Is it illegal for parents to send their child to go shopping for them?

Ok, just like it being illegal for parents to leave children alone at home, is it not illegal for them to send them alone to the shop?





When I popped in to my local shop today, a very cute boy came up to me and kindly asked me 'can you please help me do my mummy's shopping?' and handed me his mother's shopping list. I smiled at him and said 'ofcourse I will', I even asked him how old he was and he replied back saying 'I'm only 6', and when I asked him, where his mummy was he said she was watching tv so wanted him to go to the shops!





You wont believe the shopping list either, it had 2 bottles milk, bread, sugar, bag of chips and self raising flour on it. I mean a shopping like this will even be heavy for me to carry!





Finally he paid, then he thanked me and went out of the shop, really struggling with the two bags on his hands. I felt really sorry for him, I mean why could'nt the mother just do the shopping?

Is it illegal for parents to send their child to go shopping for them?
I would never do that, as there are so many horrid people out there who are out to hurt children.


My kids are 8 and 5, they go nowhere without being accompanied by myself or my husband or another adult.





Irresponsible parenting is what it all boils down to. ANYTHING can happen to a child. Kidnappings/killings occur all the time, no matter where you live.





As for suggestions that the mom is sick or disabled, that doesn't matter. The mom should call someone for help, not send her 6 year old son out.


Someone else said that it's okay for a boy to do so, but not a little girl. Um... WHERE is the logic in that? LOL, kidnappers/killers do NOT choose a certain gender.
Reply:she's probably a fat cow. i would assume it's illegal. you're leaving the child unsupervised. i dont think location really matters.





and to all of you idiots who think it's okay....did you thoroughly read the question and take into consideration that the child is SIX YEARS OLD????
Reply:I'm not sure if it is technically illegal--there are some laws about leaving children alone in cars unattended and alone at home, but I don't see any about sending them out on their own to go get groceries. I'd call the local child services--it's not only sad, but dangerous for the child. Obviously the mother isn't watching him and is too busy watching T.V. to be a mother to him. Even if she is ill or disabled, there are other ways of getting your groceries--sending a child that is in kindergarten or first grade shouldn't be the choice made.
Reply:i dont think dats illegal but the mom is a lazy pig
Reply:I am sorry but even if she is disabled that should be illegal. That is wrong to have a child that young do anything like that on his own. Shame on that mother!!!
Reply:I agree with you, I would never ever send my children shopping alone. Especially at the age of 6, what kind of parent does that to a child. I have 4 children and I am having a 5th child and my oldest child is 15 and I would send him sometimes to get a bread or milk but not a shopping list. My son is at least 15 yrs. old. 6 is too young, his mother should get in trouble for doing that. I would have called children services.
Reply:i don't think it is illegal but i would say that the parent is lazy but it isn't fair on the child having to have that responsibility its just not fair
Reply:I'm baffled at these answers. A six year old should not be out on the streets alone for any reason. I don't care if the mother is disabled or not. The child is SIX. Of course children can help around the house - that doesn't mean what you described above. I don't knkow what makes me sadder - the fact that the mother had such little concern for this boy's safety, or the fact that so many here are not bothered by it at all.
Reply:lazy *****. I doubt it's illegal but perhaps it should be
Reply:That is CRAZY!! Yes it is totally wrong morally- Legally it fits into child endangerment- You couldn't LEAVE your 6 year old home alone, that is illegal. How is it any better to send him out to town on his own??? HE IS ONLY 6!!!, that is kindergarden age for most boys.





Some people should not have children- that poor little boy- lucky you helped him and not a child abductor/molestor. If you see him again doing the same thing, you should intervene and turn in lazy, selfish mother in to the authorities. I have three little boys 4-10-14, and that story makes me sick and very sad for him and his home life...





