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

[Pandora]

Misty, it's not against the law unless you leave the shop and don't pay.

[Phteven]

Because I'd rather play than sleep sleep I have emailed Coles and Woolies. Aldi didn't have a contact form.

Dear Coles/Woolworths,
If one is shopping with a toddler and one opens a packet of food and gives some to the toddler prior to paying is this ok?
Is giving a piece of fruit to the toddler and getting a similar piece of fruit weighed at checkout ok?
Thanks for your time.
Chloe.

If they reply I will post it here.

[*Efjay*]

Forget the moral / ethical implications (FWIW, I do think it is immoral, unethical to consume something you haven't yet paid for), It is illegal.

To me, that is enough.

It is against the law.

I also personally feel that it doesn't hurt kids to wait for things, and to learn that they cannot have everything as soon as they want it. Even my not yet 2yr old grasps the concept that he has to pay for thing BEFORE he is allowed to eat them. He will dutifully hold the treat until we get to the checkout where it can be scanned. Although I will admit to occaisionally opening the treat straight after scanning and prior to actual payment on the rare occaision.

I don't let my kids open "treats" before they are paid for. If they are well behaved and are allowed a treat, then that have to wait till they give it the lady. For me, when I say little ones, its usually up to about 2 years of age that I will allow them to have something while I do the shop. Its always been a squeezy yogurt thing or before I reached that age, a baby food that comes in the same squeezy style pack. Its either stop completely & breastfeed OR keep going & keep little one happy. But No, I wouldn't allow them to open a chocolate or something like that before its paid for.

What is the actual law that makes it illegal to pay for an empty wrapper?

[Ca Plane Pour Moi]

Bon idee, Onyx - look forward to seeing if you get a reply.

[Just Me]

Forget the moral / ethical implications (FWIW, I do think it is immoral, unethical to consume something you haven't yet paid for), It is illegal.

To me, that is enough.

It is against the law.

I also personally feel that it doesn't hurt kids to wait for things, and to learn that they cannot have everything as soon as they want it. Even my not yet 2yr old grasps the concept that he has to pay for thing BEFORE he is allowed to eat them. He will dutifully hold the treat until we get to the checkout where it can be scanned. Although I will admit to occaisionally opening the treat straight after scanning and prior to actual payment on the rare occaision.

I'm not sure that it is illegal - in restaurants we often eat before we pay. I don't know if it is the same thing though

If I ever find myself without snacks, I go to the deli and buy cherios (****tail weiners I think they are called in other states ... learned that the hard way on a holiday to Sydney ) and ask them to leave a couple out for me. They always do it and sometimes they give them to us for free

I don't like opening packets myself but that's because I feel funny about doing it. If I buy my kids something, I let them carry it out of the shop and that is usually enough to keep them happy. But the ultimate solution ... online grocery shopping Everyone wins

[onthefly]

I can remember my mum doing this a couple of times when I was young and we were shopping in the big city. Felt so illicit and daring!
I dont' really want my kids to get into the habit of expecting things off the shelves, so we don't do it. I feed DS before we go and take things in case he needs something. In a pinch I might get something extra, but we have to pay before he can have it.
It always felt kind of wrong to me. I can understand needing to head off a massive tantrum, however.

[*Efjay*]

tail weiners

Im from Sydney & have NO idea what that is LOL. I assume a Frankfurt maybe? LOL

[Frangipani]

I usually pack a little bag of treats (usually in DS1's little backpack cause he insists on taking it anyway so why not make it useful ) so i don't usually open stuff we're buying for them to eat. I don't have a problem with people doing it though- i just have never (that i can recall) had the need- i've always done the shopping prepared. But if i ever needed to i would to keep my boys happy- which in turn makes shopping much more enjoyable and less rushed.

We do however give them a grape or 2 as we are putting them in a bag. But it has come in handy to know whether the grape they claim to be seedless are actually seedless (my boys will not eat them if they aren't seedless). Plus also its nice to know they're not sour too.

We also have made a bit of a habit (i blame DH cause he started it ) lately when we all go shopping- which is rare these days as i try to do the shopping on my own mostly- of letting them both have a little bottle of flavoured milk each to open- which is at the first isle in all our supermarkets. DS1 even runs up to them now- picks 2 colours and asks DS2 which colour he wants then gives it to him. I don't mind doing this- even though i've also brought water with us- its small little treat that keeps them happy for rest of the 30-45mins we are shopping...so its worth it in our eyes

[Party-of-five]

Mostly my kids have a squeezie yoghurt or a cracker....or a lolly who am I kidding I have a 1 and 2 year old I hate food shopping with them I give them what ever keeps them quiet Im that frazzled mum you see that makes you think "why is she not doing online shopping??"

[~*familyof3*~]

Im stricked I pretty much refuse to buy something if its not on my shopping list lol I find it cuts the bill down BUT every now n then they can pick a treat but I wont let them have it untill its been scanned. And drinks.....well on the odd occasion they/we get thirsty I do grab a bottle of water and there allowed to have it.

