Let's face it, parenting can be a challenging task, and grocery shopping with children can be an adventure on its own. Anything can happen, and sometimes, things may not go quite as planned.

In what seems to be an upsetting experience for one Sydney mum, things took quite a turn during a simple shopping trip to Woolworths. It appears that rather than sympathy for her son's stomach-churning situation, this parent was left feeling 'frustrated and flustered' after she was instructed by staff to clean up her son's vomit at the self-checkout.

There has been a controversy stirred by a mother's allegation that a supermarket employee compelled her to clean up her son's vomit at the self-checkout area. Photo by Andrea Piacquadio

In the midst of scanning groceries, the woman's two-year-old child fell ill, resulting in an unfortunate incident involving vomit on the floor near the exit. The mother quickly tended to her child, apologising to staff members who had witnessed the encounter. However, she was left extremely disappointed when, instead of providing assistance, the staff insisted that she clean up her son's mess herself.

As she shared her ordeal, the mother explained that she was already struggling to manage the situation, having to wrangle both of her young children and worry about their safety near the busy front entrance. What's more, the staff didn't just expect the mum to clean up; they also reportedly had a worker stand over her to 'make sure' she did so, adding further tension to the already stressful episode.

The story resulted in controversy, with several comments calling out Woolworths for their lack of support for the mother.

'As someone who worked in retail, they should have assisted her by at least scanning her groceries while she tended to the kids,' one person commented. Others empathised with her plight, stating that 'kindness goes a long way’.

However, some expressed that the responsibility fell on the parent, arguing that it is their job to clean up after their child. 'It would be lovely if the shop staff offered, however, they're not obliged to, and it's 100% your responsibility to clean up bodily fluids.' one commenter said.

Strategies for Navigating Parenting Challenges in Public Spaces​

It’s not always easy to manage challenging situations involving young children. Here are a few strategies that parents and grandparents alike can adapt to make the process a bit smoother for all involved.

Positive Reinforcement​

It’s useful to use positive reinforcement whenever possible. For instance, praising a child when they respond in an appropriate and considerate way inside a shop can go a long way towards reinforcing a desired behaviour.

Plan Ahead​

It’s important to plan ahead and carry all essential items. Keeping in mind that children are also unpredictable, it’s useful to arm yourself with essentials, such as a change of clothing and wet wipes, just to be on the safe side. Additionally, where possible, it may be useful to leave a smaller child with a babysitter while completing a shopping task.

Communicate​

It can be helpful to communicate with the staff of the shop if a child experiences an accident. Having a conversation might go a long way, allowing the staff to understand the parent is just as distressed as the child may be.

Key Takeaways

• A mum claimed that a supermarket worker at Woolworths made her clean up her son's vomit after he became sick at the self-checkout.
• The Sydney mum shared her experience on a popular social media group and asked if she should complain to the supermarket chain.
• Reactions to her story were mixed, with some siding with the mum and others saying parents should be responsible for cleaning up after their children.
• The woman said she felt distressed and had to wrangle two children while cleaning up the mess and scanning her groceries.

We’d like to remind everyone, customers and employees alike, that kindness, understanding, and empathy play an essential role in making the world more pleasant. We hope such incidents serve as a lesson for all parties, and we extend our best wishes to the mother and her child.

So next time you're at the supermarket, whether you're an employee or customer, let's remember to extend support and compassion to our fellow shoppers. After all, we're all just trying to navigate through life one shopping trip at a time.

Members, what are your thoughts on this story? Do you believe the staff should have offered assistance in cleaning up, or do you think it's the mother's responsibility to clean up after her child? We value your opinions and would like to hear your thoughts on this matter. Please feel free to share your viewpoint below.

 

[Suzanne rose]

If I was that staff member I could NOT clean it up. It would make me vomit! Maybe staff could just keep an eye on her children & groceries for her while she cleaned it up! Staff should NOT have to clean up this sort of thing!!!!!

I gagged on cleaning up my own kids vomit which is why hubby did it most of the time

 

[Liz]

My niece carries most things with her young children and if I happened to be with her I would help her clean it up. Have a gagging response myself but you look after your children. It would have been nice if the employee got onto to customer service and asked for a mop and bucket to be bought to the checkout. Just common sense, I would have thought.

 

[Colette 3799]

When my kids were young my son vomited in target. I asked a staff member if they had paper towels and a plastic bag and I cleaned it up , after I did the lady then came with a mop.
She asked if I needed water for him or a damp towel. So she offered me help but I cleaned it up while my son sat down .

