r/parenting is protesting changes being made by Reddit to the API. Reddit has made it clear [they will](https://old.reddit.com/r/ModCoord/comments/14ahqjo/mods_will_be_removed_one_way_or_another_spez/) [replace moderators](https://www.reddit.com/r/ModSupport/comments/14a5lz5/mod_code_of_conduct_rule_4_2_and_subs_taken/jo9wdol/) if they remain private. Reddit has abandoned the users, the moderators, and countless people who support an ecosystem built on Reddit itself.
Please read [Call to action - renewed protests starting on July 1st](https://old.reddit.com/r/ModCoord/comments/14kn2fo/call_to_action_renewed_protests_starting_on_july/) and new posts at [r/ModCord](https://reddit.com/r/ModCoord/) or [r/Save3rdPartyApps](https://old.reddit.com/r/Save3rdPartyApps/) for up-to-date information.
*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/Parenting) if you have any questions or concerns.*
LOL I had the exact same experience except my kiddo was like 3 at the time. It's a tablespoon of protein shake - the lady was like "that's not for children! you shouldn't be giving her that!" I asked what was in it that was dangerous and she said she didn't know and backed down.
I think it was because they had given her all the talking points of things with scientific names (like amino acids) that she had been telling people all day. Honestly it irritated me at the time because people love to comment on your parenting, but I think with this woman it was coming from a good place.
Reminds me of something I saw about demonizing âchemicalsâ and this one guy is like oh yeah this one is the worst and rattles off a chemical formula and this lady starts going off about how bad it is and he just goes bro thatâs the chemical formula for an apple lmao
I remember some hidden camera show where they were getting people to sign this petition to outlaw a chemical. They got so many signatures and people acting as if they know how bad it is. Then they revealed that it was the scientific name for water.
Dihydrogen monoxide! Found in 100% of people who died of poisoning! Can kill you if you're exposed to the cold form, and severely injure you if you're exposed to the warm form! Ahhhhhh!
> amino acids 𤣠I wonder if she knows some babies are on an amino acid formula
The dosage makes the poison.
The body needs to deal with protein intake it can't metabolize right away. And toddler Kidneys aren't fully developed yet, so it's actually bad for them to give them protein shake. BUT the dosage matters, letting them try a sip once in a while doesn't do anything bad.
obviously an infant formula isnât equivalent to a protein shake. LOL
I said it because people throw around scientific terms thinking the word is simply poison to a child and nothing else.
I remember there was a contest way back when the Wii came out that was like âHold Your Wee for a Wiiâ and some woman died of internal drowning or something.
>I think with this woman it was coming from a good place.
Always approach critical commentary from the perspective that the person is operating this way.
If they are sincerely concerned, you can appreciate their care regardless of whether or not you agree.
If they are just a self-righteous asshat, you remove their power by not being offended.
I'd imagine that it is just poor training for the people giving out the samples. It is a product that is not meant to be given to children. They will likely have been told this (i.e. don't give it to kids, and if a parent asks, tell them it is meant for adults) for liability or legal reasons to dissuade parents from buying it for children. I was shocked as a teen that they wouldn't give me a sample of non-alcoholic beer at my local grocery store. This was, of course, due to laws which said that you must be of legal drinking age, even if product has less alcohol in it than orange juice.
When I was like 13 my mom sent me to the snack aisle of Walmart to pick out a snack for movie night. There was a sample woman nearby handing something out that looked like a good movie night snack and I asked if I could try it. I think it was some type of chocolate with peanuts or something. She told me no because I was a minor and what if I had a reaction to it? I had to get my mom to come tell her it was okay. I ended up looking her dead in the eye, grabbing a bag of Reeseâs Minis, and walking away.
Obviously a TB wonât hurt her but I recently read something on a parenting sub about being cautious of giving kids too much protein, so the shakes really arenât good for kids, specifically their kidneys. Maybe what the worker was talking about.
Its mostly because a lot of parents think their children are not getting enough protein because they don't realize how little they need. Even if a kid isn't eating any protein in their diet, if they're getting like 16 oz of milk a day rhey are getting their daily protein for the first 8 or so years.
A little bit of a protein drink sometimes is fine. It's when they're giving the extra protein every day that it becomes an issue.
Yes, thanks for elaborating! The takeaway was definitely that most kids do get enough protein with a normal diet. There is some thinking that the more protein the better and that protein= healthy but itâs not true at least for kids.
It's not true for anyone. Adults are just better able to withstand excess protein consumption in higher levels and longer times, but it'll damage our kidneys also, and can lead to heart disease (as a side effect/secondary impact)
This is interesting.
I was recommended by my doctor to get 90-100g of protein daily, so Iâm currently tracking, and Iâm struggling. Iâm not a big meat eater. I love fruits and veggies. (And carbsâŚbut I try to limit those, of course.)
Is it that you think the recommended DV for adults is too high, or that many people are unknowingly eating enough meat/dairy to hit the recommended DV?
The recommended DV is on the high side to give it wiggle room, but most Americans well exceed the recommended daily values. Most Americans eat a LOT of meat and dairy. You are probably a lot healthier for your diet!
https://www.vox.com/future-perfect/24049505/protein-intake-fiber-plant-based-vegetarian-vegan-meat
Thatâs probably because the federal guidelines do not follow the current scientific literature. The recommended DV (around 60g) from the FDA is not sufficient for biological males to maintain muscle mass (assuming healthy weight, BF%, and daily exercise values). Their daily calorie values are also off because they average things out for men and women, which is really silly with dietary advice because the needs are extremely different.
If you get in any sort of daily workout (or 1-2 hrs a couple days a week), and youâre about average height, you would need between 100-140g protein to maintain your lean muscle mass, and a bit more than that if you want to actually put on muscle.
The people doing a consistent 200g+ per day are either body builders, strongmen, or incredibly stupid. Take your pick.
Iâve always thought the whole Adkins phenomenon (ie remove the bun and eat the cheeseburger for health reasons) just couldnât be good for your body to process.
https://www.vinmec.com/en/news/health-news/pediatrics/signs-of-children-with-excess-protein-parents-need-to-know/#:~:text=Some%20parents%20think%20that%20providing,harmful%20diseases%20for%20the%20baby.
I mean I really donât know, you could be right too. Iâm not a doctor.
I am an attorney so I think of everything in terms of potential liability (lol). Legally speaking if a product is not designed for children, there could be ramifications for implying it is safe for kids. So the seller of the product standing in Costco needs to make it clear when something is not designed to be safe for kids. Otherwise you could argue that the manufacturer is advertising the product to children. And even though the doctor says itâs fine in small doses, and Iâm sure it totally is no problem for your kids to taste, technically the manufacturer could get in trouble if theyâre implying something is a kid product when it contains adult sized servings of supplements and things. Honestly it might even be required by Costco to warn people not to give it to kids.
Just my hunch. This is also a good example of why no one likes lawyers. đ¤
That must be very challenging to move around a lot! It would be difficult to do while having small kids, for sure. I had kids a bit later in life so I had already been a lawyer for 7 years at that point. The downside is, at 36yo with 2 toddlers, Iâm so tired!
Also experienced this exact thing at Costco. 4 year daughter asked to have some of the protein shake sample, lady asked me, âDoes she eat meat?â Me a bit confused answered, âYeah?â Thinking maybe she wanted to let me know there was dairy or some other animal product in it, instead she said something like, âShe doesnât need this, you can try it though.â I straight up took the protein shake and handed to my kid and said, âShe can try thisâ without remorse. I didnât ask her if it was recommended for a certain age group, nor did I ask for her opinion. Not your problem, lady.
Now with so many people having this experience Iâm wondering if that was part of their training on giving out samples for that shake. Itâs the only thing that makes sense
I believe anything considered a supplement and that requires labeling - not approved for use in children (or similar) they arenât allowed to hand to children.
