A trip to the “poo-permarket”

Have any of you other more experienced mums had that dreadful experience? You know... You're in the checkout queue, and all of a sudden, you're wondering if the eggs in the box on the conveyor belt are past their sell-by date and have just cracked? Then you notice someone behind you turn to their neighbour and point at your child. OH NO!!!!!!! Your child has pooed!!!!! What can you do???!

I finished packing my bags, and paid, and then asked if there was a public loo. The cashier said there wasn't - it’s only a small, local supermarket - but I could use the staff loo. So I had to get the manager to escort me, and he was busy, so I had to wait FIVE minutes. I mean, don't people know the meaning of customer service these days? Poor little Shortcake's bottom! Five minutes is enough to make her sore. She's got such sensitive skin! Anyone got any tips on the best nappy rash creams? My health visitor just says to use Sudocrem, and it works really well, but I'm a bit worried about all those chemicals.

Anyway, I marched past the sniffy woman in the queue. I knew that I'd say something rude to her, if I opened my mouth, so I just put my nose in the air and walked past. And Shortcake gave her such an adorable smile that I’ve no doubt her heart just melted, but I didn’t deign to turn my head and look. I changed Shortcake on the floor of the staff loo (Imagine! No changing table in the staff loo! I’m going to email the NCT about that one). Thank goodness for the handy fold-away Changeroo mat that I always carry with me. WHAT did people do before these were invented? Then with Shortcake all spick and span, I went to collect my trolley which luckily was still there, as the kind manager had offered to watch it for me, and we headed off to the car. The whole thing had only taken 20 minutes, which I was pleased about, as I really would have felt bad if the manager had had to watch the trolley longer than that. It’s probably quite a busy job.

The best thing about the whole experience was this. I’ve come so far as a mother, as a mummy! If you’d told me a few years ago about this incident, I’d have died. I would have cringed at the thought of my child pooing in public, and not just anywhere in public, but in a supermarket where fresh food is on display. “Yeurrrgh, disgusting!!!” I’d have said. But now I am pretty used to the kind of humiliation that motherhood involves, and I just smile to myself, and know that it is totally just so worth it when I give Shortcake a cuddle and she gives me one back. And I’m not one for blowing my own trumpet, but I just have to say that I was pleased with myself with the way I dealt with it. In my early days, I think I’d have run out to the car and driven home as quickly as possible with Shortcake, poo or no poo, or maybe I’d have burst into tears. But these days, I’m soooo much more confident, and that’s a very good feeling.

Does anyone else have any supermarket stories to share?

Iota Manhattan of Not wrong, just different has been Dee in this post.