self control. 9 times out of 10 i will open a bottle of water up for myself that i haven't paid for.

[~ Zarava Flutterby ~]

I haven't read all the replies as yet BUT my experience is this.

i never took snacks for my girls, DD1 never asked for food in the shops and i quiet easily managed to get through without bribing her to be quiet etc, DD2 came along and having DD1 in the back of the trolley where she could reach things made life difficult, she is allowed to hold things but is generally not allowed to eat anything until AFTER were out of the shop.
That said she has on occassion grabbed an apple and taken a bite, so i always grab an extra apple ask them to weight it and then get them to put it back and explain to DD she's not supposed to eat it.

I don't have an issue with people who give their child something to eat aslong as they pay for it, i don't agree with giving kids grapes etc to eat and then not weighing a right amount.. thats stealing.

[Cherished]

Some people totally have their head up their you know whats. If my child is hungry and for some reason I don't have any food and we are in a food store I will open food and give it to my child. it has nothing to do with self control or teaching the child anything! It has to do with feeding my hungry child

[Erin_25]

Some people totally have their head up their you know whats. If my child is hungry and for some reason I don't have any food and we are in a food store I will open food and give it to my child. it has nothing to do with self control or teaching the child anything! It has to do with feeding my hungry child

Yeah that's where I had the disagreement with DH, I open a pack of biscuits I fully intend to pay for and it's always something I was going to get anyway...I am there to get food. If my child is hungry or be it whinging and I need to think before I forget everthing I went there for I will open something (if I don't already have something with me).

But DH agreed children need to wait and learn to wait.

But hey I also think supermarkets should be like pubs, no kids allowed til 18 some days they just kill my shopping mojo!!

[meow]

I used to open stuff all the time! When I was pregnant I would open a chocolate milk for myself And when shopping with my son I usually always opened something. I shop unpregnant by myself now so it doesn't happen anymore.

[Bathsheba]

We are a non-opening until you pay for it family. I would worry that if i did it once then my kids would come to expect it everytime. Plus it doesn't feel right, to me it feels like stealing.

[Cass72]

Another opener here!

I've been caught on the way home from work with our LO about to set into a major meltdown because he's had a long day at childcare and is hungry or tired or both. I'll quite happily put him in the trolley, grab a jar of babyfood (and usually a spoon if I don't have one in my handbag - lost count of how many spoons I've bought!!) and feed him as we walk around the aisles. I always pay for it when I leave, but from what I understand, each time I do this I am essentially "shoplifting" as I'm using an item I haven't paid for. I wouldn't though open a bag of sweets.

Oh, I did see someone give their LO a banana. As she was peeling it she explained to her other half (in a rather exasperated tone) that she would pay for it when they went through the checkout. As the lady looked completely washed out (and I knew exactly how she felt!) I just hid my smile: um, an eaten banana is going to weigh a little less than a whole one!!

[MrsFabuloso]

I haven't read the thread, but thoguht I'd add my 2c

I give my kids something everytime we go shopping. Usually a lolly pop or milkyway. It's somethink they look forward to and it's half way through the whole experience of shopping, so it tends to be when they're getting a bit feral. Then when they get their treat, they usually calm down to eat it and it gives me time to regroup and deal with them better rather than screaming at them down the aisles!
I don't think it's stealing at all. I think if you have the intent of paying for the item, then there's no malice in it and it's all good!