More of my grocery store pet peeves.....unbehaved kids.

I normally tolerate unruly kids because they're kids and they don't know better. Also, kids have nothing else to do but play. I'd rather see a boisterous trouble maker rather than a somber and lonely kid. Anyway, what bothers me about your shopping incident is that the parents didn't even apologize for their kids' behavior! This means that children are undisciplined rather than just playful or happy. I would have gone to one of the store clerks or even to the store manager because I don't like confronting the parents themselves. They may be in a difficult situation or perhaps the kids are orphans or something. There are just so many possibilities so I'd rather put someone else on the spot rather than take the responsibility myself. Anyway bonbon664, one of these days you'll be a parent yourself and maybe then you'll learn to understand and tolerate kids more. :)

Our local Giant Market had little "shopping carts" for kids a few years ago and thankfully they don't have them anymore, I'm sure because they got a lot of complaints from angry customers who were sick of having these little brats zooming up and down the aisles, as you said, and coming around the corner and running into people. I saw a brat almost knocked a little old lady right over and if he would have she could have been seriously hurt. I don't know how parents can just let their kids run wild like that in a public place! I don't know what I'd have said or done if I were you but I do know it wouldn't have been pretty! Annie

Wow!! This is unreal. I would have probably have gone to an Employee right then and there, and told them if it was me, especially when the parents of the kids showed no reaction to that. That is very unhealthy, and unsanitary and how can the parents not care. To me, that is the problem anymore is too many parents do not take time to care about their kids, and have some sort of discipline and control over them, and then wonder why their kids are always getting into trouble as they get older.

I have to say I agree with a few of the people - its not really the kids fault its the parents for not knowing how to raise them. I think I would have done the same thing as you but with a manager present. I have a friend that I don't mind spending time with at a park or some thing but I hate having her at my house becuase her kids are BRATS to say the least. They have no regard for other peoples things, they don't care if you tell them no, they destroy the play room then get mad if you tell them to clean up. They were at my house last week for the first time in a while, I haven't been that annoyed in a LONG time. You know normally if some one other then the parent says no the kid will listen these kids just scream. At the end of it all I told the parent that next time we will meet at her house or the park. I told her I can't have your kids destroying my house in 3 hours. I have enough to do! Once they left I got to clean up spilled milk on my rug, spaggeti on my rug, the toys that were every where, and clean my fish tank since they decided to pour the entire food jar into the tank. So be glad it was at a store where you didn't have to clean up after them or hopefully ever see them again.

bonbon I was nearly thrown to the ground by one of the brats in wheelie shoes, had not a lady caughtmy' arm I would have fallen for sure. If I saw a brat eating out of bulk foods I would report the kid to 'a store manager if I were you. Those parents were something else werent they?

Why you care about stealing? Why because their little gangsters behavior drives up the prices as that is how the stores makes up for stolen goods! I have to say, being in a store with kids is difficult. I have three and it is hard to keep them near me but I do my best. I would definitely not allow wheelies! But I have seen many parents who don't care at all. Now those fruit and veggie displays are tempting for the little ones, but ours know better. Same for bulk foods, cookie and other snack food boxes. But I have seen adults rip open the boxes, too. I'm always highly embarrased if mine misbehave, just sometimes it's unavoidable and I can't leave them at home or in the car either. And it most certainly doesn't help when they see others misbehave. But ours know the punishment and misbehavior is quickly curtailed if reminded of corner time and loss of privileges instead of a game at the arcade as a reward for exceptionally good behavior.

oh yes... it frustruates me as well when it happens... i hate children running around in the store especially with wheelies... and i don't understand why their parents allowed them to do that... and stealing food... if their parents don't care about it, no wonder the children behave in such a manner... i will report them to the security and the co-worker in the store so that they can take actions to these misbehaving children... no wonder we have so many thugs and holligans now on the street... it all started by small things like misbehaving in public places and the parents let them... take care and have a nice day...

