View Full Version : Is it acceptable to leave youngins unattended in shops?
prideNJoy
28-06-2007, 08:46
This is going off another thread, but was wondering what your thoughts are on young children, lets say under the age of 8 being left to wander in shops while parents go off and do their shopping or have coffee etc..
eg. Mum meets up with friend/s down at the local shopping centre and they notice a pet shop so send their young kids in to wander while they leave to have a coffee.
Is this acceptable? do parents think it is fair to leave staff in a shop responsible for the welfare of their children?
please keep this nice! :)
No, now way, no how. Why would you? Why not have a coffee with your kids, get them a milkshake. :D
Desertress
28-06-2007, 08:50
Absolutley not. Children that age are not mature enough to look after themselves and shop assistants have their jobs to do and wont be watching your kids. I dont think that is acceptable at all. If your not going to watch the kids when you take them places then make other arragnements or dont go. I personally would never let a child under 12 wander around on their own. Even then it would depend on the child.
not on their own no... but like with my DD1 she would go over to the u know those skill testers where u try to grab a toy in it... while I am at the checkout in Coles she is only couple steps away from me but if out of sight no! won't let her
SweetSerenity
28-06-2007, 09:00
Nope never.:no:
Don't even send them to the toilets by themselves... look how many times children that age and even older have been sexually assaulted in busy shopping centres.
There's no excuse for letting your children wander around by themselves.
I'd rather have my children sit with me bored or pestering me while I have my coffee then sending them to ammuse themselves.
Nickster
28-06-2007, 09:08
No - I couldn't begin to imagine doing it - like lotti said, I'd have them sit with us and have a milkshake. If there is - for example - a pet store nearby and within plain sight of where I'm sitting having a coffee, then I'm sure they could go and have a look in the window, but to let them wander around by themselves....no.
There are so many Mums that let their kids do it, though - I remember being at one of those shopping centre indoor playgrounds about a year ago (where children over 5 years of age aren't really supposed to be according to the rules in plain view), and there were a couple of 7/8 year old boys playing roughly and generally terrorising the little children. When they were questioned by us, they said their mothers had told them to play there while they did their shopping. That's just not appropriate in my book. :shame:
no no no no no no no no no no:shame: :no:
Pippi Longstocking
28-06-2007, 09:10
I wouldn't let my 12yo do that! But then, maybe I am just an over-protective freak...:detective:
I agree with sweetserenity I would NEVER let my child go to toilets on her own!!!! NO WAY!! :no: the world has changed now and we are more protective and careful these days! and WHY on earth parents let their kids go somewhere just so they have their own time to do shopping etc nup wouldn't do it I am too fearful especially when getting out of car I always say to her stay here til I get bubba out first and then she will get out last! kids don't know right and wrong its too scary!
Personally I dont think anyone in these shopping centres, or anywhere in the public can be trusted these days so I definately would not leave my child unattended.
There are too many devastating stories on the news, people need to learn from these. I know I have.
The world is no longer a safe place:thumbsdown:
do parents think it is fair to leave staff in a shop responsible for the welfare of their children?
i dont think it comes down to staff being responsible for the child. its not like the mother/father has said "will you watch my kids" and most of the time no-one would know that the kid is alone. if i saw a child of 8+ walking say through the toys at kmart i wouldnt look at the kids and think "oooh what a bad mother- off having coffee while the kid walks around alone!" id probably think nothing of it really. maybe the parent is in the next isle or at another section of the shop...and i really dont think thats a big deal.
if it were a 5 year old or younger id ask if they were lost tell them to stand still and find staff to help. (ive always told my kids if they are lost NOT to ever go with someone even if they say they are walking them to the front counter)
i often go into the supermarket and ask my 10 yr old to get the milk and my 8 yr old to get **whatever else we may need** if we are just doing a quick trip and i have all four kids...
i would never leave them to walk the shops while i sat somewhere to have coffee... they are too young for that i think....but if they were with an older cousin or their 16 yr old sister i would let them walk around looking at other things while i was in the same store.
it depends on the child, for eg- id let my dds go one at a time with cousin but not my 5 yr old, how mature they are, who they are with and where the parents would be in relation to the child.
