On another note...

I went grocery shopping last night after Keith got home from work, and boy, that was an experience. I had plenty of complaints from people blocking entire aisles with their buggies and then abandoning them to walk down the aisle, and the aisle blocker chit-chatters. However, the man I encountered at the check-out made the other complaints seem like minor irritations.

He was behind me in the checkout - and as I found out, behind him was his mom. I was bagging my groceries. I could not help but notice the adorable child in the cart. I asked him how old she was, and after a long pause (like he was thinking about it) he said "two."
I replied that I had a daughter that age, and continued to bag my groceries.

As I was bagging, I noticed the child kept standing in the cart (they don't have belts), I waited for the Dad to notice and stop it, but when the child made a motion that she was going to climb out, I said,, "Hey kiddo, stay in the cart, sweetie," which made the Dad pay attention to what was going on (exactly what my intent was). Problem solved, I figured.

Wrong.

Child stands up again, Dad is not paying attention, and again makes it seem like she is going to climb out of the cart. This time the cashier, who was only maybe 17, brought it to his attention. (Hello, what has Dad's attention anyhow? His groceries are being rung through, his daughter is right in front of him , but it takes two strangers to bring it to his attention?)

The father replies....wait for it, this is good.... "Well she would only do it once" (meaning climb out of the cart and fall as it would hurt and she would "learn her lesson") I just stared at him in disbelief. My mouth, quite possibly, was gaping open. The cashier brought to his attention that it was a concrete floor and she could get hurt, and the father just looked at him with a look that said to me, "So?"

Unable to hold my thoughts in any longer, I muttered, "Unbelievable" which was loud enough for him to hear given our close proximity. The father picked up the kid, and handed her to Grandma, who was right behind him in line, and would have been able to see everything that occurred and did not nor bring it to the father's attention. I finished bagging my groceries and thankfully got out of the store.

Now, I KNOW how hard it is to keep 2 year olds in the carts. I have been by myself, in that exact store, and Em has pulled the same stunt. The difference being is I am always watching her and the second she goes to stand up I grab something to amuse her or I take her out of the cart and let her stand where I bag groceries (where you would hang your bags) Watch my groceries be rung through, or watch my kid - tough decision (I can't say for sure that's what the father was doing - he was just staring off) Now. maybe this guy had a lot on his mind, but come on...we are talking your daughter's safety here.

Maybe I am overprotective, but I would have hated myself if that child fell needlessly.