What mainstream things do you NOT allow your children to do?

Aimless

fawd1 wrote: »

Erm... I do this. I'll tell you why. 1) it means my kids aren't running around touching/spilling/eating half the supermarket. 2) I can't think of a single item of food that you put without some covering (bag/packet etc) in your trolley. Truly. I cannot think of a single person that ever puts some apples into their trolley without putting them in a bag first. So, unless you're someone that enjoys the idea of licking food packets (which would make you weird) then I see no problem at all in letting my kids ride in the trolley. I would put them in the seat, but I have 2 and DS1 is over the weight allowance (they only go up to about 2 years in age)

Firstly...bananas. I never put them in a bag, what a waste of plastic. Or cucumber when you get the unwrapped ones. That's just off the top of my head.

Secondly, your kids put dirty shoes in the trolley, I then put my packaged goods in there, unload them at the till, transfer those germs to my purse, cards, the bags, my kitchen cupboards etc...

Another one I forbid is eating items not paid for. I don't see why (barring those with a medical reason) kids can't wait a few minutes to get round the shop and pay before eating the goods. Particularly those sold by weight like grapes!

thorsoak

To throw a curved ball into this debate - at what age do you let your children decide for themselves who they will see/play with, what activities they will do, when are they allowed to go to places by themselves, join in more adult activities?

By "adult activities", I'm thinking of my DGS, who at the age of 14, was considered by my DD and DSIL to be old enough to join a demonstration in support of shelter for the homeless .....in one of the more prosperous areas of New England. And the fact that my parents allowed me and my sister to join one of the Aldermaston marches in the late 50s when I would have been 15, and my sister 13 ....despite the fact that my father worked for AWRE!

fluffymuffy

joeblack066 wrote: »

Quote:

I can only assume that fluffymuffy deleted their post?

I certainly did not!

silvercar

To throw a curved ball into this debate - at what age do you let your children decide for themselves who they will see/play with, what activities they will do, when are they allowed to go to places by themselves, join in more adult activities?

When they start secondary school seems to be the time that they start to roam free.

Choosing their friends usually starts around 7 or 8.

I know some parents have a problem with the amount of supervision within the home. 3 and 4 year olds need supervised activities, but what age do you let them choose for themselves what they do/ what games to play / what DVDs they watch.

I remember the children having friends over me letting them do what they like as long as they spend half the time in the garden (weather permitting).

I remember a phone call from an irate parent annoyed at the video that their son had watched in my house. I pointed out that the kids were making their own arrangements at that age and we were beyond supervised play dates and I had no intention of monitoring activity. Moreover if they wanted to impose restrictions on what their children did in other's homes, they needed to discuss it with their child not me!

I did notice a big difference in early teens between what a youngest child of a family was allowed compared to the oldest in a different family.

fawd1

Aimless wrote: »

Firstly...bananas. I never put them in a bag, what a waste of plastic. Or cucumber when you get the unwrapped ones. That's just off the top of my head.

Secondly, your kids put dirty shoes in the trolley, I then put my packaged goods in there, unload them at the till, transfer those germs to my purse, cards, the bags, my kitchen cupboards etc...

erm, I assume you peel bananas though? And either peel or wash the cucumbers? And really, you obviously haven't seen the inside of a lorry, or a depot, or anywhere else that they load/unload packaged goods. If you had, I assure you, what's on my kids shoes would be the least of your worries.....
:rotfl:

fawd1

thorsoak wrote: »

By "adult activities", I'm thinking of my DGS, who at the age of 14, was considered by my DD and DSIL to be old enough to join a demonstration in support of shelter for the homeless .....in one of the more prosperous areas of New England. And the fact that my parents allowed me and my sister to join one of the Aldermaston marches in the late 50s when I would have been 15, and my sister 13 ....despite the fact that my father worked for AWRE!

I don't know, it just depends so much at that stage on the child in question doesn't it? I, for example, at the age of 13 was allowed to go to a Bon Jovi (I know, I know, but I still secretly love them) concert at Wembley arena with my 14 year old brother. This was before mobile phones were widely available, so just based on my parents trusting us. My younger brother on the other hand, wasn't allowed to do much because, well, he just wasn't very sensible!

notechno

ringo_24601 wrote: »

My wife has issued a 'no gun-like toys' ruling - i think that's our only one

I banned gun-like toys when my son was small. So he bit the shape of one out of a sandwich! Just shows there are some battles it can be almost impossible to win!

Ames

fawd1 wrote: »

Erm... I do this. I'll tell you why. 1) it means my kids aren't running around touching/spilling/eating half the supermarket. 2) I can't think of a single item of food that you put without some covering (bag/packet etc) in your trolley. Truly. I cannot think of a single person that ever puts some apples into their trolley without putting them in a bag first. So, unless you're someone that enjoys the idea of licking food packets (which would make you weird) then I see no problem at all in letting my kids ride in the trolley. I would put them in the seat, but I have 2 and DS1 is over the weight allowance (they only go up to about 2 years in age)

Me. I hate unpacking the shopping and being left with a big pile of thin plastic to get rid of. I use the bags for small things like cherry tomatoes but everything else goes in the trolley as it is.

Although I only use the trolleys that are too small for children to fit in. I'm more bothered about bird poo etc than stuff from feet anyway. Which is what the kitchen tap's for.

Aimless

fawd1 wrote: »

erm, I assume you peel bananas though? And either peel or wash the cucumbers? And really, you obviously haven't seen the inside of a lorry, or a depot, or anywhere else that they load/unload packaged goods. If you had, I assure you, what's on my kids shoes would be the least of your worries.....
:rotfl:

Yes, I wash my cucumbers, but I can tell you at least two people who don't bother. As for the inside of lorries, firstly it's not going to be dog mess germs like on shoes, secondly, most stuff comes in bulk packaging and is then unwrapped to go on the shelves. The outside of those packages are mostly dusty more than anything, as I say, different to dirty wet shoes.

Also, like I said, germs on packaging are then spread to everything I touch before I next wash hands, including the trolley handle and the baby.

Ok it makes it easier for you, but don't try to pretend there's absolutely no potential for harm to others.

fawd1

Aimless wrote: »

Yes, I wash my cucumbers, but I can tell you at least two people who don't bother. As for the inside of lorries, firstly it's not going to be dog mess germs like on shoes, secondly, most stuff comes in bulk packaging and is then unwrapped to go on the shelves. The outside of those packages are mostly dusty more than anything, as I say, different to dirty wet shoes.

Also, like I said, germs on packaging are then spread to everything I touch before I next wash hands, including the trolley handle and the baby.

Ok it makes it easier for you, but don't try to pretend there's absolutely no potential for harm to others.

But the two people who don't clean their veg, surely their choice, they must know it's not clean? Also, how many people do you know who regularly step in dog mess and don't clean their shoes? No, I grant you, I can't say there's absolutely no potential harm for others. But there's probably as much harm in letting a child go on a playdate, knowing he'll gnaw on something that another baby has, who probably has a dog, that's probably licked his own bottom. I guess I'm just of the old school world of thought that a bit of mud won't hurt them.

Like I say, most stuff is in packs anyway, and if it isn't I either peel it or wash it. And I'm guessing that when your baby is old enough to be walking, tearing down aisles etc etc, you'll be doing the same.