I wouldn't expect it to be cleaned up by someone else, what if it's a virus that someone else can catch.

Retail workers are there to help customers with goods n services this does not include cleaning up bodily fluids

My older son threw up while visiting his younger brother in hospital, he was four at the time. I didn’t expect the staff to clean up after him and I just asked where the cleaning stuff was and got to it.

 

[helooney3]

Staff should have cleaned it up …. they would have had to do it if the perpetrator had left the store. Just go get a bucket and mop … the mother wouldn’t have one with her! Staff are paid to work but many today are lazy.

 

[Suzanne rose]

Staff should have cleaned it up …. they would have had to do it if the perpetrator had left the store. Just go get a bucket and mop … the mother wouldn’t have one with her! Staff are paid to work but many today are lazy.

So if someone is stabbed in a supermarket should a young person clean this up too.
A shop my cousin works at had a person stabbed and blood was everywhere

 

[Ashbeare]

Let's face it, parenting can be a challenging task, and grocery shopping with children can be an adventure on its own. Anything can happen, and sometimes, things may not go quite as planned.

In what seems to be an upsetting experience for one Sydney mum, things took quite a turn during a simple shopping trip to Woolworths. It appears that rather than sympathy for her son's stomach-churning situation, this parent was left feeling 'frustrated and flustered' after she was instructed by staff to clean up her son's vomit at the self-checkout.

View attachment 21116

There has been a controversy stirred by a mother's allegation that a supermarket employee compelled her to clean up her son's vomit at the self-checkout area. Photo by Andrea Piacquadio

In the midst of scanning groceries, the woman's two-year-old child fell ill, resulting in an unfortunate incident involving vomit on the floor near the exit. The mother quickly tended to her child, apologising to staff members who had witnessed the encounter. However, she was left extremely disappointed when, instead of providing assistance, the staff insisted that she clean up her son's mess herself.

As she shared her ordeal, the mother explained that she was already struggling to manage the situation, having to wrangle both of her young children and worry about their safety near the busy front entrance. What's more, the staff didn't just expect the mum to clean up; they also reportedly had a worker stand over her to 'make sure' she did so, adding further tension to the already stressful episode.

The story resulted in controversy, with several comments calling out Woolworths for their lack of support for the mother.

'As someone who worked in retail, they should have assisted her by at least scanning her groceries while she tended to the kids,' one person commented. Others empathised with her plight, stating that 'kindness goes a long way’.

However, some expressed that the responsibility fell on the parent, arguing that it is their job to clean up after their child. 'It would be lovely if the shop staff offered, however, they're not obliged to, and it's 100% your responsibility to clean up bodily fluids.' one commenter said.

Strategies for Navigating Parenting Challenges in Public Spaces​

It’s not always easy to manage challenging situations involving young children. Here are a few strategies that parents and grandparents alike can adapt to make the process a bit smoother for all involved.

Positive Reinforcement​

It’s useful to use positive reinforcement whenever possible. For instance, praising a child when they respond in an appropriate and considerate way inside a shop can go a long way towards reinforcing a desired behaviour.

Plan Ahead​

It’s important to plan ahead and carry all essential items. Keeping in mind that children are also unpredictable, it’s useful to arm yourself with essentials, such as a change of clothing and wet wipes, just to be on the safe side. Additionally, where possible, it may be useful to leave a smaller child with a babysitter while completing a shopping task.

Communicate​

It can be helpful to communicate with the staff of the shop if a child experiences an accident. Having a conversation might go a long way, allowing the staff to understand the parent is just as distressed as the child may be.

Key Takeaways

• A mum claimed that a supermarket worker at Woolworths made her clean up her son's vomit after he became sick at the self-checkout.
• The Sydney mum shared her experience on a popular social media group and asked if she should complain to the supermarket chain.
• Reactions to her story were mixed, with some siding with the mum and others saying parents should be responsible for cleaning up after their children.
• The woman said she felt distressed and had to wrangle two children while cleaning up the mess and scanning her groceries.

We’d like to remind everyone, customers and employees alike, that kindness, understanding, and empathy play an essential role in making the world more pleasant. We hope such incidents serve as a lesson for all parties, and we extend our best wishes to the mother and her child.

So next time you're at the supermarket, whether you're an employee or customer, let's remember to extend support and compassion to our fellow shoppers. After all, we're all just trying to navigate through life one shopping trip at a time.