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[StrawberryFields]

Haven't read the rest of the replies but I tend to agree with the radio caller . Frankly, it seriously ****es me off when I see childless adults do it - I mean are you really going to be in the store that long that you need sustenance? FFS, exercise some self control.

When it comes to kids though, I guess it depends on how you parent. I don't agree with it, and it does kind of cheese me off in a way, but at least I can see why people would do it when its a child - and I'll admit that I appreciate it if it shuts up a persistently screaming child lol

When I was a kid I was allowed to have a grape or something if mum was buying grapes, but otherwise I knew I wasn't getting anything until the checkout and that was only if I sat down, shut up, and behaved myself. It may have been a Golden Book, or a Kinder Surprise or something, but mum never let me know I was getting it until we were at the checkout so it was never really an issue. Of course that was back in the day where parents also weren't afraid to discipline their kids in public, so I also got a quick smack if I misbehaved - on top of no chance for a treat.

Of course, if your child really needs a drink or something and you haven't got any with you/any left then I'd understand opening something before checking out - I wouldn't hesitate to do that if my child was suddenly sick or choking or something!

But...its all well and good for me to say this now - ask me again in 2 years!

[[M]umma[M]ia]

But...its all well and good for me to say this now - ask me again in 2 years!

Exactly. Im sure your thoughts would have changed with 2 babies!

[StrawberryFields]

MM- Thats what I'm thinking haha

Though, I'm a night shopper, so I'll be avoiding taking them like the plague if I can help it - DH has already agreed to the plan that he watches the babies, and I go do the shop around 730pm. HOPEFULLY it works.

[NaeNae]

Onyx - I am curious to see the reply but regardless of the answer this thread is an etiquette thread, a question was simply asked if people are ok with it, seems most are and some are not ... seems you're after a definitive answer to justify what you and so many others do? I could be wrong though.

I was brought up that you do not take things that do not belong to you that includes supermarket items. Call me old fashioned but I intend to teach my children that its not ok to take from a Supermarket (afterall that is what we are talking about, not restaurants or cafes) until an item is paid for ... even if the intention to pay is there.

I don't judge others that do it even though I morally find it very wrong, I choose to not do it. If all the big chain stores said they don't care providing people pay for what is consumed, I still would not do it and I still would tell my child its not the right thing to do.

[Yeddi]

It may sound harsh, but I consider the act of opening or consuming a product that is still technically the "shops property" stealing. You have not yet paid for the item even if you have the intention of paying for it, its theft as it still belongs to the store.

I agree. When you work at a supermarket you have to get special stickers put onto anything you take into the store that you can buy to make sure you're not taking things off the shelf.

In a shop, there is the expectation that you buy before you eat also. In a restaurant, there is the promise of payment, you have informed the staff of your consumption by ordering the food. In a shop there is not that same promise.

Again, I agree. I think it is faulty logic to compare restaurants and supermarkets - They are not the same beast. There is a level of accountability at a restaurant when you consume food before paying. You have to put an order in and what you eat is recorded before you eat it and then re-recorded when you are given the bill. You are handed the food by staff and sit down in full view of them to eat it. It's a very different situation to helping yourself to things with no one knowing what you have taken and how much as you walk up and down aisles, relying on you being honest enough to present it at the counter when it comes time for payment. The only accountability you have there is what you place on yourself and maybe what the security camera's might hold you to when you're getting charged for shop lifting.

Those products are the shops until you purchase them to make them yours. Helping yourself to them before then is just rude in my opinion (you wouldn't go into someone's house and help yourself to their pantry). As for the excuse of "I'd rather that than a screaming child", I don't see why the shop has to take on the burden of responsibility either for the laziness of not taking something with you, the laziness of not going to the checkout to buy something up front at the beginning of the shop (and getting your sticker put on it) or simply teaching children delayed gratification.

[loulabelle]

If I have to take both kids shopping and there aren't any taste testers, ill do it if the kids a ratty. Not things that need to be weighed but I'll open a pack of musli bars or something.
To me, that's better than having the kids run riot or chuck tantrums.
Our supermarket is small and we know the check out girls. They've never seemed to have an issue at all.

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[~clover~]

As for the excuse of "I'd rather that than a screaming child", I don't see why the shop has to take on the burden of responsibility either for the laziness of not taking something with you, the laziness of not going to the checkout to buy something up front at the beginning of the shop (and getting your sticker put on it) or simply teaching children delayed gratification.

There is also the fact that sometimes life is just not that simple. But no more excuses. I will go that extra mile, causing myself more pain than is necessary next time.
I won't keep making my excuses for the occasions that i allow it.

[AnyDream]

Our shop hands out lots of treats and tastings if you go on the right days. If this was a problem for other bazillionaire grocery chains perhaps they could follow suit.

Fwiw I have very different expectations of my children's behaviour in the shop depending on their age. Also as a working parent I don't always get the luxury of shopping at a time of day when the kids are inclined to cooperate as they might at other times.