Children in Supermarkets

I don’t think there is much point about faffing around explaining stuff. I’m getting right to the point.

I hate shopping on Saturdays. For one, there are too many people and for another, most of them insist on bringing their children along. It is a well known fact that children generally hate supermarkets and use them as a place for misbehaving.

Parents ask yourselves this: must you bring the children with you? Can’t you leave them with a babysitter/older sibling/cheerful gran? Or better still, go shopping while they are at school or round a friend’s house.

Sometimes when I was little, my parents would take me to the supermarket as a punishment. Brilliant idea, mum and dad! Only, please realise that you are not only punishing your children, but everyone around them. It could just be me, but I don’t think everyone wants to listen to your little brat screaming their head off over a bunch of fruit and veg. If you’re wanting to punish them, why not leave them with the strict auntie they don’t like, or the neighbour with the scary dog (which, for the record, wasn’t really that scary. It was just snoring).

If you really, absolutely can’t leave them anywhere else, then please, PLEASE don’t let them bring their recorder – no matter how good they think they are. Or a walkman, because they really have no inhibitions about “singing” in public. Why not leave them in the cafe, or the toy aisle? And if not that, then please stick a gobstopper in them. It may be full of sugar and colourings, but it will keep them quiet for a few hours. And bring a spare because they will cry if they drop them on the floor.