I think I would have responded back and said “Yup obviously my ,manners are as bad as yours”
This woman was rude in the way she spoke to you but you were also rude to hold others up. We need to remember that we dont know other peoples stories. Perhaps this person is simply rude but perhaps they were dashing into the supermarket to grab a few things for lunch that day as their Mum had passed away that morning and they had people that still needed feeding and the wait just tipped them over the edge. I say this because I dashed in the morning my husband passed away because i had two daughters that still needed to eat that day.

If there wasn’t really a queue, it shouldn’t have really mattered. Engaging with your child is so important and accidental learning opportunities like these are awesome 🙂

I don’t think you were the A$$hole, I think you are teaching your child life skills and also keeping them entertained while shopping and they aren’t on an iPad or phone etc. either.

So rude. People cannot seem to wait for anyone. I let my kids help sometimes too, they often scan a few items, pay and carry things themselves.

Some people are just angry and impatient and honestly it says more about them than you. If there was only one check out I could understand the frustration but it still wouldn’t give them a right to speak to you or your son like that.

I think that woman was an a-hole for making that comment. How rude regardless of the situation. There are many other machines in the self-serve checkout and I imagine many of those would have become available. Props to you for teaching your child. I hope he’s learnt how not to be an a-hole too!

We see at times the same type of intolerance towards learner drivers on the road, it’s just not on.

Children need to learn all life skills and people need to have patience and understanding. Parents should be applauded for teaching children life skills and not reprimanded by others. I had a similar experience years ago and gave the person a brisk and to the point look and stern thank you!

Wow that was definitely uncalled for

I don’t use self-checkouts because I am very slow and even with one item, I usually have to get help from the person on duty, and that always takes a long time to get them to come. Your annoyed customer would have a field day with me in front of her. However, even on a Sunday, I have rarely seen all the self-checkouts full with customers, so I doubt she had that much of a wait problem. Sounds more like SOL to me.

I agree with letting the children help put a few things through but it can be a little frustrating if you’re in a hurry and you get held up by parents letting them put everything through.
The Woman who abused her though should be ashamed of herself as there’s no need for that especially in front of the child!

Of course it’s a good thing to let your child help, this lady is rude

My 9 year old helps me at the self serve checkout. That lady was out of line for speaking in that way in front of a child

I believe in letting kids help if they ask. It’s a great way for them to learn. My daughter likes to help me pick out the fruit and loved sollcting the receipt at the end. I do not see any issues with this and that lady was obviously having a horrible day but should not have taken it out and said what she said to that lady.

Let the child help, it let’s them learn and other people do need to have patience, I would never be cranky at someone for letting their child help that way.

I let my kids help, but if we’re using the self checkout we usually only have four or five items at most, so it doesn’t take much longer than it would take me. I think the lady was unnecessarily rude.

I very very rarely use self checkout ..I am slow and pretty hopeless with technology but could you imagine this woman’s response to me if indeed it was me she followed next. Keep doing what you are doing …helping children learn is very important ..they are our future.

What she said was definitely rude! I let my children help put things on counter and then in the trolley at the cashier. When doing self checkout, ond it’s busy, they do an item or two and i do the rest

I’m the same with my 4yo. If we don’t have a big shop and are there for a top up my son likes to scan the items. Like OP, I believe that allowing my child to actively participate in life, every day processes included, is beneficial to their development. There’s several other registers around, what’s the big deal?

Definitely NTA here; that incredibly rude patron to the store is so much the A.

I don’t like to use the self serve checkouts, I prefer to wait in line for the cashier because I know how slow I can be. Saying that, I wouldn’t have had a hissy fit if someone was taking a while to scan their products and her son was helping and learning at the same time. I think that lady needed to go home and take a chill pill.