Kids in liquor stores.... First impressions?

[deegack]

Oh I've also bought beer and wine while visibly pregnant. Not for me but for parties or hostess gifts. Although who knows what others thought.

 

[allison443]

Oh I've also bought beer and wine while visibly pregnant. Not for me but for parties or hostess gifts. Although who knows what others thought.

How horrifying! I hope you didn't chat with the employees like you knew them, and I certainly hope you didn't pay with a PREWRITTEN CHECK!!

 

[minniebride]

With all due respect, the only thing wrong I see with the original post is the passing judgment about a bunch of total strangers

It was a liquor store, not a bar on a Saturday night, a strip club, or an alley with a drug dealer. & people who work at liquor stores are generally just as decent as anyone else with another type of legal job.

Who cares how they all know each other? Maybe they are family friends. Maybe they are related. Maybe they are neighbors. Maybe they even belong to the same church!

The liquor store up the street from me has a billboard attached to their sign that showcases special events of customers and their families. Everyday few days it's somerthing new, ranging from "Happy Anniversary Sally & Fred" to "Happy Sweet 16, Marybeth." I'm going to bet money that Marybeth is not a repeat whiskey customer!!

Parents who go out of their way to shield their child from alcohol, to the point where they won't even enter a liquor store with them are just setting themselves (and their kids) up for failure, IMO.

ETA: Did you ever stop to wonder if she might have been judging YOU as well?? Geez, I mean you, the mother of a kindergartener, was at a liquor store buying a bottle of wine?? I mean, from the 10 minutes she got from watching you, who knows what you could have been doing with that wine! Drinking and driving with your kids in the car? Maybe you went home and shared the wine with your kindergartener?? She was probably also wondering where you got the cash to pay for that wine-oh my!! Hope she doesn't spread that rumor to your kids' school....

My point is, please be careful with who you decide to share that story with in the real world. You don't know this family, their agenda for that day, you know nothing about them. If you started talking to your friends about them, sharing your judgment to them, that story could travel right over to the school that your kid and that lady's kids go to and what a mess that would be

 

[pansmermaidzlagoon]

Sorry, you don't have it right at all. I mentioned the cigarrets because that was one of the 3 things she got (cigarrets, beer, and hard liquor). Personally, I dont smoke, and wouldn't smoke since I have kids, but thats a whole nother thread! LOL
And yes, I made a point of saying that she had a pre-written check, but not because I was trying to say she was poor "'cause she can't pay cash or use a credit card" but because it was a PRE-WRITTEN check, hence this wasn't her first trip around the liquor store, seemingly.

I have no problem with people drinking (moderatly) in the house or out to dinner and infront of their kids. But to me, I would never bring my children into a liquor store. I'd wait till my husband was home to watch them, or there was a neighbor that could watch them for the 10 minutes it would take to get there, etc. To me, liquor shouldn't be that important. Just me. And sorry, but bringing your children into a wine tasting is not OK. Just me.

we have driven around the Finger Lakes and stopped into wineries where wine tasting stations are set up. I didn't see anything wrong with that either.
I think we tried one wine that we were interested in, but no more because we were driving. We explained to DD that most people do tours in limos, etc so that they can do real tastings. It is all part of drinking responsibly for adults.

I think the assumption/judgment made due to them being familiar with the owners is just wrong...there are so many possible explanations there......

 

[tasha99]

http://img408.imageshack.us/img408/5557/bewitched102205.jpg

Can we not post images anymore?

 

[crzy4my2]

Thats how it is here, they don't sell liquor in the grocery stores or anywhere other than a liquor store, so you MUST go into one to get anything if you want it.
My point to the employees knowing the kids, was that it seemed to me that it ment they were in there often (especially seeing that the mom had a pre-written out check to pay). So then my brain went to "I wonder how much this woman (and husband) are drinking? Are they drinking in front of her kids?" Totally circumstantial, I have no evidence of this at all, and I could totally be wrong (really hope I am), but some times you just get that feeling, you know?

I haven't read all the posts but the people working in the store could be neighbors, friends or family for all we know.

Our liquor stores also sell soda, ice and lottery tickets.

 

[Carly_Roach]

http://img408.imageshack.us/img408/5557/bewitched102205.jpg

Can we not post images anymore?

OMG!! You are so dead on! I never put two and two together! Good one!

 

[austin&pipermom]

Ok so I can only imagine what people think about me. Yes I bring my kids in the store with me. Funny story.... When I became pregnant with DS I was a bartender, well I didn't want to work in the bar because of the smoke while pregnant. So the owner let me work his liquor store. Well when I was about 8 months along the family was having a cookout and I was in charge of liquor. Can you imagine big pregnant lady having about 5 bags of misc. liquor and a couple of cases of beer. And of course I was chatting up the person checking me out because I knew them. So if a person came in that didn't know me they would most likely think the worst. I told this story to say you never know the story behind the person buy the beer is.