The devil in me would start screaming and pointing at the disrespectful family shouting THIEF, THIEF, THIEF! That would teach them a lesson and embarrass them, if they have any morals. I don't blame the child the parents obviously don't give a damn, and should be ashamed of themselves, their inflict their unruly, misbehaved children on others and probably think it's a joke. Trouble is, it doesn't get better, it gets far worse. Shopping is stressful enough without having the problem of children treating the shop like an adventure playground which they do, some parents think this is ok, gets them off their case. So I am with you. my toleration levels are low. I wonder how long the security guards would take to sort the problem out if they cared or if the shop cares, but if an old lady took a tin of beans they'd soon arrest her wouldn't they! Grrrrrrrrr Wolfie's talon's are out here, good discussion, lets me rant lol

Like somene else said. You should have told them you care about low lifes stealing from the store because it raises the price for honest people. As for the shoes, they might be considered the same as roller blades which I don't think are allowed in most stores. My dad usually took me to the local bakery to have a cookie, a cupcake or somehting like that and a little thing of juice or milk. Then mom and grand ma would be able to shop in peace. Sometimes it would be the other way around too.

Ugh - I work in a grocery store and I can't stand the kids with the wheelie shoes. I'm tempted to stick my foot out an trip them when the go rolling by. I shouldn't have to be the one to dodge them when I'm putting their parents groceries in the cart. Working with the general public has strengthened my opinion that some people just shouldn't be allowed to have children. I see these aweful people come through with 3-5 kids running around them, and they don't even attempt to control them - or they wait until I politely ask the kid to stop what they're doing before they say anything. What I can't stand more than a misbehaving child, though, is a parent that lets their kid get away with it. If I found out my kid was stealing, I'd make them walk right up to an employee and return whatever they took and apologize. If they were eating food, they'd pay for it one way or another. No competent parent lets their child get away with stealing. Sadly, even if you had informed an employee about it, they couldn't do anything. Store employees have to catch them stealing in order to bust them. If all they were doing was eating food - you can't really prove they were stealing if the employees didn't see it, since the evidence is technically already gone. I probably would have apologized for mistaking them for competent parents and went on my merry way. At least you tried to help, which is more than some would do.

This is why I wont go to Dennys on kids eat free days.

First off, if you have control of your children, those wheelie shoes won't be a problem. My daughter has a pair and she knows exactly how to behave with them on. If she doesn't, she doesn't wear them again for a while. Second, I can't stand parents that have no control of their children. What kind of adults do they think their overindulged kids are going to be? I work with 2 yr olds and I have never seen more mean and spoiled children in my life. Even at that age, they know how to play adults against each other. It doesn't work in my classroom. I let them know quick, that we don't act that way. Parents in this day and age have no control of their children. They are too lazy.

The sad thing is everyone is blaming these children. Parents like that are the ones to blame, not calling a child a brat or thief. The response of the parent tells me that they are to blame. I would have went to the manager and alerted them instead of those parents. And s far as I am concerned I think stores should ban those freakin shoes, that is no different than letting them skateboard around a store.

Do you realize what a chore it is to grow grocery shopping with kids? You can't control kids all the time. Kids get crabby and moms still have to get there shopping done. kids dont behave all the time. dont be so judgemental. I have kids and have had bad days. do you hate kids? did your kids behave all the time? so wha if you dont like there wheeled shoes. They are kids let them be kids.

Just the other day, I was shopping in the supermarket (Mainly because it's air conditioned) when a little girl was screeching her head off, and running around like an unleashed puppy, while her mother just stood there choosing her items.... In this city, kids can be snatched up in the blink of an eye, or injured or worse... Parents must learn to keep their children in check!

I would have done the same as you except for after talking to the parents and getting their careless reaction, I'd have contacted a store manager. It is stealing and that contributes to higher costs for the rest of us. As for the wheelie shoes, most stores don't allow them and with good reason....they are dangerous. Kids are kids but when the parents don't do anything to correct them than the blame lies with the parents. It is their responsibility to teach their kids how to act in public. When they don't, then it is up to us to hold the parents accountable. My kids are pretty much grown up now but when they were younger, I remember spending as much time disciplining them in the store as I did shopping. If they ran off...i went after them. There were 4 of them and if they were too out of control, we'd leave the store and they'd lose out on their treat. It didn't take them long to realize that acting out in a store or a resteraunt was not in their best interest at all.

I would have rolled a can of peas in front of their skates to watch the wreck. HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHHAHAHAHHAHAH