Parental Misguidance, Part 3

I work at a kids’ clothing store. One of our regular customers typically comes in with her four kids, usually during our slow hours, thankfully.

Her kids always tear the store apart. They somehow get behind the TV and unplug it. Once they almost knocked it over (thankfully, it’s the only breakable thing in the store). They knock over every display, they run into displays and hurt themselves, they throw whatever they can reach at each other or on the ground.

The entire store has to be straightened when they leave, despite my best attempts to follow them along and clean up, all the while saying things like “That’s ok” and “Good thing we don’t sell breakables” with my best customer service smile.

The customer typically spends two hours in the store. While shopping, she’ll occasionally say things like “Guys stop,” “I’m not going to buy you anything,” “[Child], why did you do that?” in the most monotone, uninterested voice I’ve ever heard from a parent addressing a child. She never really looks at them, never interrupts her shopping, never physically intervenes, and she always buys $200-$500 worth of kids clothing, after repeatedly telling her kids she won’t buy them anything.