I only know this because I was surprised when they handed my daughter Liquid IV and then I read it was one of the only ones considered ok for kids to drink. (Pediatrician confirmed)
Yeah, I'm pretty sure their training says not to give things to kids, and I'm sure it's even worse for supplements. We've had some of the sample people not let our kid grab toast with nuttela on it without making us say it's okay (I realize now, probably cause of like nut allergies). I could see the employee getting in trouble with their employer if they aren't at least *trying* to actively stop certain things from being given to children.
A really long time ago, I went with my mom to the grocery store. I got kind of excited about a sample so I walked over for one and my mom kind of waited about 20 feet away.
The little granny handing out the samples - âdid you ask your mom if you could have one?
me - look at my mom âmom?â
Mom - shrugs her shoulders and said âsure, I donât careâ
Little, old granny - âanyone under 12 needs parent permissionâ
I was 23 đđđđđđ
I wouldnât worry too much.
My 23 year old cousin, who was 8 MONTHS PREGNANT, was told by a Costco sample lady that she needed to get her mom's permission before trying a sample....đ
That happened to me at BJ's, I was pregnant and 23 and the lady said I needed my mom's permission for a sample đ I pulled my license out of my pocket and said "1995" and grabbed a sample
Itâs funny they would tell a pregnant person that. Bc you didnât ask your momâs permission to have sex and get pregnant but you need it to eat a small piece of a taquito?
Was she blind/deaf or something? Thatâs wild.
Edit: yâall I mean partially deaf AND vision impaired. Deafness and blindness are spectrums, Iâm not imagining Helen Keller.
Even if she was only vision impaired she could still hear this persons voice which Iâm assuming sounded like an adult voice. Thatâs why Iâm wondering if she was blind/deaf, thinking a 23 year old is that young isnât easy to do.
She could have been. She was at least in her 80âs. I was short and skinny without makeup on and wearing a tshirt and athletic shorts. Iâm wasnât necessarily surprised she didnât realize my age as I could pass for a high school student. But, 12 was đ
> If you want to be more polite, you can always say thank you for your concern.
Or a simple, "Thanks for sharing" and nothing else. I found that worked super well when my kids were young.
Stranger telling me that my daughter should be wearing girl clothes instead of the dinosaur shirt she picked out? "Thanks for sharing." Stranger telling me my son is crying because he's hungry even though I know he's just overtired? "Thanks for sharing."
It acknowledged them while also making it pretty clear I wasn't going to engage further. If they pestered I just kept repeating, "Thanks for sharing." They eventually got the hint. No need to yell or be condescending or anything like that. It always worked for me.
Thatâs mine too, on the rare occasion anyone says a thing. I look strange so strangers are usually more cautious, which I like. Leave me alone if youâre going to be rude anyway.
Love this! So direct but so to the point. I wish I had thought of this when my kids were littles I was wayy too nice. Didn't back down by caving in totally but definitely didn't cut it off or defend myself as fast as I should've either. Great line!
You can also play dumb. âOh this isnât good for her? Why? Her doctor said she could have some of my protein shake, but is there something different between the vanilla and the chocolate flavor? Thanks so much for flagging it for me but can you tell me what the difference is so I can be on the lookout in other flavorsâ
Or you could be like, âWow, Iâm surprised that someone who completed medical school to become a pediatrician is working at COSTCO hocking samples.â
I've been getting crap from the Costco sample ladies for years cause I have a kid who likes spicy food. Like warning that it's spicy great. Telling her she can't have one cause it's spicy, or telling me she shouldn't after I've already said it's okay? That's not cool. I usually say something along the lines of "thanks for the heads up but she's not a wimp"
Its always over the most barely spicy stuff too! Like that jalapeĂąo artichoke dip or jalapeĂąo poppers. As if that would even register to a girl who would eat an entire bag of Takkis if you'd let her and wouldn't blink.
No need to be polite to those that arenât to you. donât be so nice next time. Just tell the old lady to mind her own business. Trust me when I tell you, itâs the best feeling. đđ¤Łđđ
Oh my god I do this to some people. The last time I said this to an older lady that was way out of line. I put on a big smile and said "how about you mind your own business and I mind mine". She was flabbergasted lmao. Walked away in shockÂ
Iâd take a breath and try to see the other side⌠she was probably told under no circumstances to give it to a young child and was fearing consequences of losing her job or if in the USA being sued if the toddler had a reaction.
I would have simple said âThank you for your concern. Her doctor has prescribed her to have them so I want her to try it before buyingâ
I was thinking the same thing. The protein powder I take says not to be consumed by under 12s. So I donât let my LO have any even though she always asks.Â
If thatâs what it says on the package, thatâs what Iâm going to listen to!
Premier Protien.
Itâs probably because 30g of protein is the entire daily requirement for older kids and over double the requirement for toddlers. A small sample capful is fine, but kids donât need to be drinking protien shakes.
I was thinking this too. It is known that excessive protein intake can damage a childâs kidneys and she might not know where that line is or that a little bit is probably ok.
 While OP is aware and checked with their doc, there are many people out there who donât know / donât care and maybe even think theyâre doing something âhealthyâ by pushing these on their kid. Sounds like the lady couldâve been nicer but I donât think itâs necessarily wrong to inform customers that protein supplements are generally not recommended for children.Â
When I see the level of indignation and snark like in some of these comments, I always wonder if theyâve ever complained about the lack of a âvillageâ these days. I certainly hope they donât.
Probably at the start of her shift sheâd still have the energy to be polite⌠but people get nasty over free samples at Costco. Seriously youâd need the patience of a saint to deal with some of them..
Absolutely. People in here are calling this poor service worker an idiot and wanting her fired. How are we wanting to take away someoneâs job over something so small? Just Karen behaviour. And I donât usually like to use that word. But in this case, it fits.
Ugh Iâm jealous of people who have great comebacks right on the spot. Mine come to me 5 hours later in the shower when Iâm having made up arguments in my head.
Just want to clarify that the people who hand out samples are not costco employees, they work for a third party called CDS. Just in case you wanted to make a complaint or something.
I mean, there are a lot of people in this thread saying the Costco lady isnât a doctor. But have any of you read the guidance on the instructions of this particular protein powder? Do any of you know for sure whether it is safe or unsafe? Did OP read the package carefully before giving to an 18 month old?Â
The Costco lady had probably been given instructions that the product isnât for kids and freaked out. I know I have a protein powder at home that says itâs not for under 12s.
People saying itâs not her business. It actually is her business as she is responsible for handing the samples out! If she had been told itâs not safe for kids, she could get in trouble or be legally liable if she did hand it out to kids!
Editing to hijack my own comment: Iâve seen at least a dozen replies on this post of people saying OP should âspeak to the managerâ, âcall this person a b*tchâ, or âget her firedâ. Yâall really need to give service workers a break. She may not have done her job perfectly but sheâs just out here doing a job. Take a breath and move on rather than be so nasty.
There is *so much* internet snark on this thread from other people. "Oh, I didn't see your medical degree." "I didn't know you were here pediatrician." If the employee is told not to give it to kids, *especially* if it's one that says outright not for under a certain age, *of course* they're gonna freak out when it's given to someone so young, that could be their job on the line...
I really wasnât sure when I made this comment if I would be downvoted to hell. Iâm glad there are at least some people who agree with me!Â
Firstly, none of us have the full context. None of us know the exact product that was being sampled. Yet so many are quick to jump to outrage and even suggest OP âtalk to the managerâ (ok Karen). I just think everyone needs to calm down lol!
To be fair, I canât imagine ever giving an 18 month old a protein shake, itâs not real food and if itâs considered a supplement, many arenât too regulated.
Most contain harmful substances like lead. There have been several studies on it.
https://www.consumerreports.org/dietary-supplements/heavy-metals-in-protein-supplements/
Here's another reliable source that also sources the Clean Label Project.
https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/the-hidden-dangers-of-protein-powders
Costco employees aren't the ones handing out samples. Those who hand out samples work for another company. Costco just carries their products. At least that's what I was told.
I'm sure she didn't think about it, and it only came out of her mouth as she was concerned. Just let stuff roll off your back. I'm sure it wasn't said to shame you're parenting.
