Dear Supermarket checkout lady –
I’m sure it is extremely annoying to be at your register and have to listen to a wide variety of screaming, grouchy kids (and parents!) all day. I can only imagine. Shouldn’t that make you immune to it?
A piece of advice…or a begging, pleading request, in my case. If someone is coming through the line with a screaming toddler, please do not ask why she is crying. Asking “Is she hungry?” “She must be tired?” and “What’s the matter with her” do not help. They make things much, much worse. No, I am not bringing my kids out when they are at their hungriest or when they should be napping, and, while you may mean no harm by asking, all I hear is “Mom, take care of your kid. Stop starving her and get her home to take a nap.” It took me 2 children and time to learn that sometimes kids just cry for no reason. Check out lady, I assure you. I fed her, had her nap, and made sure her diaper was clean all before entering your check out line.
Some other things that just don’t help…Never. I repeat NEVER say, in front of smart, observant kids “Maybe she wants a cookie” while handing me the cookie box. Thank you for making bad go to much, much worse. Also, I do not like to be told that you have never seen a child not calm down after mom bought her a balloon. You are, in other words, telling me I have with the least consolable, tantrum-iest child to ever have a balloon? Wow. That’s pretty bad. And kind of rude…
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Amen. And so they want us to pacify them with food and buy them balloons to shut them up? If we all did that, brattiness in stores would increase 100-fold.
I seem to have this problem more with my step son than with strangers. In public, we’re usually told how adorable and well behaved they are. At home, my step son likes to “offer” food when the girls are being antsy or fussy. I remind him, “If I wanted them to have potato chips, cookies, ice cream….”
“Soooo let me get this straight. When I scream at the store, I might get a cookie or a balloon. Awesome. I’ll remember that next time.” – Toddler’s Brain
Got to love it when they SLOW down and try and HELP! Just check us out already!
Great post
It is kind of like they own you when you enter their lane. Not only do they try and give you child reering tips but I love when they also analyze your food coming down the belt. My thought, “focus on the item and punch the correct code”. And the 16yo couterpart packing my bags still says “Have a great day MA’AM”. Do I look like I am having a great day with this screaming kid? And do not call me that, I may look old, but could kick your ass!