 

[lillygator]

Recently I was in a liquor store buying a bottle of wine for a party I was headed to. It was a Wednesday night work party thing. As I was walking around the store looking at what to buy (I didn't want to spend to much, and I don't go to liquor stores often, so seeing all the neat bottles was kinda fun. There was one in the shape of a skull for $45.99...lol) there was a mom in there with her two kids. I recognized the mom because of her scrubs - she was one of the moms in my daughters kindergarten class. The kids were talking to one of the store employees about the renovations that were being done. They seemed comfortable talking to him, like they knew each other. Then I went to the check out and I was behind the mom and her kids (only line open). The mom was purchasing a good amount of beer and hard liquor (and cigarettes) and paid with a pre-written check. They seemed to all know each other pretty well, the kids were talking to the check out person (a different employee) about school.

So what would be your first impression of this? What would your "judgement" be about this? This is only a liquor store, they don't sell anything else, other than maybe pineapple juice for mixers. Would you bring your children into a place like this? Would you do it if it were just a one time thing, or would you do it on a regular basis not even thinking twice about it. I've talked to a few people about it, and I get different reactions from everyone.

really?????????????????????????????????

 

[Micca]

Don't have a problem with taking children into a liquor store. As long as the kids aren't sampling anything, I'm ok with it.

 

[HeatherH]

OMG!! You are so dead on! I never put two and two together! Good one!

Completely agree!

 

[Mickey Fliers]

What would I think? I might think:

Mom is teaching kids how to be a good guest and is bring a nice bottle to a couple who invited them to dinner.

Mom has taught kids that drinking in moderation is no big deal and certainly not something to be hidden or kept a secret.

Mom has decided that bringing her cherubs into the store with her is worth the nasty thoughts from perfect strangers.

Mom is teaching Johnny and Sally how to throw a kick **** party.


Most likely, I would think nothing...unless she had great shoes or a fabulous bag. Then I would compliment her, not only on her fashion sense, but also for the bravery she has clearly exhibited in subjecting herself to the scorn and judgment of nosy Nellies.

 

[kirstenb1]

OP, my impression of them is "big whoops".....

On the other hand my impression of you is Judgy McJudgerson. My kids have been in the ABC store with me. My older dd is friendly with the clerk, because she's also the president of the girls' softball league, where dd used to play.

I don't understand the issue whatsoever.

 

[minniebride]

http://img408.imageshack.us/img408/5557/bewitched102205.jpg

Can we not post images anymore?

That is exactly what I visualized the OP to look like when I read the original post!!!!

 

[LBIJim]

I might have a problem with children accompanying their parents to a Head shop. Maybe. Possibly. Perhaps. Hmm.....I'll have to give that some thought. After all, I went to Spencers when I was young and that qualifies as some sort of Head shop. I just thought it was cool and *gasp* forbidden!

And I suppose if they're with their parents and were well behaved, I guess I don't see any issues with children accompanying their parents to a Head shop.


Now children at an adult toy store.....yeah. I gotta big problem with that. Especially when they walk up and ask me what THAT is used for.

There's a gift shop in my town run by a pair of aging hippies that sells a wide eclectic variety of unusual/exotic merchandise. One alcove of the store sells 'smoking apparatus." There must be a hundred hand lettered signs stating things like "If you are under 21, don't even THINK about entering this area." "These products are intended for tobacco use ONLY" "Anyone making reference to anything other than tobacco use will be asked to leave" and many similar signs. So no doubt THESE people have a problem with kids or even "heads" in their head shop.

As for adult toy stores, I would IMAGINE there are signs on the doors forbidding entrance to minors, but I wouldn't know for sure.


A previous poster mentioned Everclear grain alcohol (190 proof, i.e. 95% pure alcohol). When I worked at a combo deli/liquor store many years ago, a town law (not the state) made us give a printed caution to anyone buying it warning of its dangers.

Unaccompanied minors weren't banned in the store, but they had to stay on the "deli" side.

Jim

 

[marcyinPA]

OMG..I just re-read the original post. The mom in question was wearing scrubs! In public! Now, THIS is a punishable offense!

 

[allison443]

OMG..I just re-read the original post. The mom in question was wearing scrubs! In public! Now, THIS is a punishable offense!

Actually that was a thread here last week!!

 

[marcyinPA]

Actually that was a thread here last week!!

I know! I was feeling snarky and had to comment!

 

[cristit14]

I wouldn't have a problem with it at all. Some of the liquor stores around here have suckers to give to the kids.

 

[Rora]

I wouldn't have made any judgment about it/her.. Not my business..

This.

I wouldn't bring my kids into a liquour store. Why? Because I don't drink.