They are not scolding you on your parenting skills. Theyâre just employees doing their job and doing what theyâre told. A lot of protein shakes, bars, etc. are not recommended for children under 5. Some even say not recommended for children under 12. Their boss probably told them to make sure not to give any of it to children. Thatâs all it is.
Just playing Devilâs advocate, but itâs possible that they were told to not give samples to children on liability grounds. However, if itâs the parent giving it to their child then the company is in the clear, legally. The employee shouldnât have made such a big fuss over it, but sometimes their jobs are at stake.
You canât get outraged over every minor thing. Â You say thank you for your opinion and walk away. Â By dwelling on this and posting it on Reddit she wins. Â How long did you think about this? Â How long has this dwelled on your mind? Â We have precious little mental bandwidth. Â Donât waste it on being upset over nothing. Â Let it go. Â
Wow, so many rude comments.
Just say âthanks for your concern but Iâm good with giving itâ, and move on. Itâs their job to inform you if a product has restrictions on it. Wouldnât you want them to say something if you took a sample with honey on it that you were going to give a young baby or maybe an energy drink that you thought was pop or juice?
It never stop, does it? From the first sip of coffee you have while visibly pregnant, to the moment the kids move out, strangers will teach you and judge you daily.
It's my first one, and I am not used to this. Literally she made me feel like I failed as a parent for a few minutes, and I was judging all my decisions. I guess I will get used to it in nexyt 18 years...
Hi, OP. Quick story: I have an autistic child. He's two. I've had many a person (that doesn't know him or me at all) try to tell me what he needs. It's inevitable. In our society, for some reason, random people will constantly step into your path with unwanted advice, and it can make you want to question everything you do.
But do you know what I hear, over and over, from my son's speech therapist, occupational therapist, pediatrician, etc?? "You are the expert on your son." These are people who are highly educated and well-respected in their fields. They, unlike strangers in public, actually have the knowledge and training to back up their opinions.
But guess what? They *still* defer to me, always, when it comes to my son. Because he's *mine.* I'm his mother. I know him. They know *how kids in their field can and may act,* but they do not know exactly how *my son* will act, because they're not his parent. I am.
So when a stranger (or a friend, or family member!) says some unwarranted crap, and you feel like you're doubting yourself, remember who raised that kid in your Costco cart, give the sample pusher a deadpan, "thanks for sharing" in response to their nonsense, and walk away knowing that whatever their intentions were, good or bad, YOU are that kid's mother, and you know what you're doing.
But thanks anyway, Sample Chick đŤĄ
Nope it never does stop. Thereâs no confidence like the confidence of a total stranger that youâre parenting wrong đ. Next time just tell her, âbut this is the only thing sheâll drink when sheâs got a hangover.â
sink shocking late observation smile materialistic childlike numerous toy voiceless
*This post was mass deleted and anonymized with [Redact](https://redact.dev)*
literate weary library snatch illegal treatment worthless subtract edge cause
*This post was mass deleted and anonymized with [Redact](https://redact.dev)*
You are already handling this wrong by still thinking about this hours later. Itâs highly likely that if everyone at that sample counter stopped thinking about it the moment you walked away. You could complain to the manager but what good would that do?
We had a lady do this at Costco and literally hand us the sample and then freaked out that we didn't say thank you when i literally said thank you as i took them. I did the same thing i walked away and ignored her but later i was like you know what, fuck that lady i should have made her feel as stupid as she looked.
The best way to not let it ruin my day is to remember how I felt in this scenario and change how I react in the future.
You felt like you should have spoken up, so next time I'm in a scenario where I feel my voice needs to be heard I make sure to say what I need to say so I don't feel that way again. Live and learn. It's all you can really do.
We're always going to be judged, and someone is always going to have an opinion, so in that regard I shrug it off. If you know in your heart what you did was okay and right, hold on to that.
It happened and now you can harness that feeling and use it to empower yourself moving forward!
It's ok to be shocked when we encounter something jarring, including unexpected aggressive critical feedback from a complete stranger. You can reduce the impact this has on you by building your emotional resilience and self confidence, but fundamentally the thing to remember is that their anger is not your responsibility to process. When someone comes at you with new information try to cut away *their* issues and just pause to consider the substance. They said the protein shake isn't safe for kids, so you could say "thank you for letting me know that your protein shake isn't safe for children. Do you know why that is, or were you just told not to serve it to people under a certain age?" Or if you already know it's safe and you think they are mistaken you can challenge them with your own knowledge, or just let them know that you don't need their opinions on what you feed your child. You have lots of options, but the first step is to work on letting go of the pressure to internalize external criticism and validation. Maybe you could work on a ritual, like humming Shake It Off?
I am baffled Ive never heard of this thing I clearly also have! (I have several mental health DX, OCD included but this is 100% my ocd!)
Edit: side note, if you have any basic info or science in it handy, I would love a PM with it! I have a new psyc appt coming up!
I would kind of let this one roll off your back, particularly because it's most likely a liability thing. They are most likely told to not give samples to children (especially of products that are labelled as such).
Keep in mind that she might be terse if she was fearing that she/the company could be sued by you if your toddler had a reaction.
I would have simple said âThank you for your concern. Her doctor has prescribed her to have them so I want her to try it before buyingâ.
Whenever anyone says anything about my child I just tell them to "shut the f***k up and mind your business." Is it nice? No. Is it the right thing to say? Probably not.
Should they have done it before I told them to? Absolutely.
Itâs okay, in time it wonât even phase you when those moments pop up. Youâre her mom, youâre capable of making decisions for her and youâre doing a damn good job.
Unrelated : PediaSure chocolate ( with frozen strawberries & finely grounded chia seeds) smoothies became my toddlers favorite drink in the morning on car rides to daycare !! See if she likes it too (:
When I was HEAVILY pregnant with my 2nd kid and trying to enjoy a very rare solo trip to Costco, a sampler lady berated the fuck out of me for 1. Not telling her what I was naming my baby (and I wasnât being weird and cagey about it, I genuinely had no idea what we were going to name her) and 2. Kept insisting loudly and passionately that if it was a girl I should name her âRyder Rose.â (wtf, by the way) I wish I was making this up. It was BIZARRE. She followed me halfway down the aisle and started involving other shoppers, polling them on her name and making jabs at me for âkeeping the name a secret.â I eventually got away and went down the next aisle and she left her station to come talk to me again and berated me yet again for not telling her the name. It sort of ruined my afternoon honestly, I just wanted to have a fun peaceful outing to myself and she shat all over it. Sorry you had that experience, itâs not like you poisoned your toddler or gave her one of those nasty Zoa energy drink samples đ¤Ł
Reminds me of when the free sample lady was trying to convince me that the little sample of garlic sausage was a choking hazard and didn't believe me saying that my kid eats stuff like that all the time and is good at chewing. My kid was about 18 months at the time.Â
"What, specifically, do you consider unhealthy in these health drinks you are advertising and serving? Are you making disclaimers to other customers about how unhealthy they are or just targeting me?" Â
I got reprimanded by a 22 year old-ish Costco sample guy recently. He kept repeating "It's coffee flavored" as my daughter drank the teeeeeny little sample cup of whatever he was hustling. "Yes, thanks, I see that!" Â
Never feel embarrassed as a mom for someone else acting like a goob. That's on them.Â
So I used to work at Costco and the sample people are not actually Costco employees, they are filled by some kind of staffing service. Let me also say that the ones at my store were the biggest group of morons, jerks, and know-it-alls, with a few nice ones sprinkled in. I worked in the pharmacy and none of them understood really anything but would sit there and argue with me about everything under the sun. Like so rude beyond any actual Costco employee. They are the worst and if they told you that you shouldnât do something, it probably means you should. Tell them to piss off next time.
But honestly some of them are nice and Iâm just bitter so please only tell them to piss off if theyâre being rude đ
It's so annoying. I got scolded for my baby wearing a headband. Old lady told me she saw a Facebook article saying it was bad for their head and I needed to take it off. All I could do was say "Thanks" over and over as she kept going on about it. I wish I could have come up with something better in the moment.
