We are NOT Baby Sitters!

[labgirl27]

I would have been worried about what would happen to the little boy.

Honestly, I was for a few minutes, but she seemed to be more exasperated than anything else. Besides, I was in such shock that I didn't know how to respond. I had actually considered calling a manager over, but I didn't know if that constituted child abuse.

[Mouse]

Honestly, I was for a few minutes, but she seemed to be more exasperated than anything else. Besides, I was in such shock that I didn't know how to respond. I had actually considered calling a manager over, but I didn't know if that constituted child abuse.

FOr future reference, it does

[blas]

The only thing I really have to contribute is the sucky parents who lived nearby the gas station who let their (small, I'm talking less than 10 years old) come to the store (it was worse during the summer when they weren't in school) and cause trouble.

Mind you, this was an icky part of town....lots of shady, nasty people.....and the poor kids hadn't any shoes and looked like they hadn't been bathed since last Christmas.

These kids would come all by themselves, with no shoes, across one of the busiest intersections in town (alebit a 35 mph zone, it was STILL busy) and buy bread and candy and stuff with dimes and nickles and pennies.

[Lace Neil Singer]

When I used to work in the garden centre, my section, pets, used to be used as a drop off centre for kids. -.- I had a notice up in full view saying, "This is a pet store, not a creche" in case parents complained about my method to stop their little precious snowflakes tearing the place apart. And believe me, these kids were always brats; good children weren't left as a rule. They'd be running around, grabbing stuff off the shelves, mixing up the petfoods, banging on fishtanks and opening cages.

My method was to call my supervisor who'd then take the lickle pwecious to the manager's office. When the parents returned, I'd watch their panic at the loss of their child for a while, then go up to them and ask if there was anything the matter. When they replied saying they left their child here and they were now gone, I'd tell them that my supervisor had taken the child to the manager's office, as children were not allowed to be left alone in any part of the store. I'd then call my supervisor, who'd return with the child and give the parents a bollocking. XD

[KellyHabersham]

I don't recall how many years ago this was, but we used to have problems with this woman who'd leave her kids unattended in the library while she was off shopping at one of the stores in the nearby power center. The last I'd heard was that staff was going to call CPS if it happened again.

[slavetotheman]

Can you imagine what would've happened if the older woman hadn't been there?

Probably nothing, I would imagine... if the older woman hadn't been there and hadn't gone to get a cart, the little girl wouldn't have had anyone to go running after... so really, the lesson here is, for the sake of the children, leave Grandma at home... right?

In all seriousness, I get your point -- absolutely the mother should be more concerned with her kids than her phone conversation, especially in a parking lot -- but I can't help being a smartass sometimes, hope you can forgive me this guilty pleasure

[Kogarashi]

Can you imagine what would've happened if the older woman hadn't been there?

This is why Hubby and I are teaching our toddler that she must hold our hands in parking lots and when crossing streets, no ifs, ands, or buts.

[Andara Bledin]

I haven't had to deal with much in the way of undisciplined children while working. Although I tend to give them death-glares and stern words when they're making a ruckus at the grocery store. They usually wander off towards their family while tossing worried glances back at me.

I rather like that part.

My mother and aunt, however, sell beaded and leather crafts at shows and powwows. They've also done baked goods as well. They always have problems with kids dragging their hands through the merchandise and screwing up the layout.

But the worst one was a year when my aunt was selling divinity at a holiday show in a local park. She had other stuff as well, and they were package in festive holiday cupcake wrappers with plastic around them and a ribbon.

This one child came up to the table and started jabbing his finger through the tops of the plastic wraps on the divinity and ruining it. My aunt (who is something of a bitch in general and has an extreme dislike of kids who aren't behaving) threatened to break his fingers if he did it again. He ran off and his mom complained to the staff at the event. They had a talk with my aunt, but nothing came of it, since it was pretty obvious that the kid had ruined a lot of product, and there had been other complaints about his behavior from other tables.

As an aside, my aunt would never have touched the little brat. She just wanted him to stop damaging the divinity, and he had already ignored her telling him to stop.

^-.-^