Teach children the dos and don’ts when out shopping

THE end of year school holidays has begun and for some stores, malls and shopping complex operators, it can be a nightmare.

When children are left unsupervised they have been known to pull out the erasers from pencil sets in the stationary department, pick out sequins from evening purses on display, rip up, then discard pieces of plastic from the rolls meant for fresh produce as well as opening, shutting and balancing on freezer or chiller doors for fun.

During the recent Deepavali festival, we watched in horror as a newly completed kolam at our mall was stomped on by a few children who deliberately jumped from the stage onto the coloured rice.

And what did their parents do? Nothing!

As a proprietor of a mall, what saddens me – and this is also the issue – is the indifference of parents and guardians towards their children’s behaviour.

Or at times, even towards their children. I have seen parents leave children in trolleys unattended. Left on their own, children may climb out. I have seen toddlers fall!

Or the older ones may race their trolleys as if they were on the tracks of Sepang race circuit.

Many parents with infants also use the trolleys as a stroller. They come with their own baby mattress or blankets and place their precious sleeping baby there. Last month, a couple took from the shelves a complete set of baby pillows, bolster and mattress and tucked their baby in. When they were done they chucked what they used aside.

The solution to avoid all these untoward incidents would be to instil a little discipline and to teach children to respect public property.

Guide children on the dos and don’ts when shopping, have a sense of ownership to treat the supermarket or mall like they would the things in their home.

DR SITI HAWA MOHD Petaling Jaya