Derbyshire mum defends making two daughters sit down in Tesco for misbehaving

A Derbyshire mother who made her two daughters sit in silence at Tesco for misbehaving has defended her actions and said she would do it again if needed.

Louise Palai, of Mill Street, Ilkeston, publicly punished her girls Alisa, six, and Ebony, seven, while they were out shopping in the supermarket, as they had been running around the store and making too much noise.

The youngsters had to sit with their heads down and in silence for ten minutes in the middle of the vegetables aisle until they had calmed down and were ready to start behaving.

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The 35-year-old has stood by her parenting, arguing her tactic was better than smacking or shouting.

She insisted she would do it again somewhere as busy as the Intu shopping centre if she needed to get her kids to calm down and behave.

“They don’t mess about again when you make them sit in the supermarket,” said Louise. “They suddenly start behaving as they know everybody can see them.

“I don’t care how old my daughters are, they need to learn to behave when they are out in public and making them have a time out wherever they may be, really calms them down and they stop messing about.

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“Even if they were messing around in the street, I would get them to do the same thing, no matter how many people are around, they would be forced to sit down and think about that they are doing.

“There were a few people giving me some odd looks, but I don’t care what anybody thinks.

“This method works and it is a much better alternative to shouting at the girls in the middle of the street or smacking them like I have seen other parents do.”

Louise made her youngsters sit down in Tesco, in Ilkeston, as they had been running round the store, making noise and being a nuisance to people.

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When they failed to calm down, she made them sit on the floor with their heads down, cross legged, in silence.

The children were sat down in the store for about ten minutes before they were allowed to move.

Louise stated this is a method she has used at home making them sit on the stairs to calm them down.

She said: “No matter where you go, there is always a step they can sit on, but if there is no step there is always the floor!

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“At home we have a naughty step and if the children start messing about I tell them to sit on the stairs to calm down.

“My eldest daughter is 14 now, but when she was 12 she also had to sit down in Tesco, as she had been messing about.

“Sitting them down in the shop means they are seen by loads of people and it is humiliating for them, but they learn from it.

“It annoys me when you see youngsters running around and causing a nuisance to people, I want my kids to know the different between what is and isn’t acceptable behaviour when they are in public.

“I would encourage other parents to do the same thing. If their kids are having a tantrum, they soon learn that there will be consequences for their behaviour.”