American Forms of Communication with Kids while Shopping at Walmart

Last night, my roommates and myself took a trip to the States to go grocery shopping. The price difference is rather ridiculous. You cannot purchase 32oz of Gatorade in Vancouver for a dollar. You can’t purchase anything in Vancouver for a dollar. But that’s beside the point.

The last time we took a trip to the Walmart in Bellingham, my roommates were both shocked and amused that a lady in front of us at the checkout counter was wearing slippers. I explained to them that this was actually a common occurrence, further enhanced by the fact that others standing in line behind us were also wearing slippers. In the context of Walmart dress, slippers warrant little attention. Slippers seem to be the West Coast nod to laziness. You really have to look to notice.

Last night, while we were walking up to the checkout counter, we heard a full throated dog bark. Think Rottweiler or German Shepard. We looked around, expecting a dog.

Nope.

It was a dad, demonstrating to his kid how to properly make barking sounds, complete with arm movements and thrusting out of the chest. The kid went running up to dad and started imitating. They did this all the way to the checkout counter, the dad rather proud of his son for nailing it by the time they got in line.

My roommates were equally shocked and amused by this, which started a whole discussion on raising children and proper etiquette. I’ll agree using Walmart as a venue for teaching your son how to bark like a dog as a method of boasting is not the best of ideas. I considered it a form of communication between a dad and his son, a way to keep his attention from wandering to other kid-friendly things at Walmart as they moved to the checkout counter. My roommates weren’t buying it.

I’ve been to many Walmarts, easiest thing to find on the road or on vacation. I also did my undergrad at Mizzou, and Walmart is the place to shop in Columbia, MO, so Walmart “dress” is not much of a surprise to me. I still cannot recall, however, hearing a father teach his son to dog bark while walking to the checkout line.

First time for everything, still, it seems.