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.

How rude. Some people just need to keep their mouths shut and be happy someone is teaching their child life skills. I e always aloud my kids to do that as well as place orders a coffee shops, ice cream shops etc… they all need to learn.

Such an intolerance ! Good on this mum by giving her son the chance to learn by doing

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  • • Ellen replied
    • 04 Feb 2023 , 7:13 am

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  I do this myself with my youngest who has Down syndrome, I bet she’s even slower…luckily I never received a negative comment

Absolutely ok to let her kiddo help, what a great way to learn.
Maybe that person needed to arrive at the supermarket a few minutes earlier if they were in such a rush??

This is 100% ok. How else do kids learn life skills? My 3 year old helps with the groceries, he isn’t up to scanning yet but passes or packs things for me. Teach em young is the best way.

I feel that we wouldn’t even have self serve checkouts if the supermarkets paid staff to be on so if you want to have a whinge send an email to the supermarket. Let your child be helpful if they want as they will grow out if it soon.

Not the a**hole.
That person was totally out of line. If I saw them again, I’d go even slower even if I was alone

That is so rude. Absolutely not necessary to do that. High five to you for teaching your child life skills, natter how fast or how slow they may be.

These are the same people that get mad when babies cry on an airplane. Grumpy and should be ignored!

I think that lady sounds like the Ahole!!!
Seriously. She just needs to chill out. Probably one of those people who are unhappy with their life.

I can understand both sides and get frustrated at waiting at times too, however I feel we are becoming a very impatient and expectant society
, being used to getting everything instantly I.e internet, drive through and self serve
I always try to remind myself of a saying a friend has ” lack of planning on your side does not constitute an emergency on mine”

My kids often like to help, I don’t let them do the whole lot, but as long as there were plenty of other available machines. They wouldn’t dare say anything to an elderly person who would have been just as slow.

That lady sounds awful!!! What a bad egg

Yes it is the yellow Sulphur crested talking As*hole that has escaped again its an As*hole it can’t give an opinion because its full of ????. Let the kid have fun and learn that’s what parent’s do. Include teach and take part that’s the fun. Keep doing it I applaud you and the busier it is the more should do it .

I must be the biggest as*hole out there because my kids always do this! They love it I can’t stand it but hey what do you do… can’t keep everyone happy!

Definitely not an a-hole parent. Gosh,my 4yo always LOVES to help me, especially at Kmart as he loves holding the hand held scanner. Kids have to learn and by letting em, not only encourages them to be self sufficient but to also make the shopping experience fun. Some people have grown very impatient & rude over the years especially after Covid and lockdowns. It even made me a bit bitter at one stage. At the end of the day, what if it was a disabled person or a very fragile elderly person or someone with an injury, who was slow to scan and pack? Would they be an a-hole? Of course not… so really, a child scanning is no different to a slow adult.
I feel bad for your 7yo who may have had to endure hearing the name calling.

Remembering that only a few of the self serve registers accept cash as payment, and not being there, it is impossible to say. But, a busy day, busy time, may have not been the right time to allow the child to do the entire transaction, a not so busy time, less customers may have been better. ….but like I said, I wasn’t there., always 2 sides to a story.

Definitely not an asshole. If there was only one or two self serve checkouts available, I’d probably tell my kid not today as we need to keep the line moving for all the people waiting. But as there were many checkouts available – this is no different to an elderly person, person with a disability, or someone not technologically savvy taking their time or having difficulties with the machine! Children learn by doing and interacting with the world around them. A little patience and kindness goes a long way.

Definitely not. I’m sure the other customer wouldn’t have said something that awful if it had of been an elderly or disabled person. Children have just as much right as anyone else.