I don't buy the whole disabled mom thing either- if that was the case she would be on a program for groceries to be delivered, or have help for issues like that...
Reply:No, its not illegal. Frankly I don't have a problem with sending a kid to the store if its within walking distance..for ONE or TWO things...but that is all...That was WAY TOO MUCH to ask out of a 6 year old!!
Reply:Dont know if its illegal or not, but my mother used to send me to the shop when i were younger, fair enough she didnt send me to get that much stuff. Good thing about it was that she said i could keep the change!
Reply:i totaly agree with kol i dont think a 6 year old should go out shopping i have a daughter and would never send her out to the shop you never know what idiots are about just because there is somthing wrong with them dosent give them the right to send there 6 year old out some parents need a wake up call they should never have had kids in the first place
Reply:In the UK it is NOT actually illegal to leave your children at home, UNLESS 'something' happens! There is no age limit, or 'legal age' when it is OK yo leave them, it is entirely at the parent's discretion.





I think you going home with the child to speak with his parent has been the most sensible answer on here. I think that I would have done that, at least helped him carry the stuff home, let her see what she was doing.
Reply:sounds like crappy parenting, but i dont think it is illegal.
Reply:6 years old is too young. That's a job for teens. I would think it would fall under child neglect of some kind when you have a child that young out by himself. Ask a local cop. I’m disables and my son helped me out when he was little, but it was with age appropriate stuff, not adult work. This person should have gotten an adult to help her out and not expect her 6 year old to do adult work. There are senior centers out there that will help out seniors and the disable with this kind of stuff. Usually free or a small charge if you can afford it.
Reply:She's an idiot. Making a child do grown-up things of that sort is cruel. Plus, anyone could have kidnapped him! I don't even let my kids play in our front yard without me outside!
Reply:it's not illegal but i think that that mother is really wrong for sending her 6 year old in to do her shopping. what is wrong with some ppl in this world today?
Reply:I don't think it's illegal. Maybe it ought to be. It's kind of dangerous. My mom wouldn't let me cross the street on my own at that age. I did do shopping for her occasionally when I was a young grade schooler, but I was older than this kid, the store was only a block away, and I usually had a brother or sister with me. Maybe I always did. It has been so long I don't remember for sure. Asking a kid that small to carry all that stuff by himself is cruel.
Reply:Oh please - don't believe the sob stories about the mum being disabled, if she was disabled and had a 6 yr old child she would have help!





This is bad irresponsible parenting through and through. I have a 10 yr old and he will cycle up to our local shop for a paper for me, but only because he wants to. I would never send my 6 yr old to the shops! When i do the shopping (big shop) my 6 %26amp; 3 yr old will gladly get the stuff off the shelves for me, but never carry any of the heavy stuff - maybe the toilet rolls or kitchen roll.





People don't deserve kids!
Reply:Perhaps she had severe disabilities and was unable to leave the house?
Reply:No its not illegal. More children should be helping out nowadays. Do you expect her to do everything?? If you have time to play on the computer, you have time to help
Reply:I don't think that it is illegal, unless the parent is really abusing the child. What you described seems totally legal.
Reply:well this is not a question i can answer very good, but i'll try. If a "mother" send her little child to go to the store she might be in a personal struggle ex: drugs, alchol, divorce and cant handle it including in public. Well, u should have tooken the boy home (to his) and talked to his mother. even maybe he sneeked out with his moms shopping list for that afternoon to surprise her. don't worry about anyone elses response to u there just being immature brats. wat u did was right
Reply:He is 6 thats a good age for a boy...I see parents do it all the time they are showing there young boys the proper way of becoming a man..and there is nothing wrong with that if it was a little girl hopefully the mother would be in the car now a days its not safe for a little girl but me as a parent i can see sending my 6 years old son to the store to buy some groceries i have seen them carry more than that and i think its a good thing to do for a boys sake perhaps..
Reply:not if they want to.
Reply:the mom was probably sick or disabled. mind your own business. i do it all the time for my mom...she's disabled though.

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