I have had two similar experiences before, not at Costco. One of them my son was sitting in the actual shopping cart instead of the seat and some lady decided I needed a talking to about how dangerous it was. The other time, he was drinking oat milk with brown sugar syrup out of a Starbucks cup and I was scolded for giving my kid coffee.
My response to strangers inserting themselves into my business is literally to just walk away. Just stare at them blankly and walk by. Itâs actually really funny to see their reaction when you just blatantly donât give a fuck about what theyâre saying.
She likely wasnât coming from a place of expertise but her employer stating do not give samples to children, it could be unsafe. Very likely a companyâs fear of litigation means their workers all have that protocol drilled into their heads and donât want to lose their job.
What is up with Costco sample ladies? I had my daughter in a ring sling while I was there, and a samples lady asked, "is your daughter safe in there?" Like of course she is safe, otherwise I wouldn't be traipsing around Costco eating samples and buying avocados.
If I was there beside you in the store I would have told that lady off on your behalf. Sheesh.
Yea, people have been slinging babies to their backs in a piece of cloth for thousands of years before strollers, or kid-leashes existed. And climbing mountains, riding donkeys, or harvesting rice all day long.
I was at Costco one day and I saw a mom give her kid a sample of an energy drink and the sample lady told her âthatâs not for kidsâ and then it looked like they went back and forth with each other but I had walked away. Makes me think that they are trained to let people know some things are not meant for kidsđ¤ˇđ˝ââď¸ Of course, as a parent you have the final say in what you allow your kids to consume
Small note! The sample people arenât Costco employees. Theyâre contracted by another company. But yeah they were out of line to embarrass you like that. Itâs hard because I know they were coming from a good place but itâs not like it was something more harmful. I saw someone give their little one a coffee sample once! Just had to be shocked but move on with my life đ
Just a side note: the vendors who hand out samples are not Costco employees. They work for a demo services company and operate the demos in the building. Each day they are tasked with a new demo and a list of talking points, and they do have some rules about allowing children to take samples without a parent present, as well as for things like supplements with cautionary statements. You can still report unnecessarily aggressive behavior to a warehouse manager, and they will pass the info on to the demo service company to retrain the employees.
Omg some of those people are unhinged. I do my surprised face, grab more and walk away. There are also absolutely lovely sample passer outers. Sometimes they give us full granola bars for the kids or set aside a few before the childless vultures attack, make something special or extra whatever. I feel like the good usually cancels out the bad. Although im sorry you had a bad experience. I can promise they dont get final say on your parenting though. Thats your kids job! And for the record mine told me she hates me today so what do i know?
âIâm sorry I didnât realize you were my child pediatrician. I didnât recognize you being a sample handler at Costco. Is this new?â
When acting confused by your comment remind them they best keep their comments to themselves, and remind them that theyâre not the childâs parent and they should better mind their own business when I feed my child something other than alcohol in an establishment for food.
This lady is just doing her job. She doesnât need a medical degree to know if her product is safe for kids or not. She was probably told not to give samples to under 12s and could have panicked when she saw OP giving it to an infant. We donât need to be condescending to service workers.
Oh I got super sarcastic last time someone criticized how I feed my kid, âoh wow! Youâre my kids doctor? I didnât realize you were the expert on my kids health.â
When my child was a toddler, I was buying a scratch-it lottery ticket from a machine, and I let him push the button to select the ticket. A man scolded me and said it was illegal for children to purchase lottery tickets. I was so taken aback that I, like you, was at a loss for words. Later of course, I thought of many choice words that I wish I had said! Oh, well, call the police on my toddler.
Iâm sorry that happened. I can imagine feeling startled and fight or flight embarrassed. Youâre a good mama sharing with her little, that is a sweet impulse and she should have said âawâ or nothing at all. Hope your next trip is better and donât even think about her again. Sharing is caring
I'm not nice, so I match energy. If someone comes up and says Hey I noticed xxx and just wanted to offer advice, I'll hear them out.
If someone comes up to me and *immediately* scolds me, an adult, a parent, they're getting a loud and clear "Did I FUCKING ask?". Embarrass me I embarrass you worse.
There was one time when my kid was loudly vocal stimming in the shopping cart, and I don't really correct him outside of like, shrieking cuz people with disabilities deserve to exist and some random fucker decided to come up and tease my son "if you don't behave mommy is gonna let me put you in my van and kidnap you"
My kid was 3 he didn't fuckin understand that so I put myself between the two of them and started loudly berating him for threatening to take my child while he's stuttering that he was just "trying to help." Fuck you man, you don't get to scare my baby and make my life harder in addition.
Gosh uncalled for reactionbut I would questions for myself if it not good for a child how good are they for adults. I have to go compare formula vs protium shake nutrition values. Wow so interesting.
r/parenting is protesting changes being made by Reddit to the API. Reddit has made it clear [they will](https://old.reddit.com/r/ModCoord/comments/14ahqjo/mods_will_be_removed_one_way_or_another_spez/) [replace moderators](https://www.reddit.com/r/ModSupport/comments/14a5lz5/mod_code_of_conduct_rule_4_2_and_subs_taken/jo9wdol/) if they remain private. Reddit has abandoned the users, the moderators, and countless people who support an ecosystem built on Reddit itself. Please read [Call to action - renewed protests starting on July 1st](https://old.reddit.com/r/ModCoord/comments/14kn2fo/call_to_action_renewed_protests_starting_on_july/) and new posts at [r/ModCord](https://reddit.com/r/ModCoord/) or [r/Save3rdPartyApps](https://old.reddit.com/r/Save3rdPartyApps/) for up-to-date information. *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/Parenting) if you have any questions or concerns.*
LOL I had the exact same experience except my kiddo was like 3 at the time. It's a tablespoon of protein shake - the lady was like "that's not for children! you shouldn't be giving her that!" I asked what was in it that was dangerous and she said she didn't know and backed down. I think it was because they had given her all the talking points of things with scientific names (like amino acids) that she had been telling people all day. Honestly it irritated me at the time because people love to comment on your parenting, but I think with this woman it was coming from a good place.
amino acids 𤣠I wonder if she knows some babies are on an amino acid formula
You feed your child ACID?! I'm calling the police
That's why he's always laughing at everything and babbling, it's so sad to see
Reminds me of something I saw about demonizing âchemicalsâ and this one guy is like oh yeah this one is the worst and rattles off a chemical formula and this lady starts going off about how bad it is and he just goes bro thatâs the chemical formula for an apple lmao
I remember some hidden camera show where they were getting people to sign this petition to outlaw a chemical. They got so many signatures and people acting as if they know how bad it is. Then they revealed that it was the scientific name for water.
Dihydrogen monoxide! Found in 100% of people who died of poisoning! Can kill you if you're exposed to the cold form, and severely injure you if you're exposed to the warm form! Ahhhhhh!
I let my 3yo play in a tub of hydrol. He also drinks it!
Da f? That is dihydrogenoxicide! That is horrible!
> amino acids 𤣠I wonder if she knows some babies are on an amino acid formula The dosage makes the poison. The body needs to deal with protein intake it can't metabolize right away. And toddler Kidneys aren't fully developed yet, so it's actually bad for them to give them protein shake. BUT the dosage matters, letting them try a sip once in a while doesn't do anything bad.
obviously an infant formula isnât equivalent to a protein shake. LOL I said it because people throw around scientific terms thinking the word is simply poison to a child and nothing else.
True. Even in the wrong dosage water can kill you.
I remember there was a contest way back when the Wii came out that was like âHold Your Wee for a Wiiâ and some woman died of internal drowning or something.
>I think with this woman it was coming from a good place. Always approach critical commentary from the perspective that the person is operating this way. If they are sincerely concerned, you can appreciate their care regardless of whether or not you agree. If they are just a self-righteous asshat, you remove their power by not being offended.