Members, what are your thoughts on this story? Do you believe the staff should have offered assistance in cleaning up, or do you think it's the mother's responsibility to clean up after her child? We value your opinions and would like to hear your thoughts on this matter. Please feel free to share your viewpoint below.

wELL DONE wOLLIES. iF THE KID WAS ILL THEY SHOULD NOT BE SHOPPING. wHY SHOULD STAFF HAVE TO CLEAN UP AFTER YOU. dO YOU WANT A NAPPY CHANGING SERVICE AS WELL?

 

[anouch]

I would clean up after my child but no way in hell could I do it for someone else's child,,,that vomit smell is revolting as we all know,,,I also don't think it's the employees job either,,,they can certainly provide what is needed for the mum,,,I feel sorry for the employees these days,,they get such a raw deal and my child vomiting is not their problem,,,for goodness sake clean your child's mess up yourself,,staff are not your slaves

 

[Banjo4670]

Let's face it, parenting can be a challenging task, and grocery shopping with children can be an adventure on its own. Anything can happen, and sometimes, things may not go quite as planned.

In what seems to be an upsetting experience for one Sydney mum, things took quite a turn during a simple shopping trip to Woolworths. It appears that rather than sympathy for her son's stomach-churning situation, this parent was left feeling 'frustrated and flustered' after she was instructed by staff to clean up her son's vomit at the self-checkout.

View attachment 21116

There has been a controversy stirred by a mother's allegation that a supermarket employee compelled her to clean up her son's vomit at the self-checkout area. Photo by Andrea Piacquadio

In the midst of scanning groceries, the woman's two-year-old child fell ill, resulting in an unfortunate incident involving vomit on the floor near the exit. The mother quickly tended to her child, apologising to staff members who had witnessed the encounter. However, she was left extremely disappointed when, instead of providing assistance, the staff insisted that she clean up her son's mess herself.

As she shared her ordeal, the mother explained that she was already struggling to manage the situation, having to wrangle both of her young children and worry about their safety near the busy front entrance. What's more, the staff didn't just expect the mum to clean up; they also reportedly had a worker stand over her to 'make sure' she did so, adding further tension to the already stressful episode.

The story resulted in controversy, with several comments calling out Woolworths for their lack of support for the mother.

'As someone who worked in retail, they should have assisted her by at least scanning her groceries while she tended to the kids,' one person commented. Others empathised with her plight, stating that 'kindness goes a long way’.

However, some expressed that the responsibility fell on the parent, arguing that it is their job to clean up after their child. 'It would be lovely if the shop staff offered, however, they're not obliged to, and it's 100% your responsibility to clean up bodily fluids.' one commenter said.

Strategies for Navigating Parenting Challenges in Public Spaces​

It’s not always easy to manage challenging situations involving young children. Here are a few strategies that parents and grandparents alike can adapt to make the process a bit smoother for all involved.

Positive Reinforcement​

It’s useful to use positive reinforcement whenever possible. For instance, praising a child when they respond in an appropriate and considerate way inside a shop can go a long way towards reinforcing a desired behaviour.

Plan Ahead​

It’s important to plan ahead and carry all essential items. Keeping in mind that children are also unpredictable, it’s useful to arm yourself with essentials, such as a change of clothing and wet wipes, just to be on the safe side. Additionally, where possible, it may be useful to leave a smaller child with a babysitter while completing a shopping task.

Communicate​

It can be helpful to communicate with the staff of the shop if a child experiences an accident. Having a conversation might go a long way, allowing the staff to understand the parent is just as distressed as the child may be.

Key Takeaways

• A mum claimed that a supermarket worker at Woolworths made her clean up her son's vomit after he became sick at the self-checkout.
• The Sydney mum shared her experience on a popular social media group and asked if she should complain to the supermarket chain.
• Reactions to her story were mixed, with some siding with the mum and others saying parents should be responsible for cleaning up after their children.
• The woman said she felt distressed and had to wrangle two children while cleaning up the mess and scanning her groceries.

We’d like to remind everyone, customers and employees alike, that kindness, understanding, and empathy play an essential role in making the world more pleasant. We hope such incidents serve as a lesson for all parties, and we extend our best wishes to the mother and her child.

So next time you're at the supermarket, whether you're an employee or customer, let's remember to extend support and compassion to our fellow shoppers. After all, we're all just trying to navigate through life one shopping trip at a time.

Members, what are your thoughts on this story? Do you believe the staff should have offered assistance in cleaning up, or do you think it's the mother's responsibility to clean up after her child? We value your opinions and would like to hear your thoughts on this matter. Please feel free to share your viewpoint below.

