"Where I come from we PAY before we eat"

[Lace Neil Singer]

When I worked in the supermarket, that kind of thing always hacked me right off. No, I am not going to touch the nasty, slobber covered apple core your child has been gnawing on. What I am going to do is to call a supervisor, ask her to find another apple for me to weigh and weigh it so that you can pay for what you stole to give to your child. And yes, supervisors always brought back the largest, most expensive apple they could find cuz this kind of thing was just nasty. Particularly since you know that apple core is not going to end up in the bin; it's more than likely destined to be either dropped on the floor or left in the trolley to act as wasp bait.

[PandaHat]

We have fruit-and-grain bars in the car exactly for this purpose, and we generally make sure to have dinner before going grocery shopping. I remember being a kid and getting hungry in the store. I didn't get to eat anything until I got back home afterward, or maybe a snack in the car if I was lucky.

Better for you to have had dinner too - apparently means you're less likely to buy junk food/overbuy food because you're hungry!

My parents once caught me eating a grape I took in the supermarket. They told me I was weighed in and on the way out and that they would know I was heavier. I was terrified! I remember trying to jump over the area next to the cashier cause that's where I assumed the scales would be. I was relieved that I had "got away" with my crime but so scared that I may go to jail I never did it again!

[Deevil]

My parents once caught me eating a grape I took in the supermarket. They told me I was weighed in and on the way out and that they would know I was heavier. I was terrified! I remember trying to jump over the area next to the cashier cause that's where I assumed the scales would be. I was relieved that I had "got away" with my crime but so scared that I may go to jail I never did it again!

My husband and I used to watch a friend's child about 40 hours a week (Friend worked evenings and weekends), and K thought of us as second parents. One time we were at the grocery store and K, who was 8 at the time, decided to start eating the strawberries in the produce section "because they were too tempting*". Hubby asked one of the employees to get a manager for us, and K had to hand the manager a half eaten strawberry and apologize to him. The manager handled it awesomely. He thanked her for telling him and then had a serious look on his face while he told her that it was stealing and that he could call the police, but since she was honest and told him he would let it slide as long as she promised to never do that again.

*To be fair, they were some great looking strawberries, they reminded me of the ones you get in an edible bouquet.

[wolfie]

My parents once caught me eating a grape I took in the supermarket. They told me I was weighed in and on the way out and that they would know I was heavier. I was terrified! I remember trying to jump over the area next to the cashier cause that's where I assumed the scales would be. I was relieved that I had "got away" with my crime but so scared that I may go to jail I never did it again!

I can imagine some bratty kid, on being told this, looking their parent in the eye and saying "That's OK - I'll take a leak in a corner to bring my weight back down".

[veniteangeli]

K thought of us as second parents. One time we were at the grocery store and K, who was 8 at the time, decided to start eating the strawberries in the produce section "because they were too tempting*".

At eight, those strawberries could have had a rehearsed song and dance routine enticing the kid to eat them and she STILL would have been old enough to know better. At eight, those strawberries could have reached out, grabbed her by the collar and DEMANDED she eat them and she STILL would have been old enough to know better. Temptation = not justification.

[Deevil]

At eight, those strawberries could have had a rehearsed song and dance routine enticing the kid to eat them and she STILL would have been old enough to know better. At eight, those strawberries could have reached out, grabbed her by the collar and DEMANDED she eat them and she STILL would have been old enough to know better. Temptation = not justification.

Oh I quite agree. K's mom babied the kid horribly and never made her be accountable for her actions. Hell, I half think the reason "L" decided to move back to her hometown when K was 10 1/2 was not so much to help L's elderly mom but because K was learning to be independent.