I don't mind seeing little kids in the store, I think many of them are so adorable.
What I don't like is when a parent comes in with their kids, and then lets them run around the store touching/breaking stuff while the parent is talking on their cell phone.
We see tons of little children every day in the store with their parents. And about 95% of them stick next to their parents and are quiet, not saying a word. They are especially cute when I try to talk to them and they get all shy and hide behind their parent's leg.
It's that 5% that make me want to pull my hair out.
I don't mind if someone lets their kids roam the store. But make sure they aren't picking items up and trying to open them (candy bars, bags of chips). I can't stand it when I see parents on their cell phones while their kids run wild and we, the cashiers, are left to babysit them.
And on the rare occasion that one of us actually says something to these parents, we are then made to look like the bad ones, not them.
We are not babysitters. Don't abandon your children so you can have a good time talking on the phone to your BFF.
We get a lot of weirdos in the store. Heck, there's a lot of weirdos all over the world. If you aren't paying attention to your children, these weirdos might be. And when you are on your phone and not watching your children, these weirdos may take them. Pay attention to your kids at all times.
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Happy SITS Saturday Sharefest!
ReplyDeleteGood advice for sure! : )
ReplyDeleteHappy SITS Saturday Sharefest! As a mom with 2 kids, can I tell you there is absolutely no reason why parents can't control their kids better in stores. Everyone has a bad day once in a while, and everyone's kid at some point has a melt down in public. It happens. But when I see situations like that, when the parent is just too cavalier about what the kid is doing, it just drives me crazy. Don't ever think you look bad when you say something to those parents. They are the ones in the wrong.
ReplyDeleteOh my Gosh! I love this.
ReplyDeleteOh the similarities... Totally not trying to spam here, but go read my latest post. You'll agree.
I always tell mine to stay close and not wander far because I don't want someone to blame them. Once we were in a store and the clerk accused my son shoplifting. He hadn't left my side when we came. I even turned out his pockets, nothingin them but lent. Then she said that he ate the chocolate bar. I was like sure, he stuffed a whole bar in his mouth and swallowed it hold. I complained and never saw her there again.
ReplyDeleteTiffany
http://liferequiresmorechocolate.blogspot.com
I worked for years in a bookstore, and for some parents the children's book area was free daycare. I shuddered every time I heard a parent tell their kid to go wait for them in the "play area." It wasn't a play area. Note the absence of toys or slides. It was the part of the bookstore where we tried to sell books to adults for children to read. Not where we wanted kids to go tear the shrink wrap off things, color in the coloring books, and shred the pop-up books. Or poop. Yeah, sometimes they pooped. And sometimes the parents saw it happen, and left it. Amazing. I was ready to cry with gratitude when I saw parents keep their children close at hand (you know, where the kids themselves are safe from sickos) and well behaved. Parents, when you're that person, you make retail employee's day.
ReplyDeleteEwww...I have some good poop stories from my store that I will share eventually. :-)
ReplyDelete