I would think that the Supermarket (store) has a Duty of Care to clean up any spill on the floor no matter where it came from.
How is this different from a customer breaking a dozen eggs or spilling 2 ltrs of milk??

 

[Banjo4670]

wELL DONE wOLLIES. iF THE KID WAS ILL THEY SHOULD NOT BE SHOPPING. wHY SHOULD STAFF HAVE TO CLEAN UP AFTER YOU. dO YOU WANT A NAPPY CHANGING SERVICE AS WELL?

I hOPE wHO eVER YOU ARE , YOU ARE NOT a PARENT oF mE.
Kids Vomit...

 

[Robbo3006]

Communicate? Please!! Is it so hard for staff to help the mother? Are they too good to do so? Staff should be ashamed for their actions or lack of. The woman has 2 small children with her and no one helps. I would not be happy with the lack of assistance. Reality check for all staff.

Handcuff the kids to a railing until the mum finishes cleaning it up. Staff should not be expected to clean up vomit, you've got to be kidding.

 

[Robbo3006]

I would think that the Supermarket (store) has a Duty of Care to clean up any spill on the floor no matter where it came from.
How is this different from a customer breaking a dozen eggs or spilling 2 ltrs of milk??

Because it's vomit, are you for real.

 

[Jest]

please tell me how did we

Let's face it, parenting can be a challenging task, and grocery shopping with children can be an adventure on its own. Anything can happen, and sometimes, things may not go quite as planned.

In what seems to be an upsetting experience for one Sydney mum, things took quite a turn during a simple shopping trip to Woolworths. It appears that rather than sympathy for her son's stomach-churning situation, this parent was left feeling 'frustrated and flustered' after she was instructed by staff to clean up her son's vomit at the self-checkout.

View attachment 21116

There has been a controversy stirred by a mother's allegation that a supermarket employee compelled her to clean up her son's vomit at the self-checkout area. Photo by Andrea Piacquadio

In the midst of scanning groceries, the woman's two-year-old child fell ill, resulting in an unfortunate incident involving vomit on the floor near the exit. The mother quickly tended to her child, apologising to staff members who had witnessed the encounter. However, she was left extremely disappointed when, instead of providing assistance, the staff insisted that she clean up her son's mess herself.

As she shared her ordeal, the mother explained that she was already struggling to manage the situation, having to wrangle both of her young children and worry about their safety near the busy front entrance. What's more, the staff didn't just expect the mum to clean up; they also reportedly had a worker stand over her to 'make sure' she did so, adding further tension to the already stressful episode.

The story resulted in controversy, with several comments calling out Woolworths for their lack of support for the mother.

'As someone who worked in retail, they should have assisted her by at least scanning her groceries while she tended to the kids,' one person commented. Others empathised with her plight, stating that 'kindness goes a long way’.

However, some expressed that the responsibility fell on the parent, arguing that it is their job to clean up after their child. 'It would be lovely if the shop staff offered, however, they're not obliged to, and it's 100% your responsibility to clean up bodily fluids.' one commenter said.

Strategies for Navigating Parenting Challenges in Public Spaces​

It’s not always easy to manage challenging situations involving young children. Here are a few strategies that parents and grandparents alike can adapt to make the process a bit smoother for all involved.

Positive Reinforcement​

It’s useful to use positive reinforcement whenever possible. For instance, praising a child when they respond in an appropriate and considerate way inside a shop can go a long way towards reinforcing a desired behaviour.

Plan Ahead​

It’s important to plan ahead and carry all essential items. Keeping in mind that children are also unpredictable, it’s useful to arm yourself with essentials, such as a change of clothing and wet wipes, just to be on the safe side. Additionally, where possible, it may be useful to leave a smaller child with a babysitter while completing a shopping task.

Communicate​

It can be helpful to communicate with the staff of the shop if a child experiences an accident. Having a conversation might go a long way, allowing the staff to understand the parent is just as distressed as the child may be.

Key Takeaways

• A mum claimed that a supermarket worker at Woolworths made her clean up her son's vomit after he became sick at the self-checkout.
• The Sydney mum shared her experience on a popular social media group and asked if she should complain to the supermarket chain.
• Reactions to her story were mixed, with some siding with the mum and others saying parents should be responsible for cleaning up after their children.
• The woman said she felt distressed and had to wrangle two children while cleaning up the mess and scanning her groceries.