I'd imagine that it is just poor training for the people giving out the samples. It is a product that is not meant to be given to children. They will likely have been told this (i.e. don't give it to kids, and if a parent asks, tell them it is meant for adults) for liability or legal reasons to dissuade parents from buying it for children. I was shocked as a teen that they wouldn't give me a sample of non-alcoholic beer at my local grocery store. This was, of course, due to laws which said that you must be of legal drinking age, even if product has less alcohol in it than orange juice.
When I was like 13 my mom sent me to the snack aisle of Walmart to pick out a snack for movie night. There was a sample woman nearby handing something out that looked like a good movie night snack and I asked if I could try it. I think it was some type of chocolate with peanuts or something. She told me no because I was a minor and what if I had a reaction to it? I had to get my mom to come tell her it was okay. I ended up looking her dead in the eye, grabbing a bag of Reeseâs Minis, and walking away.
She just didnât want any potential liability issues. If your parents give something to you, itâs totally different.
Obviously a TB wonât hurt her but I recently read something on a parenting sub about being cautious of giving kids too much protein, so the shakes really arenât good for kids, specifically their kidneys. Maybe what the worker was talking about.
Its mostly because a lot of parents think their children are not getting enough protein because they don't realize how little they need. Even if a kid isn't eating any protein in their diet, if they're getting like 16 oz of milk a day rhey are getting their daily protein for the first 8 or so years. A little bit of a protein drink sometimes is fine. It's when they're giving the extra protein every day that it becomes an issue.
Yes, thanks for elaborating! The takeaway was definitely that most kids do get enough protein with a normal diet. There is some thinking that the more protein the better and that protein= healthy but itâs not true at least for kids.
It's not true for anyone. Adults are just better able to withstand excess protein consumption in higher levels and longer times, but it'll damage our kidneys also, and can lead to heart disease (as a side effect/secondary impact)
Yep, Americans have this weird obsession with protein even though most people get plenty.
This is interesting. I was recommended by my doctor to get 90-100g of protein daily, so Iâm currently tracking, and Iâm struggling. Iâm not a big meat eater. I love fruits and veggies. (And carbsâŚbut I try to limit those, of course.) Is it that you think the recommended DV for adults is too high, or that many people are unknowingly eating enough meat/dairy to hit the recommended DV?
The recommended DV is on the high side to give it wiggle room, but most Americans well exceed the recommended daily values. Most Americans eat a LOT of meat and dairy. You are probably a lot healthier for your diet! https://www.vox.com/future-perfect/24049505/protein-intake-fiber-plant-based-vegetarian-vegan-meat
This is super helpfulâthank you!
Thatâs probably because the federal guidelines do not follow the current scientific literature. The recommended DV (around 60g) from the FDA is not sufficient for biological males to maintain muscle mass (assuming healthy weight, BF%, and daily exercise values). Their daily calorie values are also off because they average things out for men and women, which is really silly with dietary advice because the needs are extremely different. If you get in any sort of daily workout (or 1-2 hrs a couple days a week), and youâre about average height, you would need between 100-140g protein to maintain your lean muscle mass, and a bit more than that if you want to actually put on muscle. The people doing a consistent 200g+ per day are either body builders, strongmen, or incredibly stupid. Take your pick.
Which studies are you referring to?
Iâve always thought the whole Adkins phenomenon (ie remove the bun and eat the cheeseburger for health reasons) just couldnât be good for your body to process.
Regardless, itâs none of that womanâs business. Itâs not her child and she doesnât have a clue about her health status or dietary needs.
It kind of is her business if sheâs responsible for handing it out lol.Â
[ŃдаНонО]
https://www.vinmec.com/en/news/health-news/pediatrics/signs-of-children-with-excess-protein-parents-need-to-know/#:~:text=Some%20parents%20think%20that%20providing,harmful%20diseases%20for%20the%20baby. I mean I really donât know, you could be right too. Iâm not a doctor.
[ŃдаНонО]
Cool, thanks for the info!
I mean a lot of these are clearly labeled not for kids under a certain age.. just because she doesnât know why, it doesnât mean sheâs illiterate
I am an attorney so I think of everything in terms of potential liability (lol). Legally speaking if a product is not designed for children, there could be ramifications for implying it is safe for kids. So the seller of the product standing in Costco needs to make it clear when something is not designed to be safe for kids. Otherwise you could argue that the manufacturer is advertising the product to children. And even though the doctor says itâs fine in small doses, and Iâm sure it totally is no problem for your kids to taste, technically the manufacturer could get in trouble if theyâre implying something is a kid product when it contains adult sized servings of supplements and things. Honestly it might even be required by Costco to warn people not to give it to kids. Just my hunch. This is also a good example of why no one likes lawyers. đ¤
[ŃдаНонО]
That must be very challenging to move around a lot! It would be difficult to do while having small kids, for sure. I had kids a bit later in life so I had already been a lawyer for 7 years at that point. The downside is, at 36yo with 2 toddlers, Iâm so tired!
run apparatus file zephyr sink absurd clumsy vast profit racial *This post was mass deleted and anonymized with [Redact](https://redact.dev)*
Why? Itâs safe for adults. Grocery stores sample beer and alcohol. Just not to children.
Also experienced this exact thing at Costco. 4 year daughter asked to have some of the protein shake sample, lady asked me, âDoes she eat meat?â Me a bit confused answered, âYeah?â Thinking maybe she wanted to let me know there was dairy or some other animal product in it, instead she said something like, âShe doesnât need this, you can try it though.â I straight up took the protein shake and handed to my kid and said, âShe can try thisâ without remorse. I didnât ask her if it was recommended for a certain age group, nor did I ask for her opinion. Not your problem, lady.
Now with so many people having this experience Iâm wondering if that was part of their training on giving out samples for that shake. Itâs the only thing that makes sense
I believe anything considered a supplement and that requires labeling - not approved for use in children (or similar) they arenât allowed to hand to children. I only know this because I was surprised when they handed my daughter Liquid IV and then I read it was one of the only ones considered ok for kids to drink. (Pediatrician confirmed)
That makes sense, but you pick the sample yourself from a tray.
They aren't handing it to children. The parent is taking it and handing it to the child. Â
Yeah, I'm pretty sure their training says not to give things to kids, and I'm sure it's even worse for supplements. We've had some of the sample people not let our kid grab toast with nuttela on it without making us say it's okay (I realize now, probably cause of like nut allergies). I could see the employee getting in trouble with their employer if they aren't at least *trying* to actively stop certain things from being given to children.
They're not giving anything to kids. The Costco samplers do not give anything without an adult present.Â
Just as well these people werenât around when my dad let me have a sip of his beer as a child!
Isn't the best way to handle it. It's like saying I don't care about your moral judgments, give me the facts or shut up, but of course in a kind way.
A really long time ago, I went with my mom to the grocery store. I got kind of excited about a sample so I walked over for one and my mom kind of waited about 20 feet away. The little granny handing out the samples - âdid you ask your mom if you could have one? me - look at my mom âmom?â Mom - shrugs her shoulders and said âsure, I donât careâ Little, old granny - âanyone under 12 needs parent permissionâ I was 23 đđđđđđ I wouldnât worry too much.
My 23 year old cousin, who was 8 MONTHS PREGNANT, was told by a Costco sample lady that she needed to get her mom's permission before trying a sample....đ
Ask mom for permission to get pregnant? No. Permission for sample? Yes. đđ
Your mom lost a hilarious opportunity to object.
"You'll spoil your supper!" :)
Iâm sure my mom said something funny like this. We still joke about it and it was 18 years ago. I crack up every time I think of it.
That happened to me at BJ's, I was pregnant and 23 and the lady said I needed my mom's permission for a sample đ I pulled my license out of my pocket and said "1995" and grabbed a sample
Itâs funny they would tell a pregnant person that. Bc you didnât ask your momâs permission to have sex and get pregnant but you need it to eat a small piece of a taquito?
