What do you say to people who let their kids run wild at the grocery store?

Question

Every time I go to the grocery store people are letting their kids run wild. They just seem to ignore their kids and go about their shopping. I think that the store employees should say something, but they never do. They are contantly running in front of my basket and blocking the isles. Should I get onto them or say something to the parents?

Answer 1

Nothing that works, safely . . . and just know that THESE are the folks who get in the express line - with 3X the 'allowed' number of items! and the check-out clerk says NOTHING either!!!

Solution(s)???

Tell the manager that you are shopping elsewhere
Write a letter of complaint to the local paper editor
Picket in front of the store, with your friends and neighbors
Shop 'after hours', or 'before hours' - when parents/kids sleep

Answer 2

Okay, there are some moms who have to shop with their children and there are not enough carts made for older children around and you cannot put three children into these carts, so as a result parents have to let their kids run in the store. Some moms try their best to keep their kids in a line moving through the store but that is very difficult to do when you are one woman in a store trying to get the things you need and hold onto children - I am sorry, but we just don't have that many hands, nor are we that many people. If you are really upset by the children in the store, try shopping at a time when most moms and children are not in the store - shop very early in the morning or shop in the middle of the night, when most parents are trying to get their children in bed. This might help you shop unobstructed.

Answer 3

If I were in your situation, I might probably consider talking to the parents if ther kids were really misbehaving not just once, but maybe twice or thrice. Honestly, it really depends on the situation also. If the kids kept on bumping at people's carts (and your cart, too), well that will call for an action from your side. But if the kids let's say, accidentally bumped into my cart or accidentally messed up a shelf of canned goods, well, I might probably ignore them.

To talk to the parents takes a lot of courage, too and I truly believe that you might probably encounter a lot of oppositions, too.

Somehow in grocery stores, employees wouldn't bother reprimanding other people's kids especially that these are their customers, too. The staff are simply following their job description and following orders from the supervisors and I guess, no staff would want to come in contact with a moody or temperamental adult. Discipling other people's kids is simply not part of their job description. But unless it happens a small grocery shop, the owner himself might take the initiative to gently remind the misbehaving kids to tone it down.

Yours is really a case-to-case basis. But if it troubles you really and that you cannot stand such misbehaving kids, then go ahead and talk to the parent. Hopefully, the parents will 'listen' to you and tell their kids to behave.

Answer 4

I would go speak with the manager, because talking with the parents could escalate into an unpleasant shouting match. You could try cornering the kids and speaking with them in a patient way. Try letting them know that they are disturbing others, that they are endangering themselves, and need to behave. Tell them that a store isn't the place to run and horse around...to save it for the park or playground.

I have spoken with children and/or parents, and store managers. Don't ignore it.

Answer 5

I used to work in a retail store and I did say something to a child one day. I got a really ugly look from his Mom but I explained to her that he was going to cause an accident and it was my responsibility to see that nobody got injured. I mean, this kid was pulling stuff off the shelves in every aisle they were going down. I finally got tired of following and putting stuff back up. It's just ridiculous that his mother let him behave this way.

Answer 6

i usually act like i dont know its their kids that are running a muck, and i will turn to the parents and look them in the eye and say " man those kids parents must not care if their kids do anything they want huh? They usually get mad or just walk away. I blame the adults not the kids. I think if people werent afraid to yell at their kids in public; then we wouldnt have these problems. My kids dont do sh*t like that, cause i will swat their @sses and i dont give a $hit who sees it.

Answer 7

i think you should say politely to stop running in front of your cart dont block the isle bc you have to get by to grocery shop if it dont help then speak to the parents

Answer 8

I feel your pain, but the answer is nothing, if they don't care that there kids are brats do you think they will care what you say to them? Just write it up as a bad time to go to the store and try to ignore them ( if you can :):):)

Answer 9

They have no idea how annoying and rude that is. You have to teach your children that that behavior is not acceptable and further more their in a public place...Spoiling children like that will only be a bigger problem to the parents in the long run when the child gets older.

Answer 10

tell the parents to control their kids and bring up that the grocery store is the place most kids get kidnapped