We’d like to remind everyone, customers and employees alike, that kindness, understanding, and empathy play an essential role in making the world more pleasant. We hope such incidents serve as a lesson for all parties, and we extend our best wishes to the mother and her child.

So next time you're at the supermarket, whether you're an employee or customer, let's remember to extend support and compassion to our fellow shoppers. After all, we're all just trying to navigate through life one shopping trip at a time.

Members, what are your thoughts on this story? Do you believe the staff should have offered assistance in cleaning up, or do you think it's the mother's responsibility to clean up after her child? We value your opinions and would like to hear your thoughts on this matter. Please feel free to share your viewpoint below.

tell me how did we manage going shopping with 3 kids back in the 60's? Task my arse. Just plain good manners are required. AND NO it is not the job of someone else to mop your mess.

 

[KiwiTrish]

Let's face it, parenting can be a challenging task, and grocery shopping with children can be an adventure on its own. Anything can happen, and sometimes, things may not go quite as planned.

In what seems to be an upsetting experience for one Sydney mum, things took quite a turn during a simple shopping trip to Woolworths. It appears that rather than sympathy for her son's stomach-churning situation, this parent was left feeling 'frustrated and flustered' after she was instructed by staff to clean up her son's vomit at the self-checkout.

View attachment 21116

There has been a controversy stirred by a mother's allegation that a supermarket employee compelled her to clean up her son's vomit at the self-checkout area. Photo by Andrea Piacquadio

In the midst of scanning groceries, the woman's two-year-old child fell ill, resulting in an unfortunate incident involving vomit on the floor near the exit. The mother quickly tended to her child, apologising to staff members who had witnessed the encounter. However, she was left extremely disappointed when, instead of providing assistance, the staff insisted that she clean up her son's mess herself.

As she shared her ordeal, the mother explained that she was already struggling to manage the situation, having to wrangle both of her young children and worry about their safety near the busy front entrance. What's more, the staff didn't just expect the mum to clean up; they also reportedly had a worker stand over her to 'make sure' she did so, adding further tension to the already stressful episode.

The story resulted in controversy, with several comments calling out Woolworths for their lack of support for the mother.

'As someone who worked in retail, they should have assisted her by at least scanning her groceries while she tended to the kids,' one person commented. Others empathised with her plight, stating that 'kindness goes a long way’.

However, some expressed that the responsibility fell on the parent, arguing that it is their job to clean up after their child. 'It would be lovely if the shop staff offered, however, they're not obliged to, and it's 100% your responsibility to clean up bodily fluids.' one commenter said.

Strategies for Navigating Parenting Challenges in Public Spaces​

It’s not always easy to manage challenging situations involving young children. Here are a few strategies that parents and grandparents alike can adapt to make the process a bit smoother for all involved.

Positive Reinforcement​

It’s useful to use positive reinforcement whenever possible. For instance, praising a child when they respond in an appropriate and considerate way inside a shop can go a long way towards reinforcing a desired behaviour.

Plan Ahead​

It’s important to plan ahead and carry all essential items. Keeping in mind that children are also unpredictable, it’s useful to arm yourself with essentials, such as a change of clothing and wet wipes, just to be on the safe side. Additionally, where possible, it may be useful to leave a smaller child with a babysitter while completing a shopping task.

Communicate​

It can be helpful to communicate with the staff of the shop if a child experiences an accident. Having a conversation might go a long way, allowing the staff to understand the parent is just as distressed as the child may be.

Key Takeaways

• A mum claimed that a supermarket worker at Woolworths made her clean up her son's vomit after he became sick at the self-checkout.
• The Sydney mum shared her experience on a popular social media group and asked if she should complain to the supermarket chain.
• Reactions to her story were mixed, with some siding with the mum and others saying parents should be responsible for cleaning up after their children.
• The woman said she felt distressed and had to wrangle two children while cleaning up the mess and scanning her groceries.

We’d like to remind everyone, customers and employees alike, that kindness, understanding, and empathy play an essential role in making the world more pleasant. We hope such incidents serve as a lesson for all parties, and we extend our best wishes to the mother and her child.

So next time you're at the supermarket, whether you're an employee or customer, let's remember to extend support and compassion to our fellow shoppers. After all, we're all just trying to navigate through life one shopping trip at a time.

Members, what are your thoughts on this story? Do you believe the staff should have offered assistance in cleaning up, or do you think it's the mother's responsibility to clean up after her child? We value your opinions and would like to hear your thoughts on this matter. Please feel free to share your viewpoint below.

No I would expect myself to clean up but ask for help with the kids while I did it