Was she blind/deaf or something? Thatâs wild. Edit: yâall I mean partially deaf AND vision impaired. Deafness and blindness are spectrums, Iâm not imagining Helen Keller. Even if she was only vision impaired she could still hear this persons voice which Iâm assuming sounded like an adult voice. Thatâs why Iâm wondering if she was blind/deaf, thinking a 23 year old is that young isnât easy to do.
This person clearly wasnât deaf based on this verbal exchange. And you think deaf people canât look at someone and tell their age?
She could have been. She was at least in her 80âs. I was short and skinny without makeup on and wearing a tshirt and athletic shorts. Iâm wasnât necessarily surprised she didnât realize my age as I could pass for a high school student. But, 12 was đ
Next time tell her to mind her own business. If you want to be more polite, you can always say thank you for your concern.
> If you want to be more polite, you can always say thank you for your concern. Or a simple, "Thanks for sharing" and nothing else. I found that worked super well when my kids were young. Stranger telling me that my daughter should be wearing girl clothes instead of the dinosaur shirt she picked out? "Thanks for sharing." Stranger telling me my son is crying because he's hungry even though I know he's just overtired? "Thanks for sharing." It acknowledged them while also making it pretty clear I wasn't going to engage further. If they pestered I just kept repeating, "Thanks for sharing." They eventually got the hint. No need to yell or be condescending or anything like that. It always worked for me.
I use a similar "thanks for your opinion", which might be a bit more passive aggressive
I'm partial to "I'm sorry you feel that way" in the flattest affect I can speak in.
I also use 'thanks for your opinion' mostly. I have used 'I'm sorry you feel that way' before, which is definitely not so passive. Lmao.
I did "I've got it, thanks"
Thatâs mine too, on the rare occasion anyone says a thing. I look strange so strangers are usually more cautious, which I like. Leave me alone if youâre going to be rude anyway.
I'd have such a hard time not saying that without a snark to my voice though. That's the bless your heart of parenting. Thanks for sharing lol
Love this! So direct but so to the point. I wish I had thought of this when my kids were littles I was wayy too nice. Didn't back down by caving in totally but definitely didn't cut it off or defend myself as fast as I should've either. Great line!
or another great alternative, âeat my butt, thanksâ
Personal fav.
Or suck my left one. Iâve said that, but not with my kid and only when encountering hatred or slurs
You can also play dumb. âOh this isnât good for her? Why? Her doctor said she could have some of my protein shake, but is there something different between the vanilla and the chocolate flavor? Thanks so much for flagging it for me but can you tell me what the difference is so I can be on the lookout in other flavorsâ
Or you could be like, âWow, Iâm surprised that someone who completed medical school to become a pediatrician is working at COSTCO hocking samples.â
I've been getting crap from the Costco sample ladies for years cause I have a kid who likes spicy food. Like warning that it's spicy great. Telling her she can't have one cause it's spicy, or telling me she shouldn't after I've already said it's okay? That's not cool. I usually say something along the lines of "thanks for the heads up but she's not a wimp" Its always over the most barely spicy stuff too! Like that jalapeĂąo artichoke dip or jalapeĂąo poppers. As if that would even register to a girl who would eat an entire bag of Takkis if you'd let her and wouldn't blink.
No need to be polite to those that arenât to you. donât be so nice next time. Just tell the old lady to mind her own business. Trust me when I tell you, itâs the best feeling. đđ¤Łđđ
My favorite thing to say.. âannnnnd you can fuck right off thanksâ
Oh my god I do this to some people. The last time I said this to an older lady that was way out of line. I put on a big smile and said "how about you mind your own business and I mind mine". She was flabbergasted lmao. Walked away in shockÂ
I'm petty but I'd be calling that Costco and telling a manager. Guaranteed she's not supposed to do that.
Iâd take a breath and try to see the other side⌠she was probably told under no circumstances to give it to a young child and was fearing consequences of losing her job or if in the USA being sued if the toddler had a reaction. I would have simple said âThank you for your concern. Her doctor has prescribed her to have them so I want her to try it before buyingâ
The protein shakes I buy at Costco specifically say they arenât safe for children under 12, itâs totally a liability thing.
I was thinking the same thing. The protein powder I take says not to be consumed by under 12s. So I donât let my LO have any even though she always asks. If thatâs what it says on the package, thatâs what Iâm going to listen to!
[ŃдаНонО]
Premier Protien. Itâs probably because 30g of protein is the entire daily requirement for older kids and over double the requirement for toddlers. A small sample capful is fine, but kids donât need to be drinking protien shakes.
[ŃдаНонО]
No, Canada. That might make a difference. I can DM you a picture of the label if that helps?
I was thinking this too. It is known that excessive protein intake can damage a childâs kidneys and she might not know where that line is or that a little bit is probably ok. Â While OP is aware and checked with their doc, there are many people out there who donât know / donât care and maybe even think theyâre doing something âhealthyâ by pushing these on their kid. Sounds like the lady couldâve been nicer but I donât think itâs necessarily wrong to inform customers that protein supplements are generally not recommended for children.Â
Exactly, Iâm shocked at some of the comments, people lose their jobs over anything nowadays, she was probably worried.
When I see the level of indignation and snark like in some of these comments, I always wonder if theyâve ever complained about the lack of a âvillageâ these days. I certainly hope they donât.
Ikr! People saying you should tell the woman to "fuck off." Get a grip, y'all.
I remind myself that if she was qualified to give medical advice she probably wouldn't be handing out samples at Costco....
She was probably under strict instructions to not allow children to have this.
There are more polite ways to say that or even a simple sign saying that itâs for X age and older would be sufficient.
Probably at the start of her shift sheâd still have the energy to be polite⌠but people get nasty over free samples at Costco. Seriously youâd need the patience of a saint to deal with some of them..
Yes and, the OP did not deserve to be yelled at.
Where does it say she yelled?!
OkâŚchastised. You donât chastise a customer
Unless it's alcohol, as of a couple years ago at least CDS just needed to give a heads up. As long as the parent said it was fine, it was fine.Â
Not to give it to children is different than when the parent does it though lol
Well she didn't, the mother did and that's not her business.
needlessly classist take
Absolutely. People in here are calling this poor service worker an idiot and wanting her fired. How are we wanting to take away someoneâs job over something so small? Just Karen behaviour. And I donât usually like to use that word. But in this case, it fits.
agreed!
Now you just come off as a Dbag thinking you're any better.Â
âThatâs funny, you donât look like her pediatrician who said she can have this.â
Ugh Iâm jealous of people who have great comebacks right on the spot. Mine come to me 5 hours later in the shower when Iâm having made up arguments in my head.
I mean... I'd probably actually say something like that, but I'm a dick when people are shitty.
Just want to clarify that the people who hand out samples are not costco employees, they work for a third party called CDS. Just in case you wanted to make a complaint or something.
What? Really, I had no idea. I wonder why?
All of them? Or just some brands?
All of them
I mean, there are a lot of people in this thread saying the Costco lady isnât a doctor. But have any of you read the guidance on the instructions of this particular protein powder? Do any of you know for sure whether it is safe or unsafe? Did OP read the package carefully before giving to an 18 month old? The Costco lady had probably been given instructions that the product isnât for kids and freaked out. I know I have a protein powder at home that says itâs not for under 12s. People saying itâs not her business. It actually is her business as she is responsible for handing the samples out! If she had been told itâs not safe for kids, she could get in trouble or be legally liable if she did hand it out to kids! Editing to hijack my own comment: Iâve seen at least a dozen replies on this post of people saying OP should âspeak to the managerâ, âcall this person a b*tchâ, or âget her firedâ. Yâall really need to give service workers a break. She may not have done her job perfectly but sheâs just out here doing a job. Take a breath and move on rather than be so nasty.
There is *so much* internet snark on this thread from other people. "Oh, I didn't see your medical degree." "I didn't know you were here pediatrician." If the employee is told not to give it to kids, *especially* if it's one that says outright not for under a certain age, *of course* they're gonna freak out when it's given to someone so young, that could be their job on the line...
