Wednesday 26 October 2016

Dear Supermarket Team (an open letter to all the staff where we shop)

To the team at the supermarket that I do our weekly shopping at,

Thank you so much for making our weekly shopping trip actually enjoyable and fun for my children.

Both my children struggle with noise, bright lights and at times crowds of people. I shop at the same place, at the same time, the same day each week. It is part of L's routine. We drop O off at school, we do the shopping and then go home to get ready for Tara School.

You've come to know us very well, we're the ones that buy the same things each week - there is very little variation to our shopping list. I'm not even sure why I write a list out, but if I didn't, I'd forget something for sure.

To the lovely cold section attendant who sees us coming and goes out the back to check that the Moo button and Cluck button are turned on so that L can giggle his head off in surprise when he hears the sounds. Thank you so very much for recognising the joy he gets from pressing two buttons each week.



To the ladies who are picking online orders, thank you for saying "hi buddy" to L - he looks forward to your interaction and one day he will say hello back rather than just waving.

To the front of store team who have on occasions come to our rescue when L has been having a moment. Thank you for offering to help, for distracting O when she has been with us, for holding our full trolley when I've had to take L out for a break. Your understanding is wonderful.

To the lovely lady on the register who seems to be always on, thank you for including L in our conversations. Thank you for your patience as L helps to put everything up onto the belt. Thank you for packing light bags so that L can help to put them into the trolley.

Lastly to the lovely deli attendant, you are L's most favourite person in the supermarket, hands down. You see us coming and you always have a piece or two of polony ready for L with a 'hi buddy, how are you today?" You are the one person that L will say "hello, thank you and bye" to.

Also thank you for standing up for my beautiful boy when that person decided that it was her job to tell me "that kids like him should be kept at home." It made my heart jump when you defended L and politely told her where to go. Thank you for understanding that L does struggle at times and thank you for accepting him the way he is.

Regards,

A mum who dreads going shopping because it might end in tears and frustration.

2 comments:

I would love to hear your thoughts on my blog. I do read all the comments that are posted. Thanks so much for stopping by. Jen xx