Putting a Child on a Food Counter

I've never seen actual food placed directly onto the counter. It's usually handed over in a bag, cup, or placed upon a tray, right?

You must havve seen me.. I do it regulary I have only so many hands, and my daughter (tiny as she is) still weighs enough..

Of all the things people put on a counter, a child for just a moment...is probably the least dirty. Did you know there are more germs on cellphones, debit cards, keys, money, HANDS...and don't get me started on the bottoms of purses. ICK!!! Seriously, read online about all the gross stuff found in money alone.

Food is wrapped for a reason, you're making a fuss.

I would say you are making a fuss over nothing. I can assure you that child's bottom is a lot cleaner than the money that is regularly set on that counter! Food should be all wrapped up at that point so chill.

I am this mom. I put my kid where I can keep my eye and hands on him. He has pants on and he doesn't have a leaky diaper. His pants are as dirty as whatever he sits on. My reasoning is simple - either put him on a counter or risk having him dart off. I have gotten ripped a new one (not over sanitation) because it was deemed too dangerous to have my son sit on a counter. I suppose someone else would pitch a fit if he were to dart off, get hurt, make a mess, annoy the fellow patrons, etc. We do the best we can as parents so I am sorry if my decisions gross you out. I don't have enough hands or enough time to make deeply analyzed decisions.

Do you set your purse down on counters? Do you know how many germs are on the bottom of those?! I wouldn't have even noticed her kid up there

I think it is a good thing that you were in a hurry. Don't sweat the small stuff. I don't expect the register to be a sterile area--know how many purses are set there every day?

Maybe the woman needed to give her arms or back a break.

Oh my god, I did that all the time when my son was that age... Hell, he's 2 and I still do it. He's heavy. I can't hold him, and pay for things at the same time. If I set him down, he's gone. He will not just stand there and wait patiently (We're working on it). So setting him on the counter while I pay happens very often.

i did it. with my daughter. shes not on the counter where they prepare the food. also if they felt it was unsanitary then they as employees should wipe the counter after she leaves. i think your making a small fuss..

Purses on tables & counters--blecccch!

Considering everything from ppls keys to cell phones to purses/handbags and who knows what else is placed in Im sure the very same spot as this childs butt was I wouldnt have thought twice about it. I am a serious OCD diagnosised germaphobe and I can tell you that the things I listed off are littered with germs - including fecal matter. NASTY. So a babys butt is really not much different

Uh oh, I do this all the time. For me, it's a safety thing for my child. Glad I'm not the only one. I'm sure they wiped the counter down.

Unless the kid was in a leaking diaper, I would guess it's cleaner than purses put on counters. Don't sweat it. And at places like Target, I think they wipe the counters pretty often. Now, the moms that change thier kids on the tables at restaurants - THAT's a can of worms that should be jumped on. ICK!

I would have been more worried about the child getting germs or grabbing something off the counter. Not the best place to put the child but like mentioned, she may have needed to the little one down for a second.

better than trying to get her money out and turning around with him gone
Now if the child was placed on a lunch counter where people would be eating or food prepared, whole other story.

So if her hands were full and she had no way of accessing her purse but to put the child down, would you have preferred she put the baby on the floor? I'm not really clear what she was supposed to do. I think you are making a fuss over nothing...

no biggie. there are much, much worse places to put a child.

i used to work at subway. the counter by the register, you keep it wiped down, because the customer stares right at it. i can't imagine it was dirtier than a chair in a fast food place. have you ever really looked at those....ewww!

I have gotten reprimanded for doing this - not because my DD was leaking but because it was unsafe. The Post Office would rather have a child roll around on the floor where it's dirty than sit on the counter in line. Sigh. I wouldn't worry, about the child as much as the health of the person handling your food.

B., I'm with you. If mom can't access her purse to pay, she can start carrying cash in her pocket that she can get to with one hand. A child old enough to stand should have one hand held while mom's other hand goes for the cash, I guess, but -- why aren't the kids safely strapped in a stroller inside a place like Target?? Seriously, I see all the "I do this, my baby's bottom is clean, it's safer than the floor" stuff here but I still agree with your assessment that it's unsanitary and rude -- and I also think it means there wasn't any planning ahead. At this age, a stroller is the safe place for a child inside a store or food court or mall. Sorry, I've been there too but at this age, my kid would have been in a stroller in a Target for sure.

I have seen this done many times, but it bothers me more when they let their small children stand on food counters. Most cashiers will not even wipe down the counters after.

When my daughter was that small I kept her in the cart until we got back to the car. It was much easier for me to have her in there and as she got older she would stand next to me.