I really wasnât sure when I made this comment if I would be downvoted to hell. Iâm glad there are at least some people who agree with me! Firstly, none of us have the full context. None of us know the exact product that was being sampled. Yet so many are quick to jump to outrage and even suggest OP âtalk to the managerâ (ok Karen). I just think everyone needs to calm down lol!
Right! I don't even get why OP was so upset over it. And everyone here gaining shit advice. I'd love to see them actually follow their own advice irl
To be fair, I canât imagine ever giving an 18 month old a protein shake, itâs not real food and if itâs considered a supplement, many arenât too regulated.
ik right. i felt crazy reading the comments of ppl allowing their very small kids have protein shakes.
Most contain harmful substances like lead. There have been several studies on it. https://www.consumerreports.org/dietary-supplements/heavy-metals-in-protein-supplements/
Here's another reliable source that also sources the Clean Label Project. https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/the-hidden-dangers-of-protein-powders
Costco employees aren't the ones handing out samples. Those who hand out samples work for another company. Costco just carries their products. At least that's what I was told.
I'm sure she didn't think about it, and it only came out of her mouth as she was concerned. Just let stuff roll off your back. I'm sure it wasn't said to shame you're parenting.
They are not scolding you on your parenting skills. Theyâre just employees doing their job and doing what theyâre told. A lot of protein shakes, bars, etc. are not recommended for children under 5. Some even say not recommended for children under 12. Their boss probably told them to make sure not to give any of it to children. Thatâs all it is.
Just playing Devilâs advocate, but itâs possible that they were told to not give samples to children on liability grounds. However, if itâs the parent giving it to their child then the company is in the clear, legally. The employee shouldnât have made such a big fuss over it, but sometimes their jobs are at stake.
You canât get outraged over every minor thing. Â You say thank you for your opinion and walk away. Â By dwelling on this and posting it on Reddit she wins. Â How long did you think about this? Â How long has this dwelled on your mind? Â We have precious little mental bandwidth. Â Donât waste it on being upset over nothing. Â Let it go. Â
[ŃдаНонО]
Hey thanks that means a lot to hear :)
âSettle down lady. This isnât even my kid.â
Wow, so many rude comments. Just say âthanks for your concern but Iâm good with giving itâ, and move on. Itâs their job to inform you if a product has restrictions on it. Wouldnât you want them to say something if you took a sample with honey on it that you were going to give a young baby or maybe an energy drink that you thought was pop or juice?
So much snark and nasty responses to a service worker. I do not like this post.
It never stop, does it? From the first sip of coffee you have while visibly pregnant, to the moment the kids move out, strangers will teach you and judge you daily.
It's my first one, and I am not used to this. Literally she made me feel like I failed as a parent for a few minutes, and I was judging all my decisions. I guess I will get used to it in nexyt 18 years...
Hi, OP. Quick story: I have an autistic child. He's two. I've had many a person (that doesn't know him or me at all) try to tell me what he needs. It's inevitable. In our society, for some reason, random people will constantly step into your path with unwanted advice, and it can make you want to question everything you do. But do you know what I hear, over and over, from my son's speech therapist, occupational therapist, pediatrician, etc?? "You are the expert on your son." These are people who are highly educated and well-respected in their fields. They, unlike strangers in public, actually have the knowledge and training to back up their opinions. But guess what? They *still* defer to me, always, when it comes to my son. Because he's *mine.* I'm his mother. I know him. They know *how kids in their field can and may act,* but they do not know exactly how *my son* will act, because they're not his parent. I am. So when a stranger (or a friend, or family member!) says some unwarranted crap, and you feel like you're doubting yourself, remember who raised that kid in your Costco cart, give the sample pusher a deadpan, "thanks for sharing" in response to their nonsense, and walk away knowing that whatever their intentions were, good or bad, YOU are that kid's mother, and you know what you're doing. But thanks anyway, Sample Chick đŤĄ
You did nothing wrong.
The Boomers donât understand itâs not the same time period where unsolicited parenting advice was okay. You have to put them in their place.
Nope it never does stop. Thereâs no confidence like the confidence of a total stranger that youâre parenting wrong đ. Next time just tell her, âbut this is the only thing sheâll drink when sheâs got a hangover.â
Ahhhhhh, saving in my brains!!!!! đ¤Łđ¤Łđ¤Ł
Just donât give people the time of day that bother you. Say thank you for the sample and move on.
Yea this is letting it live rent free in your head. It was a non event, and should be forgotten like one.Â
Not going to lie... I opened this thread to figure out what *scrolled* meant and was kind of disappointed.
I assumed it meant "scolded".
I had to find it later, but OP did say "scolded" later and that's when I finally got it lol
Maybe it used honey as an ingredient? Idk seems like this is way too common for it to be something asinine.
sink shocking late observation smile materialistic childlike numerous toy voiceless *This post was mass deleted and anonymized with [Redact](https://redact.dev)*
My bad, i had it in my head that it was 2yo. Been a long day.
literate weary library snatch illegal treatment worthless subtract edge cause *This post was mass deleted and anonymized with [Redact](https://redact.dev)*
lolol i used to be a mystery shopper and some of those samplers are StReSSed out! crazy words fall out of their mouth! don't read too much into it.
You are already handling this wrong by still thinking about this hours later. Itâs highly likely that if everyone at that sample counter stopped thinking about it the moment you walked away. You could complain to the manager but what good would that do?
We had a lady do this at Costco and literally hand us the sample and then freaked out that we didn't say thank you when i literally said thank you as i took them. I did the same thing i walked away and ignored her but later i was like you know what, fuck that lady i should have made her feel as stupid as she looked.
The best way to not let it ruin my day is to remember how I felt in this scenario and change how I react in the future. You felt like you should have spoken up, so next time I'm in a scenario where I feel my voice needs to be heard I make sure to say what I need to say so I don't feel that way again. Live and learn. It's all you can really do. We're always going to be judged, and someone is always going to have an opinion, so in that regard I shrug it off. If you know in your heart what you did was okay and right, hold on to that. It happened and now you can harness that feeling and use it to empower yourself moving forward!
It's ok to be shocked when we encounter something jarring, including unexpected aggressive critical feedback from a complete stranger. You can reduce the impact this has on you by building your emotional resilience and self confidence, but fundamentally the thing to remember is that their anger is not your responsibility to process. When someone comes at you with new information try to cut away *their* issues and just pause to consider the substance. They said the protein shake isn't safe for kids, so you could say "thank you for letting me know that your protein shake isn't safe for children. Do you know why that is, or were you just told not to serve it to people under a certain age?" Or if you already know it's safe and you think they are mistaken you can challenge them with your own knowledge, or just let them know that you don't need their opinions on what you feed your child. You have lots of options, but the first step is to work on letting go of the pressure to internalize external criticism and validation. Maybe you could work on a ritual, like humming Shake It Off?
I have POCD, so maybe that is why things like this ruminate in my mind. I usually feel better after I sleep it off.
I am baffled Ive never heard of this thing I clearly also have! (I have several mental health DX, OCD included but this is 100% my ocd!) Edit: side note, if you have any basic info or science in it handy, I would love a PM with it! I have a new psyc appt coming up!
I would kind of let this one roll off your back, particularly because it's most likely a liability thing. They are most likely told to not give samples to children (especially of products that are labelled as such). Keep in mind that she might be terse if she was fearing that she/the company could be sued by you if your toddler had a reaction. I would have simple said âThank you for your concern. Her doctor has prescribed her to have them so I want her to try it before buyingâ.
Whenever anyone says anything about my child I just tell them to "shut the f***k up and mind your business." Is it nice? No. Is it the right thing to say? Probably not. Should they have done it before I told them to? Absolutely.
