Seeing parents grocery shop with their kids is very amusing. Watching them try to juggle shopping for food and chasing little ones down the aisles is a highlight itself in the mundane world of grocery clerks. Kids yelling and screaming, throwing tantrums when their parents refuse to buy them sweets, knocking items off the shelves, etc. Wouldn’t things be easier if there was a babysitter at your local grocery store?
I see a black chubby kid about 4 or 5 years old walking up and down, opening and closing the freezer doors. He’s been doing this for the last 10-15 minutes…
Me: Hey what’s your name buddy?
He looks at me and smiles.
Cute and Chubby: Chauncey.
Me: Chauncey, is anyone here with you?
He doesn’t say anything.
Me: Is your mommy or daddy here?
Ignoring me, he’s opening and closing the freezer door as I’m trying to talk to him. I announce on the intercom…
INTERCOM: WOULD THE PARENTS OF CHAUNCEY, PLEASE COME TO AISLE 10!
I’m watching Chauncey opening and closing the freezer doors as I wait for someone to come get him. No one does.
Me: Hey buddy, do you want stickers and balloons?
He stops. Looks at me and nods. I make another announcement…
INTERCOM: WOULD THE PARENTS OF CHAUNCEY, PLEASE COME TO THE CUSTOMER SERVICE OFFICE!
No one comes. Chauncey is touching anything and everything he gets his hands on in the customer service office. He finds amusement by pushing the rolling chair back and forth and in the process knocks over stacks of paper to the ground. As I’m picking up the papers, he lets go of his balloon. He watches the balloon as it heads for the ceiling. Looking at me, he points at it as if he’s expecting me to get it down for him. I call for someone again…
INTERCOM: WOULD THE PARENTS OF CHAUNCEY, PLEASE COME TO THE CUSTOMER SERVICE OFFICE!
No one comes. I’m a bit irritated but what am I supposed to do? I make him another balloon and buy him a Hersey’s Crunch bar to keep him occupied. I’m going to make one more announcement before I call the police…
INTERCOM: WOULD THE PARENTS OF CHAUNCEY, PLEASE COME TO THE CUSTOMER SERVICE OFFICE!
Finally someone comes!
Shouldn’t Have Kids: Thank you for taking care of my son, while I shop.
Me: Excuse me?
Shouldn’t Have Kids: He’s a handful when I bring him along and…
I cut her off. “So you heard the announcements?” I asked bewilderingly.
Shouldn’t Have Kids: Hey, my boy isn’t supposed to have sweets!
*Sigh*
Has your kids done anything to embarrass you in the store?
{ 16 comments… read them below or add one }
LMAO…Well she shoulda been watching him…I HATED takin my girls to the store with me…But when I did they were either locked in the cart or RIGHT next to me…I have two daughters and I only remember once when my youngest got away for like 2 mins lol…Scared me so bad, believe she never did that again…And yea, she was in the candy isle…
I wouldn’t have stopped at calling the police. I would have added a call to Child Protective Services to the list. The kid is lucky he didn’t get hurt. I’ve handled more than a few claims where parents thought a store (worst of all Home Depot or Lowes) was a McDonald’s playland in which they could let their spawn run wild. Then they sue the sue the store when something falls on the kid causing injury because of their lack of parenting. Frustrating. They should have their kids taken away and given to people who desparately want kids but can’t have them.
Grocery shopping with kids should be illegal.
I once had to do a loan closing while holding a newborn infant for the buyers throughout the entire transaction, which took at least an hour. I was happy that she slept the whole time.
Sweet revenge…maybe Chauncey was on a real sugar high when she got him back home!!!!!!
what the crap?!?!? what is wrong with people? hello… child protection services?
JUST found your blog and love it! really looking forward to reading more – you are a riot!
Oh at least he didn’t poop, puke or pee on the floor while he was unattended.
One time when I was in the Goodwill, some woman left her kid in there while she was having lunch in the cafeteria. She only spoke Spanish so she didn’t realize they were paging her. They were also about to call the cops, because they thought she had been abandoned, when her mom finally showed up.
Oh my gosh! Some people are so nervy that way!! LOL, “He can’t have any sweets.”
I can honestly say that my kids have not done anything out of the ordinary that has embarrassed me in public. I don’t get it when parents can’t handle their children!!
I plan my grocery trips around the time of day where my little one is usually in her best mood. She loves our grocery store! It totally irritates me when people let their kids loose in stores. It is irresponsible and dangerous. I make mine always sit in the cart with the seat belt fastened. If we get to a point where she won’t do that then she can stay at home with a sitter!
no way! goodness sakes, just hard to believe.
She probably realised when you were making the announcments that you must have the child so it would be safe so she could take her time LOL!
Are you kidding me? What an irresponsible parent. Sugar that Chauncey up whenever you see him. Double the Hershey, I say!
During Christmas holidays, here in Ga, at a Walmart a couple was arrested for leaving their two kids unattended so they could Christmas shop without having to worry about the kids… just left them in the toy aisle for like HOURS….
I had a woman come into my office once to fill out and application and left her 1 year old child in the car. She was in there for at least 20 minutes and when she finished she started visiting with people she knew who worked there. When she was questioned she said “I left the window cracked. Besides she didn’t want to come in.” DUH… she’s 1… how do you KNOW? #2 – Why would you bring a kid to look for a job #3 – You left the window cracked? Is your HEAD cracked? or are you ON crack?
SOME PEOPLE!
@Peg – Window cracked? What are they dogs?
Hahaha and let us not forget the parents who decide that it’s so cute to let their little 5-year-old push the cart around the entire store.
Not cute.
Would they let a 5-year-old drive a car?
In the world these days, it’s sad to think that parents would let a five year old alone in a store.
Secretia
Those parents need to be smacked.