Did your children ever eat anything at the grocery store before you paid?

[mayfly]

My kids were notorious for trying stuff like that. I constantly had empty packages that I had to pay for at the grocery stands. I remember one of my babies dumping over a carton of eggs, and another baby opening up a package of spaghetti. I got to the point where I would go to the deli and get them something small to eat before we even shopped.

[hmsram]

Not now that they are older ....occasionally at walmart I will get them a thing of pop-corn chicken but that is usually it... they are 13 and 9 now so they wont starve to death on me LOL

[Shainie]

Yes! This past summer I was walking through the produce looking over the fruit. When I turned back Shane was munching on a peach! He wasn't quite 2 yet.

I laughed and went to take it from him to put in a bag and it was like I was trying to take a T-bone steak from a tiger! He held it real close and started getting a pouty lip. I just let him go ahead and finish it (and mentioned it to the cashier). He about sucked the pit dry!

Guess he likes peaches.

Other than that, nothing comes to mind though. They both know that nothing gets open or eaten until it's paid for.

[telos2000]

I must admit that I have done that. I once ate an apple and the clerk had to check out the core!LOL

[Mouse7088]

I've actually told them they COULD when it came to certain items..like granola bars..always something that was "part of" a box. I figure if they are going to be offered "samples" at every turn than a granola bar isn't going to do any harm. Meijer's even sells ice cream cones....and they EXPECT ppl. to eat them while they shop...I've never bought any, but I can tell ya I have seen my share of dumped cones. Who ever thought of that idea wasn't thinking of the messes.

[momof3girls]

Mine have opened gum and chewed it before.

[verwon]

One time when Tom was about a year and a half old, he grabbed a candybar and started chowing it down. We paid for it and then threw it away because we didn't want him to think he do that, get away with it and get rewarded for it. We never had another problem again, now he knows we have to pay for it first. If I know we are going to be in the store for awhile then I will purchase a snack and drinks first that he can have while we are shopping.

[Shainie]

At Cub Foods here kids can have a cookie from the bakery for free. That usually keeps them happy while we shop. (Except lately Shane hasn't wanted one. What 2 year old doesn't like cookies???)

[hmsram]

Originally Posted by telos2000

I must admit that I have done that. I once ate an apple and the clerk had to check out the core!LOL

hahahah Telos you are to funny... You remind me of my grandpa my nana used to hate it when he would eat stuff before paying for it LOL I went once to shop with them and I remember he "sampled" more than a few grapes hahahah it was so funny

I've seen 'cheaters,' meaning kids eating animal crackers or opened snacks, then Mom stuffing the box in her purse before checkout. I hope they get caught because I don't think I should blow the whistle.

[kells3]

When my kids were small enough to both fit into the back of the basket I would buy them each a box on animal crackers as I shopped at Target. If I shopped fast enough I would be done before they got tired of the cookies. I always paid for them when I checked out. Once one of my kids ate a piece of fruit so I told the cashier to just double the price of the one I was buying. She looked at me like I was crazy but finally did it.

[luvmetender]

Opening something and eating or drinking it while you are shopping is perfectly ok to do here. They can still scan the item. Not sure about items that are sold by weight though. We've never done that.

I always get a soda before I go shopping, pay for it at the check out. My kids sometimes do too. It just makes the shopping go so much easier. I always pay for ours, wonder how many don't????

[eldo]

My kids never picked anything up and ate it without my knowledge, but a few times I would get a bagel from the self-service area of the bakery and give them a piece to snack on, then pay at the checkout.

Originally Posted by Shainie

At Cub Foods here kids can have a cookie from the bakery for free. That usually keeps them happy while we shop. (Except lately Shane hasn't wanted one. What 2 year old doesn't like cookies???)

Our grocery stores have the same policy here. Once I went grocery shopping without the kids and mentioned to the bakery clerk I wanted to buy a few cookies for my kids at home. She offered me two for free, which was nice!