OP gives this as eg. "Mum meets up with friend/s down at the local shopping centre and they notice a pet shop so send their young kids in to wander while they leave to have a coffee."
i really dont think there are many parents with "young children" that would walk off to have a coffee somewhere and leave a kid in a pet shop...and i really dont see much wrong with a child of 8,9 or 10 walking from the pet shop to mum having coffee- i would think this "alone situation" would be more so in a department store with toys?
whatwasithinking
28-06-2007, 09:38
No way - unacceptable at that age.
I don't even like seeing 12yr olds on their own in shopping centres.
It is def not the responsibility of the shop assistants. Especially nowadays with everyone seeming to sue everyone else for THEIR OWN STUPIDITY!
No. Especially after what happened in Perth to a little 8 year old last year. There are too many sickos around just waiting for that split second opportunity to grab a child and do god knows what. It's such a risk nowadays that it's just not worth letting them get too far out of your sight. Sad really that its come to this though....
And staff shouldn't be left responsible for someone elses child. They have their own job to do and are not paid babysitters.
prideNJoy
28-06-2007, 10:22
Im pleased to see there are others out there who feel the same as me.
Can I add that i used the eg. of the Pet Shop because i am talking about shops like this in general not big shops like K Mart, target etc etc... that's an even bigger :shame:. Although i do take notice of young stray kids wandering aimlessly(sp) by themselves, i get very concerned!
my_lot
OP gives this as eg. "Mum meets up with friend/s down at the local shopping centre and they notice a pet shop so send their young kids in to wander while they leave to have a coffee."
i really dont think there are many parents with "young children" that would walk off to have a coffee somewhere and leave a kid in a pet shop...and i really dont see much wrong with a child of 8,9 or 10 walking from the pet shop to mum having coffee- i would think this "alone situation" would be more so in a department store with toys?
Parents do this on a daily basis, that is 'drop' their kids off at the Pet Shop and go off for a coffee or shopping.
IMO, i think 10 yrs is too young to be left in that situation as there are many things in a pet shop alone that can cause harm to a child eg. chemicals (dog/fish) glass tanks/bowls, rats/mice in cages that like to nibble little fingers, not to mention breakable items that kids like to handle ...... As much as staff would like to get on with their jobs they DO (have to) watch these children left in store because of hazards stated above.
To a degree the staff are responsible for what goes on in that store, who do you think the parent is going to abuse when the child has injured themselves? The STAFF, and yes that happens too. :eek:
my_lot - Not having a go, just clearing that up.:)
I realise I am overprotective but....ABSOLUTELY NO WAY!! DD will not be out of my sight and grasp until she's 18!!! :laughing:
Seriously though, there are too many stories nowadays about children being snatched, assaulted, all sorts and frankly its not a risk I'm about to take just to have a cuppa in peace.
Buddha Bubbas
28-06-2007, 10:31
I realise I am overprotective but....ABSOLUTELY NO WAY!! DD will not be out of my sight and grasp until she's 18!!! :laughing:
Seriously though, there are too many stories nowadays about children being snatched, assaulted, all sorts and frankly its not a risk I'm about to take just to have a cuppa in peace.
:yes:
SassyMummy
28-06-2007, 10:38
Nope, I think it's pretty irresponsible and LAZY too. God, if you want kids, then look after them, or find someone else to do it for you.
I do agree that it's kinda leaving shop staff to babysit... because your kids could get into all kinds of mischeif in shops, and you're not there to pull them up on it... the staff have to, or at least follow them around cleaning up after them.
The way I see it is if they aren't allowed to go to the shopping centre on their own, they aren't allowed to wander around once there on their own.
8 is too young. 12 is probably too young. Maybe 15 ... but even then, I'd expect them to have a friend/sibling with them.
No i wouldn't do that.
Having my children with me while i have a cuppa actually doesn't bother me. If it bothered my friends i wouldn't be having a cuppa with them.
I like to buy Jayce a babycino or a nice drink and a bikkie. It's never been a prob before.
My children come first, a cup of anything second.