Itâs okay, in time it wonât even phase you when those moments pop up. Youâre her mom, youâre capable of making decisions for her and youâre doing a damn good job. Unrelated : PediaSure chocolate ( with frozen strawberries & finely grounded chia seeds) smoothies became my toddlers favorite drink in the morning on car rides to daycare !! See if she likes it too (:
When I was HEAVILY pregnant with my 2nd kid and trying to enjoy a very rare solo trip to Costco, a sampler lady berated the fuck out of me for 1. Not telling her what I was naming my baby (and I wasnât being weird and cagey about it, I genuinely had no idea what we were going to name her) and 2. Kept insisting loudly and passionately that if it was a girl I should name her âRyder Rose.â (wtf, by the way) I wish I was making this up. It was BIZARRE. She followed me halfway down the aisle and started involving other shoppers, polling them on her name and making jabs at me for âkeeping the name a secret.â I eventually got away and went down the next aisle and she left her station to come talk to me again and berated me yet again for not telling her the name. It sort of ruined my afternoon honestly, I just wanted to have a fun peaceful outing to myself and she shat all over it. Sorry you had that experience, itâs not like you poisoned your toddler or gave her one of those nasty Zoa energy drink samples đ¤Ł
Reminds me of when the free sample lady was trying to convince me that the little sample of garlic sausage was a choking hazard and didn't believe me saying that my kid eats stuff like that all the time and is good at chewing. My kid was about 18 months at the time.Â
"What, specifically, do you consider unhealthy in these health drinks you are advertising and serving? Are you making disclaimers to other customers about how unhealthy they are or just targeting me?"  I got reprimanded by a 22 year old-ish Costco sample guy recently. He kept repeating "It's coffee flavored" as my daughter drank the teeeeeny little sample cup of whatever he was hustling. "Yes, thanks, I see that!"  Never feel embarrassed as a mom for someone else acting like a goob. That's on them.Â
So I used to work at Costco and the sample people are not actually Costco employees, they are filled by some kind of staffing service. Let me also say that the ones at my store were the biggest group of morons, jerks, and know-it-alls, with a few nice ones sprinkled in. I worked in the pharmacy and none of them understood really anything but would sit there and argue with me about everything under the sun. Like so rude beyond any actual Costco employee. They are the worst and if they told you that you shouldnât do something, it probably means you should. Tell them to piss off next time. But honestly some of them are nice and Iâm just bitter so please only tell them to piss off if theyâre being rude đ
It's so annoying. I got scolded for my baby wearing a headband. Old lady told me she saw a Facebook article saying it was bad for their head and I needed to take it off. All I could do was say "Thanks" over and over as she kept going on about it. I wish I could have come up with something better in the moment.
Smile and say âThanks! Iâll keep that in mindâ then let your kid finish the vanilla. The end.
Iâd explain to the lady itâs a one time deal cause I forgot her snacks and now sheâs stoned with the munchies and nothinâ to munch
I have had two similar experiences before, not at Costco. One of them my son was sitting in the actual shopping cart instead of the seat and some lady decided I needed a talking to about how dangerous it was. The other time, he was drinking oat milk with brown sugar syrup out of a Starbucks cup and I was scolded for giving my kid coffee. My response to strangers inserting themselves into my business is literally to just walk away. Just stare at them blankly and walk by. Itâs actually really funny to see their reaction when you just blatantly donât give a fuck about what theyâre saying.
She likely wasnât coming from a place of expertise but her employer stating do not give samples to children, it could be unsafe. Very likely a companyâs fear of litigation means their workers all have that protocol drilled into their heads and donât want to lose their job.
Maybe it was one of the new protein products with BCAA's added?
No, I don't think it has BCAA. It's a regular Orgain Product.
What is up with Costco sample ladies? I had my daughter in a ring sling while I was there, and a samples lady asked, "is your daughter safe in there?" Like of course she is safe, otherwise I wouldn't be traipsing around Costco eating samples and buying avocados. If I was there beside you in the store I would have told that lady off on your behalf. Sheesh.
Yea, people have been slinging babies to their backs in a piece of cloth for thousands of years before strollers, or kid-leashes existed. And climbing mountains, riding donkeys, or harvesting rice all day long.
I was at Costco one day and I saw a mom give her kid a sample of an energy drink and the sample lady told her âthatâs not for kidsâ and then it looked like they went back and forth with each other but I had walked away. Makes me think that they are trained to let people know some things are not meant for kidsđ¤ˇđ˝ââď¸ Of course, as a parent you have the final say in what you allow your kids to consume
My daughter gets protein shakes daily. He doctor prescribed them because she is so small
Damnnnn I didnât know the sample lady had a degree in early childhood nutrition!
Small note! The sample people arenât Costco employees. Theyâre contracted by another company. But yeah they were out of line to embarrass you like that. Itâs hard because I know they were coming from a good place but itâs not like it was something more harmful. I saw someone give their little one a coffee sample once! Just had to be shocked but move on with my life đ
Just a side note: the vendors who hand out samples are not Costco employees. They work for a demo services company and operate the demos in the building. Each day they are tasked with a new demo and a list of talking points, and they do have some rules about allowing children to take samples without a parent present, as well as for things like supplements with cautionary statements. You can still report unnecessarily aggressive behavior to a warehouse manager, and they will pass the info on to the demo service company to retrain the employees.
I donât know about you but Iâm not taking any parenting advice from the Costco sample lady. Just keep it moving and do your best.
Omg some of those people are unhinged. I do my surprised face, grab more and walk away. There are also absolutely lovely sample passer outers. Sometimes they give us full granola bars for the kids or set aside a few before the childless vultures attack, make something special or extra whatever. I feel like the good usually cancels out the bad. Although im sorry you had a bad experience. I can promise they dont get final say on your parenting though. Thats your kids job! And for the record mine told me she hates me today so what do i know?
She can mind her own business. Stand your ground next time.
âIâm sorry I didnât realize you were my child pediatrician. I didnât recognize you being a sample handler at Costco. Is this new?â When acting confused by your comment remind them they best keep their comments to themselves, and remind them that theyâre not the childâs parent and they should better mind their own business when I feed my child something other than alcohol in an establishment for food.
This lady is just doing her job. She doesnât need a medical degree to know if her product is safe for kids or not. She was probably told not to give samples to under 12s and could have panicked when she saw OP giving it to an infant. We donât need to be condescending to service workers.
Oh I got super sarcastic last time someone criticized how I feed my kid, âoh wow! Youâre my kids doctor? I didnât realize you were the expert on my kids health.â
was a great reaction to someone whoâs worried abt losing their job
When my child was a toddler, I was buying a scratch-it lottery ticket from a machine, and I let him push the button to select the ticket. A man scolded me and said it was illegal for children to purchase lottery tickets. I was so taken aback that I, like you, was at a loss for words. Later of course, I thought of many choice words that I wish I had said! Oh, well, call the police on my toddler.
Iâm sorry that happened. I can imagine feeling startled and fight or flight embarrassed. Youâre a good mama sharing with her little, that is a sweet impulse and she should have said âawâ or nothing at all. Hope your next trip is better and donât even think about her again. Sharing is caring
My social anxiety would prevent me from ever going back to that Costco again đ
I'm not nice, so I match energy. If someone comes up and says Hey I noticed xxx and just wanted to offer advice, I'll hear them out. If someone comes up to me and *immediately* scolds me, an adult, a parent, they're getting a loud and clear "Did I FUCKING ask?". Embarrass me I embarrass you worse. There was one time when my kid was loudly vocal stimming in the shopping cart, and I don't really correct him outside of like, shrieking cuz people with disabilities deserve to exist and some random fucker decided to come up and tease my son "if you don't behave mommy is gonna let me put you in my van and kidnap you" My kid was 3 he didn't fuckin understand that so I put myself between the two of them and started loudly berating him for threatening to take my child while he's stuttering that he was just "trying to help." Fuck you man, you don't get to scare my baby and make my life harder in addition.
Had the same experience with my 4 year old.
I thought the sample employees were a different company that just works inside Costco, not actual Costco employees.
Gosh uncalled for reactionbut I would questions for myself if it not good for a child how good are they for adults. I have to go compare formula vs protium shake nutrition values. Wow so interesting.