As a child I used to wander in the toy section of the department store while mum looked at other things. I would have been around 7-8. If I couldn't find her again afterwards or if she didn't find me I knew to go up to the counter and tell them I was lost and they would announce it on the PA. I didn't do any harm and it was much more interesting than tagging along while mum was clothes shopping. Also, my uncle used to own a shoe store in a shopping centre and sometimes my cousin (2 yrs older) and I would wander around, either together or separately. I'm not sure how I'll feel when we have our own kids though, will discuss it with DH when the time comes.
IAdoreYou
28-06-2007, 13:13
The way I see it is if they aren't allowed to go to the shopping centre on their own, they aren't allowed to wander around once there on their own.
8 is too young. 12 is probably too young. Maybe 15 ... but even then, I'd expect them to have a friend/sibling with them.
this would be me also.
subaruforestermum
28-06-2007, 13:19
It is so frustrating, this is a major reason I dont go Thursday night shopping!!!!
There are young kids of all ages just hanging out at the shops, or even worse out the front of shops, and it could be winter, and for their age, they are totally irresponsibly dresses!!!! And are just a nusance! They stand in the middle of the shops and talk, so its hard for people to get around, they run across the car parks out infront of cars, they are rude and inconsiderate, all because they have no-one watching them.....
It's called loitering......as most of them DO NOT go shopping....they just hang out as its some type of COOL thing...:banghead:
I also hate while working or even shopping, when there are kids left in the toy isle by themselves, and are let by their parents to play with the toys, balls in the isles...drives me insane! While shopping I have complained as they hit my pram where my son was sleeping and laughed about it, they were around 6 and 8.....
:thumbsdown:
pinkandblue
28-06-2007, 13:27
There are so many Mums that let their kids do it, though - I remember being at one of those shopping centre indoor playgrounds about a year ago (where children over 5 years of age aren't really supposed to be according to the rules in plain view), and there were a couple of 7/8 year old boys playing roughly and generally terrorising the little children. When they were questioned by us, they said their mothers had told them to play there while they did their shopping. That's just not appropriate in my book. :shame:
I've also seen parents leave their kids in the parents room while they do their shopping.
I will not be leaving my children in a shop by themselves, maybe when they reach high school it will be ok.
mum2bubba
28-06-2007, 15:04
My step mother did this all the time with me and my sister and step sisters (eldest was 10, youngest was 2) and we were ok, BUT I don't think I'd do it with my own kids.
Also, one time we all went into Crown in Melbourne (4 kids at the time coz my two half sisters were at relatives or something) anyway, my dad and step-mother went into crown (where all the poker machines are) and they said to us "just wait here, we'll be about 5 minutes" well an hour and a half and we were still waiting with no money for food or even to go and play at one of those game places (Timezone or whatever). Needless to say we weren't very happy. :mad:
I would never leave my children unattended at the shops. :no:
our little treasures
03-07-2007, 13:16
No way I wouldn't allow it at all!!:thumbsdown:
The way I see it is if they aren't allowed to go to the shopping centre on their own, they aren't allowed to wander around once there on their own.
8 is too young. 12 is probably too young. Maybe 15 ... but even then, I'd expect them to have a friend/sibling with them.
Agreed! :thumbsup:
No. Especially after what happened in Perth to a little 8 year old last year. There are too many sickos around just waiting for that split second opportunity to grab a child and do god knows what. It's such a risk nowadays that it's just not worth letting them get too far out of your sight. Sad really that its come to this though....
And staff shouldn't be left responsible for someone elses child. They have their own job to do and are not paid babysitters.
That's what i instantly think of - what happened to that little girl. Things can happen so quickly. :(
Yep, when i was 8 my parents would let me stay in the toy aisle while they went and looked got other stuff, but the world is a different place these days.
Maybe around 15 with friends? will let you know when i have a 15 year old :D
punkbaby
03-07-2007, 13:53
NO NO NO NO OMG that is crazy my oldest is 9 and there is no way in hell she would be doing that they either sit with me and have a drink or stay home with DH
pookiesossige
03-07-2007, 14:12
Times have changed.
I used to enjoy hanging out in the Big W toy isles with my little sister while mum went and found what she needed, but it was never more then 10 mins.
But it's different now and I won't do it with my own kids. I don't think anywhere is safe like that anymore. Small town, city, milk bar or shopping center, it doesn't make a difference :no:
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